In a feat of modern-day alchemy, methane generated by garbage rotting at the Altamont Landfill near Livermore will be converted to clean fuel for garbage trucks at a $15.5 million onsite facility starting in 2009. How cool is that?

This is a great example of a positive cycle: Those fumes that create the all-too-familiar nasty aroma of garbage will be cleansed and cooled to 260 degrees below zero, turning them into a liquid used to power the trucks delivering garbage to the landfill.

Houston-based Waste Management Inc. and Linde North America, a subsidiary of a German company, are working together to create the system. Hundreds of garbage and recyclable collection trucks dumping garbage at the site will run on the clean fuel, the companies said.

The novel approach will mean fewer greenhouse gases will be released into California’s air, both from decomposing garbage and vehicle emissions, to the tune of 30,000 tons per year.

A Linde-designed system will suck pollutants out of the gas and cool it to 260 degrees below zero, turning it into a liquid. Waste Management will use the liquefied natural gas in its own trucks, possibly also selling some of the fuel.

The system could go into action as soon as next year if it’s approved by Bay Area air quality officials, the companies said. (Photo: bucklava.)