City to decide on pursuing new bioreactor

John Glascock, Columbia’s director of public works, has approved a bid from Frank Twehous Excavating Company in Jefferson City to begin construction on what will potentially become the first bioreactor in Missouri. The bid now goes to the city’s purchasing division, which will decide whether to finalize the deal to bring the latest in landfill technology and renewable energy to mid-Missouri.

The Environmental Protection Agency defines a bioreactor landfill as one that “operates to rapidly transform and degrade organic waste.” The accelerated decomposition produces significant amounts of landfill gases, such as methane, which will be collected and used to provide up to 2.5 percent of Columbia’s energy, a goal mandated by voters in a 2004 referendum on renewable energy.