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Director reports methane-flare malfunction, testing and remediation steps at county landfill
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 49,500 parts per million on that lower frame," a staff member reported, and staff characterized the event as an equipment malfunction under the county plan for such incidents. The county filed the required notification to the Department of Natural Resources for an event that occurred on March 26, staff said.
Staff said they had two diagnostic vendors evaluate vibration and sensor performance—one out-of-state firm and VibeTech of Fond du Lac. An anomalous sensor reading from the diagnostics did not repeat in follow-up testing; staff flagged the sensor and will await formal third-party reports. Staff also requested a quantitative methane analysis from contractors to translate parts-per-million readings into emissions rates and to compare those values with permit limits.
For worker safety, staff said they will deploy personal gas meters for employees at the site and continue site isolation while troubleshooting system pressure and well-field adjustments to increase methane flow where needed. Staff noted the system should maintain no less than 6 psi at the end of the pipeline; pressure dipped close to that threshold during testing.
In a separate but related update, staff reported progress on the Small Road landfill remediation project and said subfloor vapor-intrusion sampling at a maintenance shop is scheduled for early April. The county budgets $365,000 for that capital project and plans groundwater monitoring wells and emerging-contaminant testing beginning May 2026; staff said they selected Horizon Construction for sonic drilling under an emergency procurement procedure and have submitted required permits to the City of Oshkosh, the Town of Oshkosh and the state.
Board members asked procedural and safety questions; staff said they are coordinating with the county safety office and will provide the formal third-party reports and any additional required notifications to regulators. Staff said they will continue to update the board as testing and mitigation proceed.
