state of pennsylvania achieves methane emissions reductions at landfills by direct remote measurement

The State of Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) recently released a final report on the results of their Methane Overflight Study and it’s yet another example that remote direct measurement technology is a gamechanger when it comes to spotting large methane leaks.

Satellites or airplanes using precision visible-infrared imaging spectrometers technology can detect large methane plumes. In this case, the state of Pennsylvania sponsored satellite overflights over voluntarily participating methane emitters like oil and gas and landfills, and then they gave the results of the methane emissions they found to the landfill operators, so that they could follow-up and stop the leaks. The overflights resulted in a 37% emissions reduction from the landfills that were super emitters - the biggest percentage reduction out of any of the sectors that participated in the study.