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The Bryan City Council on Tuesday will consider approving a project that could help preserve the environment while earning $40,000 per month for Bryan and College Station to split.
Bryan Texas Utilities, Bryan's taxpayer-owned utility, wants to convert methane to gas at the landfill on Rock Prairie Road, which is owned by the cities of Bryan and College Station. The entities are equal partners in the Brazos Valley Solid Waste Management Agency, so both councils would have to approve such a measure.
The effect of the project on the environment would be akin to planting 2,200 acres of trees annually for 15 years or removing emissions from more than 1,500 vehicles, Bryan officials said.
If approved by both councils, Bryan Texas Utilities would build the conversion plant with Massachusetts-based Amaresco, which has locations in Dallas, Houston and Tomball.
BTU would pay for constructing the plant -- though the cost was unclear -- and be responsible for the operations and maintenance of the plant. BTU and Amaresco have offered to pay $40,000 to the cities for the opportunity to convert the methane gas and sell it on the open market.
Bryan officials said that BVSWMA put out a request for a proposal on the project and BTU made the best bid. The agreement would be treated as if the contract was awarded to any other vendor, city leaders in Bryan said.
Those officials said they have been waiting more than a year for their neighboring city to agree to the project so it can proceed.
"We don't understand why they would ignore something that clearly would benefit our community," said Bryan City Manager David Watkins, adding that they could have saved roughly half a million dollars by implementing the conversion.
College Station City Manager Glenn Brown said the issue continues to be discussed in mediation, but Bryan is pushing the issue before the media. Bryan officials last week sent out a press release on the upcoming meeting.
"The methane gas issue is an important one," Brown said, adding that it's not on an upcoming agenda for College Station. "We don't have a time frame on when the issue will be resolved, but I don't see it in the immediate future."
He said the city remains committed to the environment and that BVSWMA staff, which is overseen by College Station officials, proactively implemented a methane gas collection and destruction system several years ago to ensure the landfill would operate at the lowest possible pollution and greenhouse gas emission levels.
"While beneficial use of the methane is a goal for BVSWMA, the BTU gas-to-energy project will not reduce emissions any further than the current operation of the methane gas collection and destruction systems," Brown said.
Brown said the city exceeds regulatory compliance levels to operate the greenest landfill possible, with the least detrimental impact to the natural resources the residents will need in the future.
April Avison, spokesperson for Bryan, said BTU wants to turn the gas into energy, which is a resource, but right now its being burned off as a pollutant.
"Collecting and burning the gas is a step in the right direction but the most environmentally-friendly option is to go one step further and use the gas as a resource for electricity -- or some other benefit," Avison said. "It's like collecting plastic bottles along the side of the road and then throwing them in the landfill. It's great to pick up trash, but why not recycle it."
The cities soon will build a $13.3 million landfill about 12 miles east of College Station on Texas 30. The 610-acre Twin Oaks Landfill will provide disposal capacity for the BVSWMA for an estimated 40 years.
The cities have been in a dispute over the landfill contract since the summer when Bryan filed suit to stop College Station from awarding a construction contract on the project. Bryan officials said the city had not been included in the contract documents, exposing it to lawsuits if something were to go wrong.
Bryan officials agreed to move forward with the process after resolving the issue through mediation. Both councils approved the landfill contract in October, saying other issues, such as the methane project, remained unresolved.
Also at Tuesday's meeting the council plans to:
* Consider renaming Gateway Park on Main Street to Gloria Stephan Sale Park to recognize a person who dedicated time and resources to helping others and left a trust fund for the improvement of city parks.
* Approve six new positions for the Bryan Police Department, including one school resource officer, three police officers and two sergeants. These positions are being added to meet operational needs and assist the department.
