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U.S. EPA’s Emerging Landfill Emission Research Program
Citation:
Thoma, E., W. Champion, M. MacDonald, M. Krause, AND S. Thorneloe-Howard. U.S. EPA’s Emerging Landfill Emission Research Program. 2023 Environmental Research & Education Foundation (EREF) Summit on Quantification of Landfill Emissions, Chicago, IL, October 24 - 25, 2023.
Impact/Purpose:
This is an invited presentation to the 2023 Environmental Research & Education Foundation (EREF) Summit on Quantification of Landfill Emissions, October 24 -25, 2023, Chicago, IL. This meeting brings together technical personnel and policymakers to discuss greenhouse gas emissions measurements at landfills and other solid waste management facilities. This presentation will discuss new research efforts by EPA ORD to collaboratively develop and validate multitier next generation emission measurements (NGEM) approaches to improve understanding and control landfill emission.
Description:
Ranging from lower cost sensor networks to satellite imaging, advances in Next Generation Emission Measurement (NGEM) technologies are enabling new ways to measure methane emissions from landfills. Over the past decade, research groups have demonstrated multiple landfill measurement approaches, however significant questions on accuracy, representativeness, and practical utility remain. In 2023, EPA’s Office of Research and Development (ORD) will renew its landfill emission research program with hopes to build upon the significant recent progress that has been demonstrated. Under its Science to Achieve Results (STAR) research grant program, EPA ORD is funding multiple research projects that aim to improve understanding and control of landfill air emissions using innovative approaches. To complement these efforts, focused methods development research in cooperation established leaders in the space will evaluate multitier monitoring strategies that can be methodized and routinely applied. This presentation will outline emerging EPA ORD NGEM research efforts including collaborative evaluation of new forms of surface emissions monitoring and whole facility assessment approaches that can help provide a more complete picture of landfill emissions.