It has been known that landfills produce a gas as the refuse decomposes. This landfill gas (LFG) can have value as a fuel, with a heating value normally about half that of pure methane (natural gas). This valuable gas is uncollected at nearly all landfills. It vents out of the landfill, sometimes causing odor problems and safety hazards, eventually dispersing into the atmosphere. Only eight LFG recovery projects presently exist in the nation, with a handful of others in the planning or development stages.