The light and smell of the flame on I-88 have become a welcome center for DeKalb.

When driving west on I-88 coming into DeKalb, chances are drivers will know they are close when they smell a pungent odor and look up to see a large flame flickering on the left side of the road.

“All I know is that it smells like crap and is always burning whenever I drive by,” said Michael Colwell, freshman mechanical engineering major.

The flame actually marks the site of the DeKalb County landfill.

The waste received daily at the landfill is compacted and covered, placing the waste in an oxygen-free environment, said Mike Hey, Waste Management district manager.

This type of environment leads to anaerobic decomposition of the organic wastes. Anaerobic decomposition creates “landfill gas,” Hey said.

The gas is composed of about 58 percent methane gas and 42 percent carbon dioxide and can carry a strong odor. The landfill gas is collected and destroyed by a system consisting of 40 gas wells, collection pipeline and the flare. The flame visible is the actual incineration of the gas, Hey said.

This type of landfill has its benefits.

“The gas collection system is designed to collect and destroy the gas that is generated by the natural decomposition of the refuse buried in the landfill. This results is a significant reduction in odors created by the landfill,” Hey said. “It is very similar to most landfill gas collection systems used throughout North America.”