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United States should act to slash garbage dump methane emissions, report says

Methane emissions at nearly two dozen U.S. garbage dumps frequently exceeded federal limitations and in some cases were greater than facility owners reported to the federal government, according to an analysis of examination reports released on Thursday.

The study by environmental not-for-profit Industrious Labs concluded that U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). regulations are insufficient to avoid landfills, or trash. dumps, from emitting big quantities of the climate-warming gas. methane.

The group advised EPA to require tracking with more advanced. innovations, extend regulation to smaller sized landfills and mandate. faster installation of gas-capturing systems as land fills. expand, among other suggestions.

WHY IT'S IMPORTANT

Methane is more powerful than carbon dioxide as a greenhouse. gas in the short term, and scientists and policymakers have. required aggressive action to control those emissions to combat. climate modification. Landfills represented more than 14% of U.S. methane emissions in 2022, the third-biggest source behind the. oil and gas and livestock sectors.

ESSENTIAL QUOTE

A growing number of proof is piling up that it's time for the. EPA to act and begin that process of upgrading the rule,. Katherine Blauvelt, circular economy director at Industrious. Labs, stated in an interview.

EPA has stated that methane emissions represent a lost. chance to catch and utilize an energy resource. The agency. in 2015 stated food waste was responsible for about 58% of. fugitive methane emissions from landfills and suggested. diverting food waste from landfills to slash methane emissions. in the sector

CONTEXT

EPA is needed to start a procedure to reassess its land fill. regulations by August this year. U.S. President Joe Biden's. administration has actually cracked down on methane emissions in the oil. and gas industry with a range of policies and in 2021. led an international effort to slash methane emissions.