NSWMA/SWANA Express Concern over Proposed EPA Updates to Landfill Emission Factors

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 7, 2009
NSWMA Contact: Thom Metzger, 202-364-3751
SWANA Contact: Robert Wolfe, 240-494-2256

(Washington, DC) – On Tuesday, May 5, 2009, the Solid Waste Association of North America (SWANA) and the National Solid Wastes Management Association submitted joint comments on the United States Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) proposed revisions to AP-42, Fifth Edition, Volume I, Chapter 2.4 Municipal Solid Waste Landfills and the Background Information Document for Updating AP-42 Section 2.4 for Estimating Emissions from Municipal Solid Waste Landfills. These emission standards are very important to the landfill industry because they affect federal, state and local air quality permits.

Bruce J. Parker, NSWMA President and CEO, stated that: “Both public and private landfill owner/operators have an important stake in ensuring that EPA’s Final AP-42 guidance truly represent the emissions occurring at their landfills.” John H. Skinner, Executive Director and CEO stated that: “SWANA was very pleased to work with NSWMA to provide substantial data to EPA that we believe will significantly improve the emission factors in the EPA document.”

NSWMA and SWANA expressed concern on the following issues:

• The rejection of non-methane organic compounds concentration data from NSPS/EG Tier 2 studies using the geoprobe method; and
• The rejection of data submitted in 2000 and 2001 and the failure of EPA to advise of the rejection until 2009.
  

The two associations hope that through the further review of new data submitted by their members and a thorough review of current published technical literature, EPA can revise the draft AP-42 and background information document accordingly.

View the letter that NSWMA and SWANA sent to EPA.

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NSWMA – a sub-association of the Environmental Industry Associations – represents for-profit companies in North America that provide solid, hazardous and medical waste collection, recycling and disposal services, and companies that provide professional and consulting services to the waste services industry. For more information about how America’s solid waste management professionals are serving as environmental health and safety stewards, protecting our environment and serving our communities, please visit http://www.everydayenvironmentalists.org/environmentalists.

SWANA - the Solid Waste Association of North America, has been the leading professional association in the public solid waste management field. SWANA’s mission is “to advance the practice of environmentally and economically sound management of municipal solid waste.” SWANA serves over 8,000 members and thousands more industry professionals with technical conferences, certifications, publications and a large offering of technical training courses. For more information, visit www.SWANA.org.