The Maryland Department of the Environment (MDE) is working to develop a new regulation aimed at reducing methane emissions from municipal solid waste (MSW) landfills in the state. Methane is a potent greenhouse gas (GHG) with a global warming potential over 25 times greater than carbon dioxide. The new requirements MDE is considering are modeled after similar rules in California and Oregon and would become among the most stringent in the US. MDE anticipates publication of the draft rule in December 2022, followed by public participation and finalization of the rule in the spring of 2023.
This proposed rulemaking has been several years in development and is consistent with Maryland’s GHG Reduction Act of 2009 and the recent Climate Solutions Now Act of 2022 that requires Maryland to become “net zero” for GHG emissions by 2045, with an interim goal of achieving 60% GHG reductions by 2031 (over 2006 levels). MDE estimates that once implemented; this rule could result in up to a 50% reduction in GHG emissions from affected landfills.
MDE presented initial details about the draft regulation (aka, the state plan) at the October 24, 2022, Air Quality Control Advisory Council and stakeholder meeting. The proposed rule would apply to smaller and mid-sized landfills. It would likely impact many facilities not currently subject to the EPA’s federal landfill air regulations under NSPS & EG 40 CFR 60 Subparts Cf and XXX and NESHAP CFR 63 Subpart AAAA. MDE estimates that 32 active and closed MSW landfills in the state will be subject to the proposed regulation.
SCS Engineers is tracking the proposed rule closely, so stay tuned for additional details once the draft rule is published.
For additional information on MSW regulations and GHG emission reductions, please visit scsengineers.com or one of SCS’s nationwide offices.
About the Author: Joshua Roth, PE, is a Vice President and Project Director with the Landfill Gas (LFG) Group in the SCS Reston, VA office. He has served on a number of LFG engineering projects involving LFG remediation system design, emissions inventories and air permitting, migration and odor control, ambient air sampling and reporting, LFG and CER due diligence projects, GHG emission mitigation and reporting, field sampling and assessments, and general emissions control projects.
Welcome to the SCS Engineers Environmental Learning Center. Every month we record a live session on an environmental hot topic! We invite everyone to these open forums where participants can ask questions throughout. The video recordings are available in our Learning Center to watch at your convenience. Best of all, we respect your privacy; these are educational videos not sales pitches followed by a mountain of spam email. Our videos are intended to share our experience in environmental fields with individuals to enhance problem-solving and innovation. Click below to visit.
Whether reducing methane emissions at landfills, repurposing contaminated properties, producing alternative energy, or sequestering carbon, we have focused on finding smart climate solutions and improving the natural environment since our inception in 1970.
SCS Engineers supports many businesses and municipalities taking steps to address climate change, which many consider the most important challenge facing our planet. Every business is resource-intensive with most environmental issues occurring during the operational phase of business or production. The sustainable environmental solutions and testing we discuss in our videos we offer to the agricultural, construction, extraction, manufacturing sectors, and municipalities to help them attain their cleaner operating goals and often improve operating efficiency.
You’ll also find articles, papers, blogs and more videos on environmental topics from A-Z using our search and filter feature. Can’t find something – let us know at our professionals are ready to help.
Other Playlists Include:
The FY 2023 Brownfields Multipurpose, Assessment, Revolving Loan Fund, and Cleanup Grant Guidelines are now available (go to Open Solicitations). The application submission deadline is November 22, 2022.
Please see the link below for Multipurpose, Assessment, RLF, and Cleanup (MARC) Grant Application Resources: https://www.epa.gov/brownfields/multipurpose-assessment-rlf-and-cleanup-marc-grant-application-resources#Open%20Solicitations
From the official guidance:
SCS Engineers has a successful track record supporting communities interested in land recycling and obtaining EPA Brownfields grants. Please visit our website for more information.
Welcome to the SCS Engineers Environmental Learning Center. Every month we record a live session on an environmental hot topic! We invite everyone to these open forums, where participants can ask questions throughout. The video recordings are available in our Learning Center to watch at your convenience. Best of all, we respect your privacy; these are educational videos, not sales pitches followed by a mountain of spam emails. Our videos are intended to share our experience in environmental fields with individuals to enhance problem-solving and innovation. Click below to visit.
Whether reducing methane emissions at landfills, repurposing contaminated properties, producing alternative energy, or sequestering carbon, we have focused on finding smart climate solutions and improving the natural environment since our inception in 1970.
SCS Engineers supports many businesses and municipalities taking steps to address climate change, which many consider the most important challenge facing our planet. Every business is resource-intensive, with most environmental issues occurring during the operational phase of business or production. The sustainable environmental solutions and testing we discuss in our videos we offer to the agricultural, construction, extraction, manufacturing sectors, and municipalities to help them attain their cleaner operating goals and often improve operating efficiency.
You’ll also find articles, papers, blogs and more videos on environmental topics from A-Z using our search and filter feature. Can’t find something – let us know at . Our professionals are ready to help.
Other Playlists Include:
Please send a request here if you’d like an invitation to our live sessions.
The FY 2023 Brownfields Multipurpose, Assessment, Revolving Loan Fund, and Cleanup Grant Guidelines are now available (go to Open Solicitations). The application submission deadline is November 22, 2022.
