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Director reports methane-flare malfunction, testing and remediation steps at county landfill

Winnebago County Solid Waste Board · April 1, 2026
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Summary

Staff reported elevated methane readings from a lower blower unit and an air-permit deviation tied to a new flare; the county isolated the affected unit, reported the malfunction to the DNR, and arranged third-party vibration and methane testing while scheduling further sampling and monitoring at another landfill site.

Winnebago County staff told the board that a malfunctioning blower and a closed flare valve led to elevated methane levels and a reportable air-permit deviation during recent testing.

Staff said they installed gas-scavenging lines on Units 1 and 2 and replaced a carbon-ring seal on Unit 2 lower 301, which underwent a 24-hour run-in. Subsequent readings from borrowed meters showed methane concentrations on that lower frame in the tens of thousands of parts per million—well above the county air-permit thresholds staff cited—so staff isolated that floor and shut off parts of the system to avoid an ongoing permit violation.

"We saw readings between 40,000 to…

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