November 16, 2023 (Ann Arbor, MI) Sniffer Robotics was named in an article by Waste Dive as the first and only new technology approved by the US EPA to better capture and report real-time or near-real-time data on landfill methane.
Highlights from the article can be read below, and the full article can be read here.
❝ An August memo warned landfill operators the U.S. EPA would be going after “widespread noncompliance” in landfill emissions regulations, leaving the industry concerned.
The U.S. EPA’s decision to include landfill methane emissions in its quadrennial document outlining enforcement priorities this year has left industry observers concerned and confused by the enhanced scrutiny.
But the EPA’s enhanced focus on landfill emissions has highlighted longstanding concerns with the agency’s modeling system for emissions. Landfill owners and operators have long argued that the EPA’s model used to calculate emissions is out of date, and urged the agency to allow the use of new technology to better capture and report real-time or near-real-time data on landfill methane. To date, the agency has approved one new technology, Sniffer Robotics, for such uses.
The EPA’s move comes amid growing activism around methane pollution from landfills. Groups of environmental organizations, local officials and researchers have increasingly called on the Biden administration to take meaningful action on landfill methane by updating EPA regulations. Like industry members, those groups also want to see the agency embrace drones, satellites and other technology to offer real-world monitoring and move toward faster detection and remedies for landfill methane plumes.
They have also urged local governments to improve their own MSW landfills, some of which fall outside the scope of reporting requirements and regulations for large landfills, to ensure that all facilities are tackling potent greenhouse gases. ❞
Additional information can be found in the original article by Waste Dive.