Table 17. Methane Production Parameters for High, Low, and Very Low Yield Sites
| Methane Yield Parameters | High Yield | Low Yield | Very Low Yield |
| Fraction Readily Decomposable | 0.400 | 0.040 | 0.040 |
| Fraction Moderately Decomposable | 0.450 | 0.450 | 0.450 |
| Fraction Slowly Decomposable | 0.052 | 0.052 | 0.052 |
| Rate of Methane Yield - Readily Decomposable (Cubic Feet per Pound) | 4.50 | 2.75 | 1.38 |
| Rate of Methane Yield - Moderately Decomposable (Cubic Feet per Pound) | 3.55 | 1.95 | 0.98 |
| Rate of Methane Yield - Slowly Decomposable (Cubic Feet per Pound) | 0.50 | 0.29 | 0.16 |
| Lag for Methane Generation from Readily Decomposable Waste (Years) | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Lag for Methane Generation from Moderately Decomposable Waste (Years) | 2 | 2 | 2 |
| Lag for Methane Generation from Slowly Decomposable Waste (Years) | 5 | 5 | 5 |
| Production Limit of Readily Decomposable Waste (Years) | 3 | 4 | 4 |
| Production Limit of Moderately Decomposable Waste (Years) | 10 | 20 | 20 |
| Production Limit of Slowly Decomposable Waste (Years) | 20 | 40 | 40 |
| Source: Energy Information Administration, Emissions of Greenhouse Gases in the United States 1998, DOE/EIA-0573(98) (Washington, DC, October 1999), Appendix A: Estimation Methods. Parameters for very low yield site assumed to be 50 percent of low yield site values. | |||