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Given the major concern of methane emissions from landfills, the Biden administration has proposed updates to reduce the nation’s high and often underestimated emissions from these sites.
Methane emissions from landfills significantly contribute to greenhouse gas emissions in the United States. According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), municipal solid waste landfills are the nation’s third-largest source of human-related methane emissions.
In late March, a published study revealed that US methane emissions from landfills were 40% higher than the EPA reported. The research, led by scientists and Carbon Mapper, was a collaboration between multiple organisations including NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory and the EPA.
The group utilised airborne sensors to study 200 active landfills and later found that 52% of the sites had observable methane emissions. Most of the emissions were projected to have a life span ranging from months to years.
Another analysis done by Industrious Labs found that methane had been leaking out of landfill sites. The values were often under-reported with 96% of them going above the 500ppm regulatory limit.
Landfill gas comes from decomposing organic materials, with methane being particularly concerning because it traps more heat than carbon dioxide. In 2022, US landfills emitted about 119.8 million metric tons of methane, making up 17.1% of the country’s human-caused methane emissions.
The largest landfill in the world is in Las Vegas, holding 50 million tons of waste with a 250-year lifespan. It’s one of approximately 1,500 other landfills in the US, making methane emissions from these sites a significant climate concern.
The current EPA standards
Under the Clean Air Act, the EPA regulates emissions nationwide. The 2016 methane framework mandates that landfills holding 2.5 million metric tons or more of waste must install gas collection systems to prevent emissions.
Captured landfill gas is either burned for energy or flared to convert methane into less harmful carbon dioxide. Landfills must regularly monitor gas emissions, including surface methane and wellhead temperature and pressure, to ensure the system is effective and safe.
With recent studies revealing the shortcomings of the current EPA standards highlighting the underestimation of methane emissions across the nation, experts are calling for stricter frameworks to be implemented nationwide.
In late July, a summit on super pollutants was held in which the Biden administration announced plans to introduce updates to the EPA’s emissions regulations with the draft expected to be released next year.
In response to calls from environmental groups and lawmakers for more rigorous controls on methane emissions, the proposed rule aims to strengthen existing emissions guidelines for both new and existing municipal solid waste landfills.
The update will use new methane monitoring technologies to better identify emission sources. This could improve the detection and reduction of methane leaks from landfills. The EPA may adopt more accurate monitoring methods, like satellite imaging and advanced sensors, to understand emissions better and identify high-emitting landfills.
Most importantly, advocates are pushing for the installation of gas collection systems at smaller landfills. Sites holding less than 2.5 million metric tons of waste often go unnoticed in terms of their emissions, contributing to the understated emissions reported.
To help with these efforts, the administration is focusing on public-private partnerships to use new technologies for monitoring and reducing methane emissions. Collaborations with NASA and the Environmental Defense Fund are key. NASA’s EMIT instrument will provide high-resolution methane leak data to develop better mitigation strategies.
The impact of the updates
Emissions control measures in landfills might just be one of the most cost-effective methods of reducing methane emissions in the country. By simply improving monitoring, operational practices, and gas collection systems it has been shown to deliver significant reductions in emissions without requiring prohibitively expensive investments.
Additionally, 54% of reporting landfills have communities within one mile that exceed the national average for the percentage of people of color or low-income residents.
This statistic highlights the disproportionate impact of landfills on marginalized communities, indicating that a substantial number of people live near these sites and are likely exposed to the associated environmental and health risks.
Hence, the reduction of emissions improves the overall air quality surrounding these communities leading to lower levels of these harmful pollutants that can exacerbate respiratory diseases and other health issues.
The US aims to cut methane emissions by 30% below 2020 levels by 2030 under the Global Methane Pledge. Reducing emissions from landfills, the third-largest methane source, is crucial. This could prevent up to 0.3°C of warming by 2050 and help meet climate commitments like the Paris Agreement.
Alas, amidst the elections, it comes as no surprise that the Republicans have strayed away from the reality of climate change. Hence, it is more likely that the updates to the EPA’s regulations would take form if Kamala Harris wins the election.
One can only hope for post-election government stability in the US to implement the essential updates needed to advance its climate goals.
