RE-Powering America's Land: Tucson, Arizona Evaluating the Feasibility of Siting Renewable Energy Production on Potentially Contaminated Land Feasibility Studies to RE-Power Communities The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's RE-Powering America's Land initiative encourages renewable energy development on current and formerly contaminated land and mine sites when it is aligned with the community's vision for the site. EPA and the U.S. Department of Energy's National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) are collaborating on a project to evaluate the feasibility of siting renewable energy production on potentially contaminated sites.This effort pairs EPA's expertise on contaminated sites with NREL's expertise in renewable energy. The feasibility studies will provide site owners and communities with a realistic and achievable plan for putting renewable energy on a given site. Site Description The Vincent Mullins Landfill is a retired 61-acre site with a 36-acre waste footprint and an engineered and constructed soil cap. From 1967 to 1987, the City of Tucson operated the landfill, accepting only municipal solid waste.The landfill is 40 feet deep and stores about 2.2 million cubic yards of waste. The site was officially closed in 2007, and a gas extraction system was installed to control and maintain landfill gas within the site and to remove residual contaminants from the waste and the soil. The landfill is in its fourth year of a 30-year post-closure monitoring cycle. Community Goals The city is committed to developing solar resources on city land and buildings, and considers the landfill as having renewable energy potential. The landfill uses about 13,200 kilowatt hours per year of electric power and is surrounded by other city-owned facilities that consume significant amount of electricity. A solar energy project at the site could supply enough energy to power the landfill flare and meet the needs of several surrounding public facilities. Once the feasibility study for the Vincent Mullins landfill is complete, the city plans to use the expertise gained to evaluate the physical and economic feasibility of renewable energy projects on ten other inactive landfills. Feasibility Study: Solar EPA and NREL are collaborating to conduct a study on the potential for solar power generation on the Vincent Mullins Landfill site. The feasibility study will evaluate the technical and economic opportunities and challenges at the site. It will: ¦ Provide a preliminary analysis of the viability of the site; ¦ Assess solar resource availability; ¦ Identify possible system size, design and location; and ¦ Review the economics of the proposed system. Vincent Mullins Landfill Tucson, Arizona Site Facts: Site type: Landfill Renewable technology: Solar Contacts: EPA Region 9 Andria Benner benner.andria@epa.gov (415) 972-3189 EPA Headquarters Lura Matthews matthews.lura@epa.gov (202) 566-2539 www.epa.gov/renewableenergyland National Renewable Energy Lab Gail Mosey gail.mosey@nrel.gov (303) 384-7356 www.nrel.gov The information presented in this fact sheet comes from the proposal; EPA cannot attest to the accuracy of this information. Therefore, activities described in this fact sheet are subject to change. For more information, visit www.epa.gov/renewabieenergyiand or contact deanenergy@epa.gov &EPA Office of Solid Waste and Emergency Response November 2011 ------- |