Please see the link below for Multipurpose, Assessment, RLF, and Cleanup (MARC) Grant Application Resources: https://www.epa.gov/brownfields/multipurpose-assessment-rlf-and-cleanup-marc-grant-application-resources#Open%20Solicitations
From the official guidance:
SCS Engineers has a successful track record supporting communities interested in land recycling and obtaining EPA MARC Brownfields grants. Please visit our website for more information.
On Friday, September 9, SCS attended a meeting with CCLR and the State of Arizona on Land Reuse Grants. CCLR’s Ignacio Dayrit said that the guidance for EPA’s MARC Brownfields grants is expected to be released this week, opening the 60-day application period. If you plan to speak to any communities/non-profits about grant applications, now is the time to reach out to them. EPA Brownfield grants are often a significant funding source for assessing and cleaning sites with potential environmental contamination. This year, historical funding levels from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) mean more grants and significantly larger awards, making it a good investment to apply.
Although this information is subject to change before the guidance is finalized, here are the anticipated funding details:
SCS Engineers has a successful track record supporting communities interested in land recycling and obtaining EPA MARC Brownfields grants. Please visit our website for more information.
2022 Organics Management Facility of the Year.
The National Waste & Recycling Association recently named Republic Services’ Otay Compost Facility the 2022 Organics Management Facility of the Year. The Otay facility in Chula Vista, Calif., is the first fully solar-powered compost facility in the state, recycling food and yard waste from throughout the San Diego region.
The solar-powered facility opened for business last October, helping communities in San Diego County meet the requirements of California’s SB1383 law mandating the diversion of organic waste from landfills. This unique facility, designed by SCS Engineers in collaboration with Sustainable Generation, operates completely off the grid. It can process 200 tons of food and yard waste daily from Chula Vista, Carlsbad, and customers throughout the San Diego region.
The design uses renewable energy to run 100 percent of the composting operations at the site. The facility design includes technologies to speed the maturation rates and reduce excessive odors. Blowers to aerate the organic material, oxygen and temperature sensors, and advanced compost cover technology produce a high-quality product.
“Republic Services took the goals of SB 1383 further to reduce emissions of short-lived climate pollutants. They’re running a sustainable facility that enables residents, businesses, and government to easily reuse and recycle more organic materials within a smaller carbon footprint than ever expected,” says Vidhya Viswanathan, engineer and project director.
Additional Resources:
Composting and Organics Management
Renewable Energy for Landfills and Landfill Facilities
Establishing a site-specific groundwater monitoring protocol sensitive to changes in the groundwater chemistry related to potential leakage and also sensitive to natural variability will be imperative for developing cost-effective and robust testing and monitoring plans.
In CCUS projects, a site-specific testing and monitoring plan is mandatory to ensure the protection of underground sources of drinking water (USDWs) from Class VI injection well practices. As these projects have long durations with multiple phases, it is imperative for the groundwater monitoring program to be cost-effective with a robust sensitivity to detect any leakage.
Previously demonstrated changes in pH, carbonate chemistry, and certain trace elements (i.e., those that form strong-complexing anions) are geochemical indicators of initial CO2 leakage in relatively dilute aquifers. In this case study, SCS Engineers examine the sensitivity of dilute aquifer chemistry (major and minor cations and anions) to the leakage of CO2 and brines from the injection formation. We use an inverse thermodynamic modeling approach to simulate the effect of the progressive intrusion of CO2 and brines from the injection zone on the geochemical composition of the overlying dilute aquifer waters. From this, we can infer which geochemical parameters are most likely to be affected by the potential intrusion of CO2 and brines.
To attend this live presentation of Geochemical Effects of CO2, register for the upcoming National Carbon Capture Conference on November 8-9 in Des Moines, Iowa. Visit SCS Engineers at booth 120. Meet Kacey Garber.
Engineering News Report’s Top 500 Environmental Sourcebook was published today. SCS continues to rank #1 in Solid Waste services and top-tier rankings in Sewer & Waste, Hazardous Waste, Chemical & Soil Remediation, and Site Assessment & Compliance.
ENR is one of the premier companies tracking the A&E industry, and these rankings are closely followed as they publish throughout the year. The ENR Top 500 Design Sourcebook, which publishes annually in April, also ranks SCS Engineers among the top 100 of 500 global design-engineering firms at #59.
Climate change and reducing our nation’s carbon footprint are important challenges facing our planet. SCS Engineers remains a leader in recovering and utilizing methane from landfills, a potent greenhouse gas. In the last two decades, we’ve expanded our role to include the utilization of biogas from agriculture, carbon sequestration, management of other greenhouse gas, and environmental impacts for multiple sectors while reducing methane production in landfills by diverting organics.
SCS designs and supports innovative environmental solutions with our in-house award-winning technologies to help our clients. With more data and control available 24/7, our clients can make more informed decisions, operate more efficiently, running cleaner and safer while delivering essential services, products, and properties. As employee-owners, we aim to seek the most efficient and clean operations for our clients, who are responsible for delivering essential services and supporting our nation’s economy.
Our environmental work is ongoing with many new exciting ways to support our clients and communities; it’s rewarding to share this recognition with our thanks to you.
In this Waste Advantage article, sustainable materials management expert Ryan Duckett discusses how this critical infrastructure helps manage discarded materials properly, keeping communities cleaner and safer.
Finding staff and personnel, equipment, and materials transportation costs can strain localities’ limited budgets when designing these Convenience Centers. Duckett’s holistic planning approach can sustain a community’s infrastructure investment for decades.
For comprehensive solid waste and recycling advice, visit:
