EPA is ignoring valuable data on landfill emissions
SWANA and NSWMA express concern over proposed updates to Landfill Emission Factors

The Solid Waste Association of North America (SWANA) and the National Solid Wastes Management Association submitted joint comments on the United States Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) proposed revisions to AP-42, Fifth Edition, Volume I, Chapter 2.4 Municipal Solid Waste Landfills and the Background Information Document for Updating AP-42 Section 2.4 for Estimating Emissions from Municipal Solid Waste Landfills.

These emission standards are very important to the landfill industry because they affect federal, state and local air quality permits.

SWANA and NSWMA expressed concern on the following issues:

• The rejection of non-methane organic compounds concentration data from NSPS/EG Tier 2 studies using the geoprobe method; and
• The rejection of data submitted in 2000 and 2001 and the failure of EPA to advise of the rejection until 2009.

The two associations hope that through the further review of new data submitted by their members and a thorough review of current published technical literature, EPA can revise the draft AP-42 and background information document accordingly.

To view the letter SWANA and NSWMA sent to the EPA in PDF format, click here.