In October 2021, the Environmental Quality Commission adopted new rules which regulate landfill gas emissions. The rules require many landfills in Oregon to obtain an Air Contaminant Discharge Permit to submit data on the landfill characteristics and potentially monitor, collect and/or control landfill gas emissions.
For some landfills, the new requirements start in August 2022. For most landfills, new permit applications are due Oct. 1, 2022.
If you are a landfill owner or operator, you should
- Review the new rules,
- Review the forms provided on this website,
- Contact DEQ with any questions, and
- Send the required data to DEQ by March 31, 2022.
Forms
Landfill permit types and requirements
Why is regulating landfill gas emissions important?
Typical landfill gas is made up of around 50% methane. Methane is a very strong greenhouse gas, more than 80 times as potent as carbon dioxide in the short-term.
Landfills in Oregon
Background
The Environmental Quality Commission approved Oregon's Landfill Gas Emissions rules on Oct. 1, 2020. These rules govern the tracking, reporting, collecting and controlling of greenhouse gas emissions from the landfills. The new rules apply to more landfills and have more rigorous monitoring and greenhouse gas control requirements than the previous landfill gas emissions rules.
DEQ conducted a formal Landfill Gas Emissions rulemaking that considered regulations in effect in neighboring states and approaches to meet the Governor's directive provided in Executive Order No. 20-04. Visit DEQ's landfill gas emissions rulemaking page for more information on the rulemaking process and adopted rules.