Comparison of the Landfill Facilities
This paper will compare two landfills; the Landfill Gas Capture and Flaring Facility in Alexandria and the Bantar Gebang dumpsite in Bekasi.
The Landfill Gas Capture and Flaring Facility in Alexandria is used to contain the solid waste from four districts within the Greater Cairo in Egypt. However, the dumping site could not meet the minimum measures for pollution management prompting the Alexandria Governorate to hire a corporate that could ensure effective solid waste control in the area. The solid waste on the landfills at El Hammam and Borg El Arab give out methane which when emitted to the atmosphere leading to global warming. The Alexandria landfill facility is used to minimize the amount of methane gas emissions to the atmosphere and thus reducing the effect of global warming to the environment. Methane gas from the landfill is directed to the fare where burning takes place so as to deduct the percentage of methane gas that is emitted at the air emission point to the atmosphere from the landfill site at El Hammam and Borg El Arab. The process involves the land gas flowing through the apparatus as the methane percentage is monitored until it is at an adjustment level of 20 percent. At this adjustment level the landfill gas is considered safe for release to the atmosphere. The quantity of methane flaring at the baseline as well as the quantity of methane that is additionally collected to the baseline is calculated as the amount of carbon dioxide used in the anaerobic burning of methane at the flare is reduced (Bondois, 2006). According to Bondois, leakage monitoring is ensured by “Continuous monitoring of total electricity used to pump gas (kWh), which is calculated as the amount of carbon dioxide per kWh” (2006). Finally the landfill gas is emitted at the air emission point. The gas emitted at this point is has a minimized amount of methane gas through the “Landfill Gas Capture and Flaring Facility.” The methane that is treated may be used to produce electricity or equally it is processed and upgraded to pipeline gas that is used for the purposes of economic gains.
The Bantar Gebang dumpsite in Bekasi is considered as being one of the health hazards in the town with lots of landfill from garbage. The dumpsite increase daily in terms of garbage with over 600 tons being dumped. This situation creates an environment which is risky to the lives of its residents especially the children. People working in a hazardous environment and in the end remain poor. The dumpsite is to be changed into 108 hectares a “no flies zone accompanied with a nature park. According to change makers; “a commercially viable ‘healthy community, healthy planet’ education center, run by Bantar Gebang residents with: a large forested recreational area, a camping site for scouts, bed-n-breakfast accommodation, eateries and shops an agricultural (research) center, promoting local food production in urban settings, local produce cooperatives renewable energy generation through wind, solar, methane capture, and emissions-free waste-to-energy plant, capable of earning carbon credits, rainwater capture and ground water purification installation and LEED certified social housing for the Bantar Gebang households” (2013). This will see the residents live a healthy life as well as get economic gains.
Suitability of the Existing Systems
The Landfill Gas Capture and Flaring Facility has greatly helped to reduce the adverse effect of the greenhouse gas methane to the atmosphere and therefore reducing the effect of global warming on the environment. The captured methane gas which has been treated is also used for economic purposes such as the generation of electricity as well as production of pipeline gas that is consumed at homes and industries. This is the same case for the Bantar Gebang dumpsite in Bekasi. When its transformation into Nature Park is fully into place, the release of methane gas will be minimized reducing negative effects to the environment. The residents of the two towns will also gain economically.
Steps Might Be Taken To Improve Each System
The Landfill Gas Capture and Flaring Facility is not effective as sometimes there are cases of inefficiency recorded. The inefficiencies are associated to the insufficient monitoring of the measurements as the landfill gas flows through the facility mechanism. To increase efficiency, more personnel should be employed and assigned their individual duties of monitoring the facility to detect inconsistency.
On the case of the Bantar Gebang dumpsite in Bekasi, it transformation into a natural park may face a number of set-setbacks. The residents of Bekasi are divided over the transformation as well as the importance of the government involvement in the project. To solve such a scenario there should be intense informative campaigns encouraging all the stakeholders to support the project. This is because in the end, the project will benefit all the residents both economically and offer of a clean environment to live.
References
Bondois, L. (2006). Onyx Alexandria Landfill Gas Capture and Flaring Project. Retrieved June 3, 2013, from https://wbcarbonfinance.org/docs/Egypt_Onyx_PDD.pdf
Changemakers (2013, October 29). Bantar Gebang No Flies Zone: from Landfill to Nature Park | Changemakers. Retrieved November 11, 2013, from http://www.changemakers.com/project/bantar-gebang-no-flies-zone-landfill-nature-park-0
