Dive Brief:

• The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has reached a settlement with IESI MO Champ Landfill LLC, a subsidiary of Waste Connections, to reduce odors and emissions at the site in Maryland Heights, MO.
• Champ Landfill will spend an estimated $1.6 million on infrastructure improvements, including 21 new gas extraction wells. This also includes conducting a third-party audit of gas collection systems and implementing all recommendations within one year. 
• In addition, the company will spend $1.3 million on four compressed natural gas (CNG) collection trucks to replace existing diesel vehicles as a voluntary Supplemental Environmental Project. 

Dive Insight:

This agreement stems from a May inspection conducted by EPA which found issues with surface emission monitoring and surface integrity monitoring. The inspection was part of a larger effort to check compliance with the Clean Air Act’s New Source Performance Standards in the greater St. Louis area. While such findings can often be contentious, the EPA indicated that this settlement process went smoothly.

"This agreement shows how constructive negotiations between a company and EPA can produce positive results leading to air quality improvements that benefit communities," said EPA Region 7 Administrator Mark Hague in a statement. "This is an important step in EPA’s efforts to ensure sources of air pollution in the area are in compliance."

The EPA's recent Clean Air Act enforcement is part of an ongoing focus on reducing methane emissions as part of President Obama's Climate Action Plan. While many landfills have updated their collection systems to meet new standards, and often found ways to profit from it, others are farther behind in the process. In Rhode Island, a settlement was recently reached to upgrade systems at the state's largest landfill after it was found to be operating without a Clean Air Act permit since 1997.