This article was funded by LebTown donors as part of our Civic Impact Reporting Project.
The Greater Lebanon Refuse Authority took in 1,756 tons of waste in August, a slight decrease from July’s tonnage but similar to previous years’ tonnage.
A $131,000 check for sale of carbon credits from October 2022 through September 2023 more than makes up for the loss of revenue from lower tonnage than anticipated, GLRA executive director Skip Garner told authority board members Tuesday.
GLRA harnesses methane, a greenhouse gas created by decomposition of waste, and uses that as fuel for its power plant. The methane is used to generate electricity, which GLRA sells to Met-Ed and for which it receives carbon credits. In an email, Garner estimated GLRA captures enough energy to power as many as 2,000 homes.
Year-to-date, GLRA has managed 89,360 tons. That’s slightly below the YTD tonnage for 2023 — 90,588 tons — but similar to YTD for 2022 — 89,156 tons, according to GLRA’s records.
While the decline in tonnage means lower revenues, the plus side is extension and preservation of the life of the landfill, said Garner in a telephone interview Wednesday.
In other business, GLRA staff engineer Jim Zendek said the authority’s latest effort to chase Canada geese with strobes is helping. Mounted on a pole about 18 inches high, the strobes flash on and off all night, disrupting the geese’s sleep patterns.
But while helping, the strobes haven’t completely solved the issue as the geese leave the area with strobes but then go to another area, Zendek said.
Board members also learned from Garner about a landfill fire on the Friday evening of Labor Day weekend. Garner thanked a nearby property for alerting GLRA staff. Glenn Lebanon, Bunker Hill, Ebenezer and Union Water Works fire companies responded.
The board of the Greater Lebanon Refuse Authority meets monthly at 1800 Russell Road. The next meeting will be Tuesday, Oct. 2. The meetings are open to the public and do not require registration.
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