Washington implements methane reduction regulations for landfills

The Washington Department of Ecology has announced that new regulations could help reduce methane emissions from municipal solid waste landfills in the state.

Reducing landfill methane emissions is part of a suite of climate policies Washington has been implementing to meet a state commitment to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 95 percent below 1990 levels by 2050. 

The Department of Ecology estimates the new regulation will prevent the equivalent of approximately 1.76 million tons of carbon dioxide from escaping into the atmosphere every year, based on 20-year climate impacts for methane.

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“Methane emissions are the second-largest contributor to climate change after carbon dioxide, and landfills are a significant source of this gas,” says Laura Watson, director of the Washington Department of Ecology. “Along with this new rule designed to limit methane emissions at landfills, we are working hard to reduce the amount of food waste and other organic material we throw away, so we can stop the problem before it starts.”

In 2022, the Washington Legislature set a target to reduce the amount of organic materials landfilled by 75 percent by 2030. The legislature also directed the Department of Ecology to adopt regulations requiring municipal solid waste landfills to monitor and capture methane emissions. 

Landfill owners and operators affected by the new rule will be required to install gas collection and control equipment, energy recovery devices and/or treatment and processing systems to reduce their methane emissions. Collecting and burning methane gas limits its heat-trapping power, and the gas can be processed for electricity generation and vehicle fuel.

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In addition, the rule requires quarterly monitoring of the landfill surface, quarterly monitoring of gas collection and control system equipment and a timeline to ensure any methane leaks are quickly fixed. 

Owners and operators of approximately 26 affected landfills are eligible to apply for a portion of $15 million in grants funded by Washington’s Climate Commitment Act to help comply with the new requirements.

With this rulemaking, Washington has joined California, Oregon and Maryland in implementing stronger standards for methane emissions from landfills.