Consultants will be in town today to talk about the feasibility of using gas recovered from Grand Forks' old city landfill for heating and power generation.
Burns & McDonnell Engineering Co., the same firm that designed the landfill, will brief a City Council's committee on the results of a roughly $75,000 study, conducted with federal and state funds.
A more limited study in 2008 by UND's Energy and Environmental Research Center found that there is likely enough gas from decomposing garbage to power a 2-megawatt generator for 20 years -- that's enough to run the sewage plant and garbage baling facility. The question is precisely how much gas -- the EERC study used formulas, not samples -- and how pure the gas is.
At the time, the cost of a landfill-gas facility was about $3.5 million and electricity rates were such that a return on investment was possible within six years.
Also in today's Service/Safety Committee meeting, which starts at 5:30 p.m. at City Hall:
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- City staff is proposing raising the eligible age for the subsidized Senior Rider service from 55 to 62. Those already using the service who are not yet 62 in 2011 may be grandfathered in. The system is seeing a big increase in ridership from 20,300 in 2008 and 23,100 in 2009 to 24,100 this year. Unlike buses, Senior Rider is a taxi-like system and is contracted out to Grand Forks Taxi. Each ride costs the city $5.89 and the rider $2.75. Staff is not seeking a fare increase in 2011, but said it may do so in 2012.
The city is also seeking a request for proposal from other taxi companies because the Grand Forks Taxi contract expires at year's end.
- There is an update on the sewage plant and the potential impact of changes caused by a new treatment facility at J.R. Simplot's potato plant and a connection with East Grand Forks' sewage system. The East Grand Forks council has not acted on the proposed connection and discussions in the past indicate council members were not inclined to go with the plan.
Reach Tran at (701) 780-1248; (800) 477-6572, ext. 248; or send e-mail to ttran@gfherald.com .
