OLYMPIA, Wash. – The Washington State Department of Ecology is targeting methane emissions from landfills as it works to reduce the state’s carbon footprint.
Methane is a powerful greenhouse gas with 84-times more potential than carbon dioxide to warm the climate over 20 years.
Organic material like food and yard waste emits methane as it decomposes in landfills, which are one of the state’s most significant sources of emissions.
Among ways landfills can reduce emissions are by trapping methane and burning it for fuel, or limiting the amount of organic matter allowed in.
Ecology is in the process of determining which landfills will be required to comply and how rules might impact communities and businesses.