Landfill gas expected to pay dividends

Crow Wing County expects to make hundreds of thousands of dollars in the coming years, selling carbon credits from landfill methane gas.

The county board previously authorized waste management to look into selling carbon credits. Tuesday the board approved sale of Verified Emission Reductions from the landfill with TerraPass Inc., a Delaware company with a principal office in San Francisco.

The carbon credits come from diverting methane that would have gone into the environment if it wasn't collected and burned, because the county is doing more than required by collecting the gas, it can sell it as a commodity.

Doug Morris, waste management director, said having an active gas system takes care of the long-term odor issues the landfill has experienced during the winter. And there are future hopes to sell the gas as a green energy. The county could both sell the methane gas and get carbon credits for it. Methane gas is considered 22 times worse as a greenhouse gas than carbon dioxide, Morris said.

The gas collection system would be paid for by 2016 and is expected to generate profits of $247,571 by 2017.

In other business, the board:

Voted to abandon a County Road 11 rumble stripes project and not take in about $60,000 in safety funds for the project, noting noise concerns have caused Cass County to fill in their rumble stripes and cost more to repair than to originally put in. Bids for the proposed project were rejected.

Approved sending letters to about 2,000 residents who have nonconforming mailboxes, which create a safety concern particularly for snowplow drivers, to encourage voluntary compliance.

The county offers an approved support to residents for $25 and offers to install it for them for $50. The board adopted a policy for the installation and maintenance of mailbox supports on county roads and county state aid highways effective June 1. The county highway department also plans to move forward with a pilot area to test compliance.

Balked at hiring a public health nurse following a resignation as Commissioner Rachel Reabe Nystrom's motion to approve the hiring failed to gain a second. Nystrom noted the need for staff in this area particularly in light of concerns of a pandemic.

Commissioner Phil Trusty said with a hiring freeze in place, the county continues to hire people and he requested more information in regard to the need for the position. However, when commissioners were asked what additional information they would like to see, no one provided additional information. Trusty said he'd leave it up to Human Resources Director Tami Laska.

Approved hiring a land services water protection specialist with projected salary and benefits of $61,000 to be responsible for the Wetland Conservation Act and county water plan. The work was previously conducted by the Crow Wing County Soil and Water Conservation District. The county reported an overall savings of $69,000 for the 2010 budget by making the change.

Heard from John Sullivan, president of Navillus Land Co., who said with tough economic times, the sales figures used for land valuations aren't realistic to match current land values. Sullivan said property offered below the assessor's estimate hasn't produced sales and economic recovery won't be seen here until residential construction recovers. Sullivan said the county is seeing an increase in unpaid real estate taxes and more will be seen in 2010 and 2011.

Until the economy turns and property is selling, Sullivan said paying half the taxes and assessments during the next two years will involve luck and that means threat of foreclosure.

Sullivan said the local economy isn't good and Washington, D.C., is making it worse and so is increasing the mill levy.

RENEE RICHARDSON may be reached at renee.richardson@brainerddispatch.com or 855-5852.