Dive Brief:

• Commissioners in Deschutes County, Oregon have approved a proposal to convert landfill waste into diesel fuel. 
• Waste to Energy Group LLC, based in Irvine, California, has been in negotiations with the Knott landfill since 2011. The energy firm will lease 1.5 acres of the landfill for 15 years.
• The company plans to install a steam boiler and fuel collection system on site that will convert waste into liquid fuel. Steam will be injected into the surface of the landfill to speed up decomposition and then transform the methane gas into fuel.

Dive Insight:

The county stands to make $240,000 annually or 4% of the gross revenue from the project, whichever is greater. The project is expected to extend the life of the landfill, and the county is hoping it will eliminate the need to build a second landfill.