(The Center Square) – Most municipal solid waste landfills operating in Washington state could face more stringent requirements to reduce methane gas emissions under a rule proposed by the state Department of Ecology.
If implemented, landfill owners and operators will likely need to improve methods to collect and control methane, which is considered a powerful greenhouse gas contributing to climate change, plus face new monitoring and reporting regulations.
Ecology says the state will provide $15 million in grants to help landfill operators cover costs in meeting the proposed requirements. Funding would come from revenue generated by Washington’s Climate Commitment Act.
“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,” Ecology Director Laura Watson said in a press release Monday.
“Cutting landfill methane emissions is an important step toward meeting our statewide commitment to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 95 percent by 2050,” said Watson.
In 2022, state lawmakers approved House Bill 1663 to advance that process.
Solid waste typically contains organic material such as food and yard waste that decomposes in a landfill, consuming oxygen while emitting methane and carbon dioxide – both deemed greenhouse gases. But Ecology says methane is 83 times more potent than carbon dioxide over a 20-year period and is responsible for more than 25% of the global warming experienced today.
Many solid waste landfills already have methane gas collection and control systems in place, but the state wants more protective standards than currently required under the federal Clean Air Act. If the proposed rule is enacted, Washington would join California, Oregon and Maryland with the enhanced standards.
A preliminary regulatory analyses issued this month by Ecology’s Air Quality Program outlined one-time costs – for design plans, equipment upgrades, and enhanced monitoring – totaling around $10.4 million for 26 solid waste landfills in Washington. Then there would be annual costs collectively estimated between $846,000 and $871,000 over a 20-year period. Combined, those result in total estimated costs ranging from $25.9 million to $26.4 million, the study said.
But with reduced emissions, the analysis predicts a societal benefit totaling nearly $595 million over the two-decade planning period, or nearly $60 million even if only 10% reduction is realized.
“We conclude, based on a reasonable understanding of the quantified and qualitative costs and benefits likely to arise … that the benefits of the proposed rule are greater than the costs,” the study authors wrote.
Ecology’s new regulations would apply to most municipal landfills that have received solid waste since Jan. 1, 1992. That could include both active and closed sites and there could be new civil penalties for violations. The rule would exempt specialty landfills which handle only inert or hazardous wastes or are federally designated Superfund cleanup sites.
Along with landfills operated by local governments, the rule would apply to five large private operator businesses employing between 120 and 140,500 employees, according to Ecology.
The agency began accepting public comment informally in late spring and a formal comment period began this week and continues through Dec. 13. Comments may be submitted online or mailed to Bill Flagg, Department of Ecology, Air Quality Program, P.O. Box 47600, Olympia, WA 98504-7600.
A webinar public hearing is scheduled on Dec. 6 at 10 a.m. It will include a presentation from Ecology staff and a question-and-answer session. Participants can register online or phone in at 253-215-8782.
