WA cracks down on gassy garbage
Washington is cracking down on landfill methane emissions in other words, how gassy our garbage can get.
The new rules, published by the state Department of Ecology in May, mean the state will surpass federal emission regulations set by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
Ecology estimates the regulations will cut landfill methane emissions by about 38% from currently reported levels, preventing the equivalent of about 1.6 million metric tons of carbon dioxide from escaping into the atmosphere every year. Thats on par with taking roughly 308,000 gasoline-powered cars off the road.
Methane is responsible for more than a quarter of the rise in global temperatures since the Industrial Revolution, according to the International Energy Agency. Major sources include agriculture and oil and gas production. But federal data show about 16% of methane emissions in the U.S. come from landfills as food and other organic materials decompose.
https://washingtonstatestandard.com/2024/06/07/wa-cracks-down-on-gassy-garbage-landfills/