EPA should follow Maryland’s lead and strengthen landfill standards

Landfills stink. Worse, they emit hazardous air pollutants, precursors to ozone and particulate matter, and methane — a super-potent greenhouse gas with about 80 times the near-term warming power of carbon dioxide. Methane is generated in huge amounts when organic waste decomposes in the landfill. In fact, landfills are the third largest source of human-driven methane in the United States, with annual emissions equivalent to driving 66 million gasoline-powered cars or operating 79 coal-fired power plants for one year.