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Landfill Gas Regulations and Compliance: Staying Ahead of the Curve
The landscape of landfill gas operations is rapidly evolving. This means the landscape of landfill gas regulations is also in a constant state of flux. Operators and Solid Waste Directors must be ready to adapt and remain flexible to keep up with standards while maintaining production.
For most landfill gas operations, that means the conversation quickly goes to Reciprocating Internal Combustion Engines, or RICE engines. According to landfill-gas.com, more than 70 percent of all landfill electricity projects use RICE engines to form their landfill gas power plants. They are chosen because of relatively low cost, high efficiency, and the available models are a good size match for most landfills.
As far as American federal regulations go, The National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants (NESHAP) for RICE engines are outlined in the Code of Federal Regulations under 40 CFR 63 Subpart ZZZZ.
Subpart ZZZZ contains extensive provisions for testing and monitoring, maintenance requirements, and record keeping. While the full regulation can feel overwhelming in its complication, it can be helpful to boil individual considerations down to several questions:
| Question | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| What type of engine is it? | SI/CI and rich/lean-burn classifications determine requirements |
| How large is it? | The 500-HP thresholds are particularly important |
| Is the facility a major or area HAP source? | Major-source and area-source requirements differ substantially |
| When was the engine constructed/reconstructed? | Determines whether it is “existing” or “new/reconstructed” |
| Is it emergency/limited-use? | Special provisions may apply |
| Does it burn ≥10% landfill/digester gas on an annual heat-input basis? | This can dramatically change the applicable ZZZZ requirements |
| How is fuel measured? | New/reconstructed qualifying biogas engines have specific fuel-metering requirements |
| Is Part 60 Subpart JJJJ/IIII applicable? | Some engines are regulated under Part 60 instead of additional ZZZZ requirements |
| What records are being maintained? | Generally, compliance records must be retained for five years |
After answering those questions, the next step is finding the right instrument to give you the data you need. When it comes to the proper instrumentation that best gives you accuracy while also letting you stay adaptable, most operations will find either the QED Biogas 5000 or the MRU NOVA Plus Emission Analyzer to be a perfect fit for their needs.
Thankfully, both are available now from DiamondSci.com who proudly supports landfill operators in identifying the most effective, sustainable, and compliant treatment solutions.