Under recent proposals, landfill gas emission levels would be lowered by nearly one-third.
As part of the President’s Climate Action Plan – Strategy to Reduce Methane Emissions, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has issued two proposals to further reduce emissions of methane-rich gas from municipal solid waste (MSW) landfills. Under these recent proposals, landfill gas emissions at new, modified and existing landfills would be reduced by nearly one-third compared with current requirements.
Methane is a potent greenhouse gas with a global warming potential more than 25 times that of carbon dioxide, the EPA says. In addition to methane, landfills also emit other pollutants, including the air toxics benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene and vinyl chloride.
MSW landfills are the third-largest source of human-related methane emissions in the U.S., accounting for 18 percent of methane emissions in 2013—the equivalent of approximately 100 million metric tons of carbon dioxide pollution—the EPA says.
Combined, the proposed rules are expected to reduce methane emissions by an estimated 487,000 tons per year beginning in 2025, which is equal to reducing 12.2 million metric tons of carbon dioxide, or the carbon pollution emissions from more than 1.1 million homes.
EPA estimates the climate benefits of the combined proposals at nearly $750 million in 2025, or nearly $14 for every dollar spent to comply. Combined costs of the proposed rules are estimated at $55 million in 2025.
These recent proposals would strengthen a previously proposed rule for new landfills that was issued in 2014 and would update the agency’s 1996 emission guidelines for existing landfills. The proposals are based on additional data and analysis and public comments received on a proposal and Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking EPA issued in 2014, the agency says.
EPA will take comment on the proposed rules for 60 days after they are published in the Federal Register. The agency will hold a public hearing if one is requested within five days of publication.