Minnesota Pollution Control Agency

Contact: Cori Rude-Young, 651-757-2680 St. Paul, Minn. -- The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) is testing new soil vapor extraction technology at the Waste Disposal Engineering (WDE) closed landfill in Andover, Minn. This pilot project, which is slated to run from the end of September through December, will remove and contain volatile organic compound (VOC) contamination from the landfill's underground hazardous waste pit. The MPCA is using a new technology that recovers VOCs through a process of cooling, condensing and compressing gases. Gas from the underground pit is pulled into the system, and the technology turns the gas into liquid form. The MPCA intends to recycle the liquid or use it in a fuel blending process. All liquid disposals will occur off site. According to John Moeger, of the MPCA's Closed Landfill Program, this technology has shown good results in other parts of the country. "We are anticipating that this project will prove to be a success. If it is, we will focus on designing a permanent extraction system at the WDE site," Moeger says.