SWANA submits comments on proposed Clean Air Act changes
James Travers
Jan. 6 -- The Solid Waste Association of North America is concerned with a proposed federal rule that would subject a large number of solid waste disposal facilities, including landfills, to the Clean Air Act.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s proposed rule would cover facilities with emissions over 25,000 tons of carbon dioxide equivalents annually. The rule would require the sites to obtain permits and show they are using "best available control technologies" to minimize emissions, SWANA said.
"If they were to finalize this rulemaking as proposed, they would subject a large number of very small solid waste disposal facilities to regulation under the Clean Air Act," said John Skinner, executive director and CEO of SWANA. "This would represent a very expensive undertaking for the regulated facilities for a very small reduction in emissions."
Skinner said SWANA also believes waste-to-energy operations would be unfairly impacted by the rule because they would have to show use of best available control technology regardless of the amount of greenhouse gas emissions avoided by WTE on a life-cycle basis.
SWANA, a professional organization representing the solid waste management industry, recently submitted comments to the U.S. EPA regarding the proposed changes.