SEATTLE (Recycling Monster): The Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) has announced release of the draft of the first federal regulation that specifies landfill methane requirements. This is the second of the three-phase rule-making process. The public comment period for the regulation will be open until 28th August, 2024.
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The regulation would set new requirements for annual emissions reports, surface emissions monitoring, methane destruction etc. As per estimates by the federal agency, the regulation is expected to eliminate approximately 107 metric megatons of carbon dioxide equivalent during the period from 2025 to 2040 at an average cost of $CAD 5 per metric ton.
The landfills in Canada contributes to nearly 17% of the nation’s total methane emissions per year. The country has pledged to reduce methane emissions by 30% from 2020 levels by the end of this decade. The new regulation would cover a good majority of the total 270 landfills in the country that serve around 90% of the total population.
Steven Guilbeault, ECCC Minister, in a statement, noted that reducing emissions from methane plays a major role in slowing down the rate of global warming. The landfill methane emissions need to be reduced in order for the country to achieve its ambitious emissions reduction target, he said.
