Manchester Moving on Plan to Stifle the Stink at Landfill

MANCHESTER, CT — Manchester officials are set to launch a plan to make the local landfill less stinky.

It's a new, all-encompassing landfill gas collection system and construction on it is slated to begin next week. It will take "90 working days" to finish, which means residents should count on about four months, Environmental Services Manager Brooks Parker said. The landfill is located at 311 Olcott St.

The system will be made up of 42 new gas collection wells, some drilled more than 100 feet down, Parker said.

They will be tied into piping that loops around the entire 66 acres of the landfill and they will lead to one central stack designed to burn off the gases, he said. There will be no visible flames, he added.

Parker said the landfill odors are "a difficult monster to understand" because on some days nothing can be detected and other days, those living in the area will complain about a smelly situation.

He said the noses of some folks are flat-out "desensitized" to any odors.

The current system was installed in 2001 and "runs very well," but for for about 15 years, no additional wells have been installed, Parker said.

"So ... We are only capturing gas from about half the mass of the landfill. It made sense to re-do everything," he said. "Some will be drilled down in excess of 125 feet to get into both the really old areas and the newer ones."

Manchester officials said they have fielded regular complaints about the odors coming from the landfill.

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