New Rules to Cut Landfill Methane

Summary#

The Canada Gazette published a proposal called the Regulations Respecting the Reduction in the Release of Methane (Waste Sector) on June 29, 2024. It would require many larger landfills to monitor surface and equipment methane, capture methane, and send it to flares or energy systems. The government estimates the rules would cost $581 million (present value) and reduce about 107 megatonnes (Mt) CO2e, with monetized benefits of about $11.2 billion and net benefits of $10.6 billion over 2025–2040.

What it does#

• Applies to landfills that accepted 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 landfill owners to calculate and report annual methane generation (initially for 2024 for sites that meet the rules when they come into force).
• Sets methane-generation thresholds that trigger stronger obligations:
  • 664 tonnes and 1,000 tonnes of modelled annual methane.
• Phases in compliance dates:
  • obligations start in areas with older gas systems on January 1, 2027;
  • broader obligations start on January 1, 2029;
  • additional smaller sites must comply by January 1, 2033.
• Limits venting of landfill gas and requires recovered gas to be destroyed or used in systems that meet at least 98% methane destruction efficiency.
• Requires regular monitoring:
  • monthly checks of recovery wells (to keep negative pressure),
  • equipment leak checks three times per year,
  • surface methane surveys three times per year (can drop to once a year after consecutive low results).
• Sets surface concentration limits where there is final cover or no disposal in 12 months:
  • no single-point reading above 500 ppmv;
  • zone-average no higher than 25 ppmv in zones of 4,500 m2.
• Requires records and an annual report with operational and monitoring data.
• Allows some landfills to stop obligations if generation and recovery fall below thresholds (for example, if recovered methane is under 125 tonnes per year or modelled generation is under 150 tonnes).

Note: This is a proposed federal regulation under the Canadian Environmental Protection Act, 1999, not yet law. The Canada Gazette notice invites comments for 60 days after publication.

Who's affected#

• Landfill owners and operators — both municipal and private — at the larger facilities that meet the waste or methane thresholds. The government estimates about 146 landfills would be regulated and 179 would need to file the initial assessment.
• Municipalities that own landfills and the contractors that operate them.
• Waste and landfill engineering companies that design, install and operate gas collection and destruction systems.
• Nearby communities that may see changes to local landfill operations, monitoring, or air emissions.
• Indigenous communities — the government says it is unlikely most Indigenous-run landfills will meet these thresholds, but communities with larger facilities or that send waste to regulated landfills could be indirectly affected.
• Provincial regulators and governments (for overlap or equivalency discussions). Some provinces already have related rules, including British Columbia, Ontario, and Quebec.
• Users of landfill services (households and businesses) could face small increases in fees. The analysis estimates an average compliance cost equivalent to about $2 per tonne of future waste disposed at regulated landfills — roughly 1.5% to 4% of typical tipping fees.

Why it matters#

• Methane warms the climate much faster than CO2 in the short term. These rules aim to cut landfill methane by 50% below 2019 levels by 2030, helping Canada meet its climate targets.
• The proposal is designed to get more methane captured and combusted (turning it into CO2), reduce fugitive leaks, and improve monitoring so problems are found and fixed faster.
• The government’s analysis forecasts large net benefits: a present-value cost of $581 million versus monetized climate benefits of $11.2 billion, for a net benefit of about $10.6 billion over the 2025–2040 period (average cost about $5 per tonne CO2e reduced).
• In practical terms, affected landfills will likely need to invest in wells, blowers, flares or energy systems and in expanded monitoring (including drone-based methods in some cases). That means upfront capital and ongoing operating costs for owners.
• There may be small local air pollutant trade-offs: fewer volatile organic compounds but slight increases in NOx, SOx and particulates from combustion. The government judges those air-quality changes to be small.
• Because this is a proposal, stakeholders still have the chance to comment during the consultation window and to raise technical or cost concerns before any final rules are made.