Food waste in Colorado landfills produces a substantial amount of methane, a greenhouse gas that is significantly more potent than carbon dioxide. The state's Department of Public Health and Environment introduced draft methane regulations aimed at requiring dump operators to monitor and manage these emissions. The proposed rules exceed EPA standards and address existing loopholes, advocating for improved gas collection systems and advanced monitoring technologies to combat landfill methane pollution, which contributes to climate change and severe weather conditions.
About 80 times as potent as carbon dioxide as a greenhouse gas over a period of 20 years, methane accounts for 11% of global emissions.
Draft methane rules released last month would require dump operators to measure and quantify methane releases and to fix leaks.
The proposal mandates that waste managers install a gas collection system if their dump generates a certain amount of the climate-warming gas.
It also addresses loopholes in federal law that allow waste to sit for five years before mitigation is required.
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