Time to Tackle Methane: US Landfills Outpace EPA Limits

Methane emissions at nearly two dozen U.S. landfills are regularly surpassing federal limits, sometimes even exceeding what facility owners reported to the government. This alarming discovery comes from an analysis of inspection reports released by environmental nonprofit Industrious Labs on Thursday.

The study highlights that current U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) regulations fall short in preventing landfills from releasing significant amounts of methane, a potent climate-warming gas. Industrious Labs is calling on the EPA to adopt more advanced monitoring technologies, extend regulations to smaller landfills, and accelerate the installation of gas-capturing systems as landfill operations expand.

Methane is far more effective than carbon dioxide at trapping heat in the short term, making it a critical target in the fight against climate change. In 2022, landfills were responsible for over 14% of the U.S.'s methane emissions, ranking as the third-largest source behind the oil and gas industry and livestock farming.

\"More and more evidence is piling up that it's time for the EPA to act and begin that process of updating the rule,\" stated Katherine Blauvelt, Circular Economy Director at Industrious Labs.

The EPA acknowledges that methane emissions from landfills represent a missed opportunity to capture and utilize energy resources. Last year, the agency pointed out that food waste accounts for about 58% of methane emissions from landfills and recommended diverting food waste to reduce these emissions.

With a deadline approaching this August, the EPA is set to reassess its landfill regulations. Under President Joe Biden's administration, there has been a strong push to reduce methane emissions across various sectors, including the oil and gas industry, through a series of policies and global initiatives launched in 2021.

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U.S. must act to slash landfill methane emissions: report

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