Why Controlling Landfill Methane Is Key to Slowing Local weather Change
The EPA plans to suggest a rule in 2025 that may deal with methane emissions from landfills, one of many nation’s largest sources of the greenhouse gasoline
Inver Grove Heights, Minnesota, Pine Bend sanitary landfill, the biggest open landfill in Minnesota.
Michael Siluk/UCG/Common Photographs Group through Getty Photographs
CLIMATEWIRE | EPA has quietly teed up what may change into the primary essential local weather rule of a possible Kamala Harris administration: a crackdown on landfill gasoline.
The company introduced final week that it plans to evaluate its 2016 requirements for landfill emissions. The discover got here as an merchandise on a White Home fact sheet for final Tuesday’s summit on heat-trapping super pollutants, and EPA instructed POLITICO’s E&E Information that it expects to concern a draft rule in 2025 for brand new and present landfills.
Specialists say the rule may very well be consequential each for the local weather and the standard of lifetime of those that reside and work close to municipal waste services.
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“We really feel actually strongly that very substantial reductions are doable at very low value,” stated John Coequyt, U.S. authorities affairs director for the assume tank RMI.
Methane has 80 occasions the heat-trapping functionality of carbon dioxide over a 20-year interval. And landfill gasoline — a mixture of methane and CO2 with traces of different pollution — could cause ozone, particle air pollution and odors.
Stable waste administration is the third highest-emitting U.S. sector for methane, trailing solely agriculture and oil and gasoline. Landfills account for greater than 17 p.c of human-caused methane air pollution, in comparison with just below 25 p.c for pure gasoline methods.
These figures come from EPA’s annual greenhouse gas inventory, which some research recommend may underestimate leak charges. One published last year used satellite tv for pc knowledge from 73 U.S. landfills to indicate their median emissions had been 77 p.c increased than what the business had reported to EPA.
Emissions controls for landfills might value as little as a couple of {dollars} per ton of methane — far lower than it prices different sectors to realize related reductions, Coequyt stated.
“This is without doubt one of the most cost-effective answer areas,” he stated. “And a few of the corporations that we discuss to that handle well-run landfills say that they will simply incorporate these further prices and their tipping charges. So, it is not prefer it dramatically adjustments the economics of landfills.”
EPA instructed E&E Information that it’s amassing details about “new and rising applied sciences and new approaches” that might issue into the rule. The White Home truth sheet stated the goal shall be to make the most of new applied sciences that “will higher measure and handle emissions and cut back dangerous air air pollution in frontline communities.”
Anne Germain, chief working officer and head of regulatory affairs for the Nationwide Waste & Recycling Affiliation, stated EPA ought to handle business frustration with the lengthy timelines for state businesses to approve the design of emissions management methods.
When EPA final up to date the requirements in 2016, it allowed corporations to put in management methods earlier than states signed off. However that was at an organization’s personal danger, and states may nonetheless disapprove carried out plans.
“So we’re in search of rulemaking that may present the business some regulatory certainty,” stated Germain, whose group represents privately owned waste administration corporations. “And proper now, we do not really feel like now we have that.”
Technological advances
These monitoring the rule stated they anticipate EPA to launch white papers on management applied sciences and to take touch upon them. Which will happen this yr.
However EPA is already working behind.
The Clear Air Act’s part 111 directs the company to evaluate guidelines each eight years, and that clock runs out subsequent month for landfill emissions requirements. Environmental teams level out that the Biden administration has had its arms full with rulemakings for the whole lot from energy vegetation to grease and gasoline improvement.
Landfill gasoline has been regulated underneath the Clear Air Act for the reason that Nineties. Edwin LaMair, an legal professional with the Environmental Protection Fund, stated the Obama-era replace to the requirements “wasn’t tremendous formidable.” And the Trump administration declined to implement them, leaving services in some states out of compliance till pretty just lately.
EDF, the Clear Air Process Drive and different teams petitioned EPA final yr to evaluate and strengthen the rule.
“We’ve been urging them to decide to a timeline and begin engaged on the rule, and they’re doing that now,” stated LaMair. “We’re actually comfortable to see that, and going to maintain offering suggestions and hope that they are in a position to keep on with the timeline they’ve introduced.”
Advocates say the developments in methane monitoring for the reason that rule was final revised present the total scope of landfill emissions and may make discovering and fixing leaks simpler.
“There actually have been dramatic advances in our collective potential to measure methane emissions, and never simply measure emissions from landfills, however to exactly establish the place the emissions are coming from throughout the floor of the landfill,” stated Riley Duren, CEO of the nonprofit Carbon Mapper.
“Fashionable landfills are complicated engineered methods,” he stated. “Having the ability to perceive what is going on on throughout that complicated panorama is admittedly important to understanding how one can go about managing landfill gasoline and methane emissions.”
Environmentalists need EPA to step up monitoring necessities and demand that extra — and smaller — landfills set up the gathering methods they should flare off gasoline.
However Germain of the Nationwide Waste & Recycling Affiliation hopes the rule won’t be inflexible.
“Our thought is that, OK, if you are going to do one thing the place you are going to cut back the degrees and you are going to hit smaller landfills, it’s important to be ready to present some flexibility,” she stated.
“What we have seen so removed from what individuals are taking a look at is the alternative,” she continued. “They need us to do smaller services, they usually need to take away any flexibility, which principally would make it virtually inconceivable to adjust to the foundations.”
Reprinted from E&E News with permission from POLITICO, LLC. Copyright 2024. E&E Information supplies important information for power and atmosphere professionals.
