The Bailey Landfill is about to undergo a major expansion.
Council accepted a design-build proposal Tuesday for just over $6 million from lead proponent Jacob Bros. Construction/Conestoga-Rovers & Assoc. for the project.
The design and construction/upgrading work will encompass:
• the new methane gas management system;
• the northern expansion area west cell;
• the new leachate pump station.
Funding for the project includes $3.5 million for the landfill gas management system from gas tax revenues, as well as the city's landfill reserve funds.
The project proponent will be responsible for the operation and maintenance of the gas extraction system for two years to ensure compliance with performance standards. They will also be responsible for maximizing the potential for earning carbon offsets.
A series of pipes and wells will be installed in stages to capture the methane gas. Methane gases are created by microbes in the landfill acting on the organic matter to break it down.
A tonne of methane gas produces more than 20 times the pollutants compared to a tonne of carbon dioxide. The new leachate pump station will be built after the old one is decommissioned.
A trench network is going in at the site as part of the plan. The methane gas will be drawn into a pipe and then burned off in a sophisticated process similar to "flaring," with the goal of substantially cutting greenhouse gas emissions.
Chilliwack was to become one of only eight communities in B.C. with the technological ability to capture methane gas to reduce emissions.
The RFP closed on Jan. 30 and the timeline for completion is in 2014.
jfeinberg@theprogress.com
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