Report, Turning down the Heat: How the EPA Can Fight Climate Change by Cutting Landfill Emissions

Industrious Labs’ October 2024 report, Turning Down the Heat, estimated the emissions reductions that would occur if the United States put in place more aggressive policies to capture methane emitted from decomposing organic waste in landfills. The report stipulates key improvements to New Source Performance Standards/Emission Guidelines Standards (NSPS/EG) for Gas Collection and Control Systems, as well as Enhanced Cover Systems, to be effectuated at the EPA level, and cites positive examples out of California, Oregon, and Maryland where similar standards are already in place. It also considers the potential impact of a national organics diversion policy, and cites to states that are leading in that realm as well. According to the analysis, by adopting these policies, landfill methane could be reduced by 56 percent — about 104 million metric tons — by 2050.