to address caa violations, epa requires kansas landfill to do drone monitoring and better leak detection on cover - it should do the same in its air regulations

Signaling yet another indication that remote monitoring technology for methane emissions is available and effective, the EPA is requiring drone monitoring for methane emission leaks as part of a suite of corrective actions that the owner of a landfill in Lawrence, Kansas is required to undertake due to alleged violations of Clean Air Act found in a 2022 inspection. In addition, the landfill operator is required to conduct Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) to assess the landfill’s cover integrity to prevent potential future releases of landfill gases.

Two of EPA’s top priorities are mitigating climate change through its regulatory authorities and reducing methane emissions from landfills,” said David Cozad, director of EPA Region 7’s Enforcement and Compliance Assurance Division. An EPA press release details the civil penalties and required actions.

Better cover integrity monitoring and using drones to better survey the landfill for methane emissions are two key improvements that the EPA should incorporate into updated Clean Air Act/Emissions Guidelines for municipal solid waste landfills - 14 public interest organizations, including Industrious Labs, petitioned the EPA in June 2023 for stronger regulations to control methane pollution from municipal landfills, which release as much greenhouse gases as 66 million gasoline-powered vehicles driving for a year, while also impacting the health and happiness of nearby communities.