First published in the Oct. 1 print issue of the Glendale News-Press.
Thanks to Zane Hill for his informative and well written article on the recent City Council debate and actions on the proposed biogas electrical generating facility at the Scholl Canyon landfill site.
Not every Glenoaks Canyon resident is opposed to the plant: this resident of Glenoaks Canyon is in favor of building and operating it. Not building the plant won’t prevent burning the methane produced by the landfill, it will only ensure that the methane is not used productively when it is flared off, as is currently happening.
Councilman Ara Najarian gets it: Glendale would benefit from having a local source of generation that doesn’t have to be squeezed through the existing intertie with LADWP and isn’t purchased from another utility.
So, what if the methane output from the landfill declines over the next 20 years? As I understand it, the proposed plant could burn natural gas. Let it be idle when the landfill methane is exhausted but remain available for a quick start up when needed, like at 6 p.m. on a 106-degree day, to help keep the lights on and homes cool in Glendale.
I do not see building the biogas facility at the landfill site as an either/or choice with beneficial redevelopment of the landfill acreage once it closes. I believe the landfill site is large enough to have both recreational facilities and a generation facility coexisting. Redevelopment of the landfill once it closes will take significant time. Let’s benefit from the electrical power that the biogas facility will produce while the redevelopment occurs.
Richard Schmittdiel
Glendale
