County Public Works Commissioner Vincent Spagnoletti said a public announcement regarding the sale of the landfill’s carbon credits is expected this week.
Spagnoletti the county will sell its credits to “one of the largest companies in the world” but said the details will be made public in a joint announcement.
“This is good,” said Public Works Committee Chairman Robert Nichols. “We like money flowing in.”
County officials began looking late last year for a way to sell the credits it receives for voluntarily using flares to burn off methane gas at the landfill on Turnpike Road. County Attorney Frederick Ahrens first raised the idea of selling the landfill’s carbon credits last Nov.
Carbon credits are sold as a way to reduce green house gas emissions. The credits are sold to industries with emissions above federal safety standards, as a way to offset their carbon footprint.
The initial agreement with Steuben is expected to include credits earned at the landfill during the last two years, with the money from the sale due 30 days after the contract is signed, officials said.
In Steuben’s case, the decision to voluntarily install an $815,000 system at the landfill to burn off methane gas is key to the county’s ability to sell its credits.
Ahrens told the committee the state Department of Environmental Conservation has been considering forcing all landfills to install flares to burn off methane gas. The gas is generated by decaying debris.
If the mandate takes effect, Steuben would no longer be eligible to sell its credits, Ahrens said.
“This is politically a very sensitive item,” Ahrens said. “It could cost us millions (of dollars) over the long haul.”
But the DEC has backed off the idea of mandating landfills burn the gases, Ahrens said.
“There was a lot of resistance (to the mandate),” Assistant Commissioner Steven Orcutt said. “It’s not gone forever but they’re not trying as hard.”
The sale of carbon credits will not affect the recent contract the county signed with Steuben Rural Electric Cooperative, Nichols said.
A contract with SREC to build an electrical generating plant using methane gas at the landfill was approved by the county Legislature Sept. 22. The contract is expected to bring the county an estimated $39 million during the next 10 years.
BY MARY PERHAM GATEHOUSE NEWS SERVICE
Sourced From
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