The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has published the annual update to the Inventory of U.S. Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Emissions and Sinks. The inventory tracks U.S. GHG emissions and sinks by source, economic sector, and specific gas going back to 1990.
Ambitious readers can review the full report here. For those that prefer the condensed version, Chapter 7 is specific to waste management and treatment activities. Landfills are still high on the list of anthropogenic methane sources, behind only enteric fermentation (digestion by livestock) and natural gas systems. Emissions from landfills continue to decline steadily, dropping 40% since 1990. A summary of Fast Facts is also available.
SWANA has been working closely with EPA to improve the waste sector data of the GHG Inventory for several years. These comments reiterate many of the same recommendations that have been submitted previously to the Agency, both in-person and in writing. SWANA’s recommendations have helped to improve the data used and more accurately reflect the actual role of the waste sector within the inventory of emissions and sinks.
Please contact the Hoosier Chapter to provide comments or questions.
