The moment seemed normal enough.

Mayor Ken Shearin briefly interrupted a City Council committee meeting last week to praise one of City Hall's department directors for a job well done.

"We've got a jewel here, folks," Mr. Shearin said. "It's one of the brightest spots in the city and we really ought to try to market this thing."

That's high praise for a landfill.

City Public Works Director Bruce Woody and Bill Blacketer, the city's superintendent of solid waste and recycling, laid out plans for council members that could keep the city landfill running for decades - long after other civic facilities will have become obsolete.

One plan would add almost 16 acres of usable space, which could last an estimated 24 years, according to Mr. Woody. The projection factored in increases in landfill usage. At current rates, St. Joseph could be set for decades, while Kansas City-area landfills are near capacity.

"When we say long-range planning with a landfill, we really mean long range," Mr. Woody said.

A smaller area that would add one and a half years worth of space is under construction.

Another plan - one which could provide a financial windfall for the city - would convert methane gas from the landfill into electricity. The project would involve two primary components. The first would include the actual recovery of methane gas from the ground, which would then be converted to electricity with a generator system. The second component could turn the landfill's trash into treasure in the form of tradeable carbon tax credits.

If the landfill uses its gas to generate electricity, it could earn tax credits that could be sold as a commodity to companies that have high carbon emissions.

Mr. Woody said it was difficult to predict how much revenue the city could generate from selling carbon credits because they are commodities that constantly change in value, much like the price of a barrel of oil or a bushel of wheat.

The city currently has 15 gas wells that harvest methane gas from the landfill, but the gas is simply burned off. Additional wells will be added in 2010. If they produce enough gas, the city hopes to begin the process of converting the gas to electricity.

Clinton Thomas can be reached

at clintonthomas@npgco.com.