WA seeks public comment on new landfill methane emissions rules
A tractor sorts garbage at the Altamont Landfill owned by Waste Management in Livermore, Calif., Friday, Dec. 18, 2009. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)
The Washington Department of Ecology is seeking public comment on proposed new rules aimed at reducing landfill methane emissions.
The new rules will require municipal solid-waste landfills to do more to prevent methane from escaping into the atmosphere, as well as to track emissions and make reports to the state. The state also plans to make $15 million in grants available to landfill owners and operators to cover the costs associated with the proposed new regulations.
These proposed new rules would put Washington on par with California, Oregon and Maryland in setting standards for decreasing methane emissions that occur when food and yard waste decompose in landfills.
“Methane gas emissions from landfills are a significant contributor to the climate crisis, and this new program will help us take measures to reduce them,” said Laura Watson, Ecology’s director, in a news release. “Cutting landfill methane emissions is an important step toward meeting our statewide commitment to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 95% by 2050.”
Public comments on the proposal will be accepted online, by mail or at a public hearing on Dec. 6.