The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has announced that IESI MO Champ Landfill, LLC has agreed to implement several measures at its Maryland Heights, Missouri, landfill. The measures are designed to minimize odors and air emissions from the landfill and ensure ongoing compliance with regulatory requirements under the Federal Clean Air Act.
According to the EPA, an inspection of the landfill, conducted on May 18, 2016, was part of an EPA initiative to identify non-compliance and reduce air emissions from sources in the greater St. Louis area. The inspection identified deficiencies related to Champ Landfill’s surface emission monitoring and surface integrity monitoring, required by the Clean Air Act’s New Source Performance Standards (NSPS). The standards impose controls on emissions of landfill gas, as well as monitoring, recordkeeping and reporting requirements to ensure that landfill gas emissions are minimized.
Under the terms of this settlement, Champ Landfill has agreed to conduct a comprehensive third party audit of its gas collection system and to implement all of the auditor’s recommended corrective actions in less than one year.
Champ will also install 21 additional landfill gas extraction wells. These modifications to the gas collection system are expected to improve its ability to collect gases generated by the landfill, resulting in lower emissions of landfill gas and odors to the surrounding community. Overall, Champ Landfill will spend up to an estimated $1.6 million to implement the improvements at the landfill, including the additional wells, implementing the independent third party audit recommendations and other expenditures.
“This agreement shows how constructive negotiations between a company and EPA can produce positive results leading to air quality improvements that benefit communities,” says EPA Region 7 Administrator Mark Hague. “The immediate actions taken required by this agreement will improve the landfill’s operations and minimize air emissions and odors. This is an important step in EPA’s efforts to ensure sources of air pollution in the area are in compliance.”
As part of the settlement, Champ Landfill has also agreed to spend nearly $1.3 million to purchase four compressed natural gas (CNG) trash collection trucks to replace existing diesel-fueled vehicles as a voluntary Supplemental Environmental Project (SEP).
