SACRAMENTO, California
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July 7, 2023
(press release)
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The
The proposed updates range from procedural to operational. CARB is looking to standardize the process used to gain approval for new methane tracking technology, improve best practices for landfill covers and encourage more beneficial uses for captured gas, among other changes. The changes come as
More action has occurred on landfill methane emissions in
A
"It's actually kind of a best case scenario," Lapis said. "They always had the authority to do it, it was just a question of whether or not they were going to do it." The state has also allocated
CARB did not respond to a request for comment about how widely it wants to see remote sensing technology in use, but the agency is publicly exploring pathways to implementation. During the virtual workshop, Xiaochi (Joe)
"We think it is an exciting new technology to find and mitigate large leaks and to supplement existing monitoring efforts," Zhou said. The agency is proposing two changes to the LMR related to "next generation emissions monitoring technology." The first would require landfill operators to conduct ground monitoring and mitigation when they're notified that a methane leak is detected via technologies such as satellites. The second would set up a standardized process for operators to get new technologies approved for use in monitoring Those proposals come after studies conducted by Carbon Mapper and others, Cusworth said. Coming up with regulations related to emerging technologies can be a "chicken and egg" issue where the more the technology is implemented, the more regulators can understand how the technology can be most effectively used. Creating a pathway for those emerging practices to be adopted without limiting use cases can be key to more widespread adoption, Cusick said. "Different types of technology are very well suited for specific types of use cases," Cusick said. "How that gets integrated into a regulatory framework is very important." During the webinar,
Lapis said during the workshop that his organization was eager to see drones incorporated more often into emissions monitoring, noting that in addition to identifying leaks the technology is also useful for monitoring steep slopes and other areas at much greater frequency than hand monitoring. Landfill covers Workshop attendees also discussed the potential for emissions reductions via change in landfill cover practices. A chart from a 2020
Lapis agreed with CARB scientists that there was potential in adjusting cover rules, noting that when the LMR was first introduced, the pattern in which landfills were filled was a key factor in how operators determined which cover to use. Specifically, some operators would keep multiple cells open at a time as they were filled, using more porous daily or interim covers in the process. Lapis proposed a discussion about shifting those patterns to fill up just one cell at a time before capping with a final cover and moving onto the next cell, thereby maximizing the amount of landfill covered by the least porous material. But others noted that while there are clear differences in the emissions coming from each kind of cover, part of the motivation behind current filling practices was financial -- purchasing and placing a final cover is a big expense that can be difficult for some landfill operators to meet. "The question that's being raised because of this is how much can we encourage closing slopes as you go up or regulating the placement of interim covers more frequently," said
Beneficial uses In their presentation, CARB scientists estimated roughly two-thirds of landfill gas collected statewide is currently flared and identified 30 to 50 landfills that it believes capture enough methane to "cost-effectively utilize gas for energy generation." The agency said it was seeking comments on the barriers that prevent more landfill operators from reusing captured gas instead of flaring it. Currently, some landfills in the state have landfill-gas-to-electricity or renewable natural gas projects, but the use of such technologies is not universal.
"When we're of course looking across the entire state, those reductions from decreased organics disposal are really going to take a while," Alexiades said. "The conclusion that we came to [in our scoping plan ... is that even if we stopped, completely phased out landfilling of organic waste today, we would still have these continued significant emissions from the waste that's already in place in landfills for many decades in the future." CARB scientists said they would continue to solicit feedback on practices from landfill operators going forward. Looking further ahead, the agency is also considering other advancements including continuous emissions monitoring technology. CARB is currently determining where and how to pilot that technology "at a very small scale." CARB's Zhou said the process for updating the LMR could take a year, and anticipated the earliest an update could be implemented is 2025. Recommended Reading -- RMI and Carbon Mapper see better data and landfill upgrades as the keys to cutting methane emissions By
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