About Us
The mission of the Mount Everest Biogas Project (MEBP) is to treat the human waste generated every year by climbers visiting Mt. Everest, and left after they leave, near the village of Gorak Shep (elevation 5,180m/17,000ft). MEBP will use anaerobic digestion “biogas” technology, already proven through use in lower areas of Nepal, to provide stabilization for human waste that currently is left buried in the upper valley of the Khumbu Glacier. The project will use local operational support, combined with local knowledge and skill in building efficiently insulated structures and solar electrical systems. By following local building customs that can be maintained in this rugged and remote environment, the MBEP will create a sustainable waste treatment system built from readily available and replaceable materials and components, deployed at Gorak Shep.
This project is focused on improving sanitation to help protect the environment and people in the Sagarmatha National Park. Ideally the local community will benefit from methane rich biogas and nutrient dense fertilizer produced as byproducts of this waste treatment system. But this project’s mission is to eliminate the dumping of untreated human waste in the Khumbu Glacier’s valley, not optimizing resource recovery.
By adapting anaerobic digestion for the conditions and waste streams occurring in Gorak Shep Nepal, the biogas system proposed by the MEBP can also be adapted to provide sanitation in other remote, glacial, arctic or mountainous regions. The design and concepts of this project are meant to be open-sourced, to intentionally expand efforts to protect humans and the environment through improved sanitation in cold and high altitude environments around the world. Let’s provide renewable resources to rural communities while treating human waste!
Volunteer Team
Launched in April 2010, Mount Everest Biogas Project founders Dan Mazur and Garry Porter each had first-hand experience of Mount Everest and the environmental impact of untreated climbers' waste being dumped at Gorak Shep, a remote community in Nepal located along the trail to Mount Everest Base Camp. Dan Mazur has guided Mount Everest climbers for more than 20 years and spends six months a year in Nepal and Tibet. Garry Porter is an engineer by trade and a retired Boeing program manager.
In 2012, Mount Everest Biogas Project expanded its engineering team and began tackling the human waste issue by designing a biogas system adopted to the needs of this remote location. With volunteers from a range of professional industries, Mount Everest Biogas Project is affiliated with the Seattle chapter of Engineers Without Borders and Architects Without Borders.
Team Members
Dan Mazur
Nepal Liaison Manager Dan holds a PhD in Policy Analysis from the Heller School. Through the Mount Everest Foundation for Sustainable Development in Nepal and Tibet (MEFSD), he has built schools and health clinics for local families in remote districts of Nepal. He has also summited Mount Everest multiple times and has led 12 Everest expeditions for SummitClimb.
Garry Porter
Project Manager Garry is a retired Boeing Company Program manager with over 34 years of engineering and program management experience. He holds a Master of Science degree in engineering from the Air Force Institute of Technology and an undergraduate degree in civil engineering from the University of Nebraska.
Mingma Tenzing Sherpa
In-Country Liaison Mingma was born and raised in Namche Bazar, Nepal and has been deeply involved with the project since its inception. He is an influential member of the Mount Everest National Park Buffer Zone Committee with a track record of participation in environmental and cultural preservation projects in the Khumbu Valley. He is a devout Buddhist with a degree from Kathmandu University.
Nate Jenega
Project Engineer Nate earned his Master's Degree from the University of Washington's Civil & Environmental Engineering Department. His interest in biogas technology started while earning his Bachelor of Arts in Biological Chemistry from Grinnell College.
Carmen Cejudo
Lead Mechanical Engineer Carmen Cejudo is a Senior Researcher at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, where she focuses on improving the energy and water efficiency of buildings. She has helped shape national building energy codes through her contributions to ASHRAE and the International Energy Conservation Code (IECC). With a background in mechanical engineering and industry leadership, Carmen combines research and real-world experience to advance building performance around the world.
Michael Marsolek
Research Lead Michael is an Asst. Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering at Seattle University, with a Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering from Northwestern University. He has experience operating lab-scale bioreactors and testing biogas potential of different digester feeds.
Joe Swain
Lead Architect Joe is an architect based in Seattle. He has worked on biogas-integrated projects in Massachusetts and Washington and has design experience in India and Sri Lanka. He holds a Master's degree in Architecture from the University of Washington and a B.A. in Mathematics from Brown University.
Affiliated Organizations
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Engineers Without Borders – Puget Sound Professional Chapter
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Gorak Shep Tea House Owners Association
In memory of Kirk Robinson
Kirk Robinson served as Construction and Subcontract Lead for the Mount Everest Biogas Project for many years. As Founder and Principal of The Robinson Company, he brought decades of construction management expertise to our all-volunteer team.
Beyond his professional legacy, Kirk was a devoted husband and father, an avid skier, a marathon runner, and an enthusiastic world traveler. He is deeply missed by this team and by all who were lucky enough to know him.