A warning sign on the fence around the old Kentwood Landfill.
Methane gas seeping out of an old landfill could pose a risk of explosion in nearby houses, according to Kent County officials.
The county identified methane outside the perimeter of the long-closed Kentwood landfill at 4900 Walma Dr. SE, off Breton Road north of 52nd Street, while recently installing gas monitoring wells, said Dar Baas, public works director. About 150 residences within 1,500 feet of the landfill's western boundary will be getting notices in the mail, he said.
"Methane is not toxic, but it is flammable," Baas said. "The biggest concern is it getting caught up in a building where it might store up and cause a fire.
"What we don't know is how far (the methane is migrating) and that's what we're trying to figure out."
The county's public works department will hold a meeting on the gas 7 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 31, at Kentwood City Hall, 4900 Breton Ave. SE. Residents also can get free on-site methane testing by the department.
Public buildings adjacent to the landfill have been tested and do not have methane in them, Baas said.
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