The Environmental Defense Fund last week filed a notice of intent to sue the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for its failure to update emission standards for hundreds of landfills nationwide.
Landfills are the nation’s second largest source of manmade methane pollution. Methane is a potent greenhouse gas and a contributor to the smog air pollution that is associated with respiratory illnesses affecting millions of Americans.
EPA has failed to update the emission standards for landfills for a
dozen years, violating its duty under the nation’s clean air laws to
modernize the emission standards at least every eight years.
In September, the U.S. Climate Change Science Program issued a landmark report declaring measures to reduce methane emissions a "clear win-win" solution.
"Capturing the waste gas leaking from the nation’s landfills and converting it to a local source of energy is a trifecta for the nation’s economy, environment and energy security," said Vickie Patton, Environmental Defense Fund Deputy General Counsel. "Converting methane pollution to a homegrown energy source is a common sense solution to address global warming and protect our kids’ health while boosting our economy."
Municipal solid waste landfills are the second largest source of human-related methane emissions in the United States, accounting for nearly 23 percent (125 Tg CO2 eq.) of emissions in 2006. These emissions are comparable to nearly three times the total carbon dioxide emissions released from all of the nation’s cement manufacturing. And the U.S. is responsible for about 18% of global methane emissions from landfills – equal to the landfill emissions of Canada, Mexico, China and Russia combined.
Landfill gas is created as solid waste decomposes in a landfill. This gas consists of about 50% methane, about 50% CO2, and a small amount of non-methane organic compounds. Because methane is a principal component of natural gas, methane emissions from landfills present a key opportunity to capture and use a significant home-grow energy source.
Landfill gas is extracted from landfills using a series of wells and a vacuum system. This system directs the collected gas to a central point where it can be processed and treated. From this point, the gas can be used to generate electricity, replace fossil fuels in industrial and manufacturing operations, fuel greenhouse operations, or be upgraded to pipeline quality gas.
In Related News…
In New Jersey 21 landfills collect methane gas produced by decomposing garbage and use it as fuel to generate electricity. Read more about this potential energy source in the Associated Press story "One Man’s Garbage, Another’s Power Plant."
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