Landfill Methane Reduction Regulations

Summary#

The Canada Gazette published a proposal called the Regulations Respecting the Reduction in the Release of Methane (Waste Sector) under the Canadian Environmental Protection Act, 1999 on June 29, 2024. If finalized, it would require many large municipal and private landfills to monitor and reduce methane emissions, with a national goal of cutting landfill methane by 50% (relative to 2019) by 2030. The department estimates the rules would cost about $581 million (present value) and cut 107 megatonnes (Mt) CO2e, with monetized climate benefits of about $11.2 billion and net benefits of about $10.6 billion.

What it does#

• Applies to landfills that accepted municipal solid waste after January 1, 2010 and that either have more than 450,000 tonnes of waste-in-place, or accept more than 10,000 tonnes in a year and have more than 100,000 tonnes in place.
• Requires an initial methane-generation assessment and annual reporting (first assessments tied to the year 2024 under the proposal).
• Phases in main compliance dates:
  • obligations in areas with older gas systems from January 1, 2027;
  • broader obligations from January 1, 2029;
  • smaller but still-significant sites from January 1, 2033.
• Sets performance and operational rules:
  • limits surface methane to 500 ppmv at any single location and a 25 ppmv zone-average in zones of 4,500 m2;
  • requires landfills to collect recovered gas and send it to destruction or energy systems (or other systems with at least 98% methane destruction efficiency);
  • generally bans venting except for safety, repairs or where methane content is below 25% (verified by repeated tests).
• Requires monitoring and repair routines:
  • wellfield vacuum/pressure checks at least monthly;
  • leak detection of equipment components three times per year and repair of detected leaks (re-monitor within 30 days, fix within 90 days);
  • surface monitoring three times per year (can drop to once a year if three consecutive checks are below limits).
• Reporting and record-keeping:
  • annual reports to the Minister by June 1 with operational data, methane quantities, monitoring results and repairs.
• Sets conditions for stopping federal obligations for closed sites (for example if recovered methane is below 125 tonnes per year or modeled generation is below 150 tonnes).
• The proposal is consultation-stage (people had 60 days from publication to comment in the Gazette notice).

Who's affected#

• Owners and operators of large municipal and private landfills (the department estimates 179 landfills would need to do the methane assessment and about 146 would face monitoring and control requirements).
• Municipalities that run landfills and the contractors who operate landfill gas systems.
• Businesses and residents that pay landfill tipping fees, since operators may pass costs on (see costs below).
• Indigenous communities were consulted; the department expects the thresholds mean most Indigenous-run landfills would not be regulated, but local infrastructure and capacity concerns were raised.
• Provinces and territories that already have landfill methane rules (e.g. British Columbia, Ontario, Quebec) — the federal rules could overlap with provincial rules unless equivalency arrangements are made.

Why it matters#

• Methane is a powerful short-lived greenhouse gas. Cutting landfill methane can yield relatively fast climate benefits and help Canada meet its 2030 targets and the Global Methane Pledge.
• The rules aim to plug leaks and improve gas capture at big landfills. That reduces methane emissions and can increase the amount of gas captured for flaring or energy use.
• Estimated economic picture (present-value, 2025–2040):
  • total costs about $581 million;
  • cumulative net greenhouse‑gas reductions 107 Mt CO2e;
  • monetized climate benefit about $11.2 billion, net benefit about $10.6 billion;
  • average cost-effectiveness about $5 per tonne CO2e reduced.
• Practical impacts:
  • some landfills will need new wells, blowers and flares and more frequent monitoring; capital and operating costs are front-loaded in 2027, 2029 and 2033 as obligations kick in.
  • operators may pass some costs to users; the department estimates an average compliance cost of about $2 per tonne of waste disposed (a small portion of typical tipping fees).
• This is a proposed regulation, not yet law. The Gazette notice opened a comment period (60 days) before the government decides whether to finalize the rules.