EPA Proposes New Rules to Reduce Methane Emissions from Landfills

Strategic Insights -

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has issued two proposals to reduce methane emissions from municipal solid waste landfills, as part of the President's Climate Action Plan. The proposals aim to lower emissions of methane, a potent greenhouse gas, by nearly a third, and reduce the impact of climate change on vulnerable populations. Methane emissions from landfills pose a significant threat to public health, with the potential to affect millions of people, particularly children, older adults, and individuals with pre-existing medical conditions.

Key Takeaways:

  • The proposed rules would require new, modified, and existing landfills to collect and control landfill gas at emission levels nearly a third lower than current requirements.
  • Methane is a potent greenhouse gas, with a global warming potential more than 25 times that of carbon dioxide.
  • Municipal solid waste 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 proposed rules are expected to reduce methane emissions by an estimated 487,000 tons a year, equivalent to reducing 12.2 million metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions.
  • The proposals are based on additional data and analysis, as well as public comments received on a previous proposal issued in 2014.
  • The combined climate benefits of the proposed rules are estimated at nearly $750 million in 2025, or nearly $14 for every dollar spent to comply.
  • The estimated cost of compliance for the proposed rules is $55 million in 2025.

Statistics:

  • Methane emissions from landfills account for 18 percent of methane emissions in the U.S. (2013).
  • MSW landfills receive non-hazardous wastes from homes, businesses, and institutions.
  • The proposed rules are expected to reduce methane emissions by 487,000 tons a year, similar to the carbon pollution emissions from more than 1.1 million homes.
  • The climate benefits of the proposed rules are estimated at nearly $750 million in 2025.
  • The estimated cost of compliance for the proposed rules is $55 million in 2025.
  • The combined climate benefits of the proposed rules would be equivalent to reducing 12.2 million metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions.

Sources:

  • U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
  • The President's Climate Action Plan