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Resident urges county to pursue landfill methane capture and convert it to electricity
Summary
A San Juan Capistrano resident proposed maximizing methane capture across county landfills and using steam-powered generators to produce electricity, urging the board to direct OC Waste and Recycle to implement and include the effort in the climate action plan.
Jeff Weaver of San Juan Capistrano urged the board to direct county waste officials to expand methane-capture programs at Orange County landfills and to convert captured gas into electricity. "Our plan is to convert the landfills into biofuel farms," Weaver said, arguing the county could recover substantial energy and revenue if methane is captured and used to power steam-driven generators rather than flared.
Weaver described current and abandoned landfills across the county and cited a claimed figure for one San Juan landfill of "over 3,000 cubic feet per minute," which he said equals "over 4,000,000 cubic feet per day" from a single flare. He urged county staff to include proactive capture measures in the county's climate action plan and to authorize OC Waste and Recycle to pursue the projects.
The board did not adopt a policy at the meeting; Weaver presented the proposal as public comment and framed it as a recommendation to county staff and the OC Waste and Recycle authority.
