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Plan in place to stop Kent County landfill methane gas migration

Kent County Seal
Kent County

Kent County officials now have a plan for dealing with methane gas migration at a west Michigan landfill.

Back in August, Kent County officials were busy investigating ways to resolve the migration of methane gas from a closed Kentwood landfill.

Gas detection equipment was installed and air quality tested. There were meetings open to the public.

Since then an engineering firm is put the finishing touches on a methane collection system. In the next few months the Kent County Department of Public Works will add nine new gas wells doubling the current number and a second gas flare will be installed burning off migrating methane gas.

West of the landfill, 150 homeowners are eligible for free methane gas testing. Kent County DPW explains, “Methane is non-toxic and dissipates quickly when it is exposed to air, but it can be flammable, specifically when trapped in closed-in spaces.”

Patrick Center, WGVU News.

Patrick joined WGVU Public Media in December, 2008 after eight years of investigative reporting at Grand Rapids' WOOD-TV8 and three years at WYTV News Channel 33 in Youngstown, Ohio. As News and Public Affairs Director, Patrick manages our daily radio news operation and public interest television programming. An award-winning reporter, Patrick has won multiple Michigan Associated Press Best Reporter/Anchor awards and is a three-time Academy of Television Arts & Sciences EMMY Award winner with 14 nominations.