The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is reconsidering proposed rules on methane emissions from landfills. It鈥檚 a move that comes at the request of the waste disposal industry.
The emissions come from stuff like leaves and food scraps naturally breaking down.聽Landfills already have to capture聽methane if emissions get above a certain threshold, but the new rules 鈥� now delayed 鈥� would lower that limit. Waste disposal companies聽worry they鈥檇 have to build costly new control systems as a result.
But the industry also promotes its ability to turn methane into聽energy. Anne Germain with the National Waste and Recycling Association聽talked about that at an energy forum in 2015.
鈥淏y capturing the landfill gas and turning it into energy, we can power homes and factories, and even cars,鈥� she said. 鈥淪ometimes, the trucks that pick up the waste and recycling are themselves powered by the trash that they pick up.鈥�
So why oppose these rules? Kerry Kelly with Waste Management, Inc. says it鈥檚 because as written, they鈥檙e just not feasible.
鈥淚t鈥檚 never been our desire to repeal the rules,鈥� she says. 鈥淲e want the rules on the books, we want them to work.鈥�
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