Using $15 million in grants from Washington’s Climate Commitment Act, the Department of Ecology is working to help cut the amount of climate-warming methane escaping from municipal solid waste landfills.
The grants will help landfills implement new regulations finalized earlier this year and intended to improve methane monitoring, and capture and control systems. The new measures will prevent about 1.6 million metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent from escaping into the atmosphere every year. That’s like taking nearly 350,000 cars off the road.
"This new grant program is a prime example of how investments from the Climate Commitment Act are helping to cut greenhouse gases in local communities and provide cleaner, healthier air."
Methane is produced in landfills when organic material such as food, yard waste, and paper products break down. Landfills are a significant source of methane emissions. Methane is a major contributor to climate change – it has more than 80 times the short-term climate impact of carbon dioxide, the most common greenhouse gas.
The new grant program was designed with input from landfill operators, community members, and Tribes. More than 50 people attended a public workshop about the grant opportunity in June.
Municipal solid waste landfills covered by the new regulations are eligible to apply for the grants through Oct. 1, 2024.
Taking steps to reduce landfill emissions is part of a suite of climate polices working to help Washington reduce total greenhouse gas emissions 95% by 2050. The Climate Commitment Act is the state’s flagship climate policy, targeting the state’s largest emitters and working alongside sector-specific policies such as the new landfill methane regulations.