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County approves sole‑source purchase of enclosed landfill flare, contract with Parnell Biogas
Summary
Deschutes County approved a resolution authorizing sole‑source procurement and a contract with Parnell Biogas to install an enclosed flare and start‑up services to comply with state landfill gas monitoring and permit requirements; staff said reuse of existing components reduced costs.
The Deschutes County Board of Commissioners approved a resolution supporting sole‑source procurement and also approved a contract with Parnell Biogas, Inc., to supply an enclosed landfill gas flare and startup services required under the county’s Title V permit and recent state rules.
Tim Brownell, director of the Solid Waste Department, told commissioners that state requirements enacted in late 2021 (referred to in the staff presentation and transcript as OAR 03/2239 / Senate Bill 239) require regular testing of landfill surface emissions and emissions from destroyed gas. Brownell said the county’s current open flare cannot be source‑tested and that an enclosed flare is needed to measure discharges in compliance with the permit.
Brownell said the county expects the new enclosed flare to operate only a small portion of the time, but the permit requires source testing capability. He explained the procurement justification for sole source: the existing flare, installed about eight years ago, is a Parnell Biogas unit and many components can be reused, which the county estimates reduces the cost from more than $750,000 to roughly $428,000.
A commissioner asked about other emissions the new testing will measure; Brownell replied that regulators are focused on gases such as siloxanes and hydrogen sulfide and on particulate and smog‑forming potential. He noted the county’s ongoing methane‑to‑renewable‑natural‑gas project, which is expected online by late 2025 or early 2026; the new enclosed flare will serve as a monitored backup when that system is offline.
The board approved Resolution 2025‑003 supporting the sole‑source procurement and then approved contract document number 2024‑950 with Parnell Biogas. Both motions passed on unanimous vote.
Why this matters: County staff said the action is driven by state permit conditions requiring source testing and controlled destruction of methane and other gases; staff said reuse of existing Parnell components materially reduced procurement costs and justified a sole‑source purchase.
Implementation: Solid Waste Department staff will proceed with procurement, installation and required source testing under the new permit schedule.
