YAKIMA, Wash. – The Department of Ecology is taking action to tackle greenhouse gases by providing nearly $10 million in grants to landfill projects across Washington. This funding aims to reduce methane emissions, a significant source of greenhouse gases.
Thirteen landfills, including Terrace Heights Landfill in Yakima, will receive support to meet the new compliance requirements under Washington’s methane emission laws. The grants are intended to enhance gas collection and control systems.
Janée Zakoren from the Department of Ecology, who manages these grants, emphasized the importance of the upgrades.
“We’re allowing for funding for gas collection and control system repairs, upgrades, installing equipment that wasn’t there before. So just a whole variety of different things that landfills might need to meet the compliance requirements,” she said.
The state legislature has set a goal to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to 95% below 1990 levels by the year 2050. Yakima County’s Cheyne and Terrace Heights Landfills are among those benefiting from the funding.
“The landfills at the Yakima are installing new gas collection and control systems that were not there previously because they are through monitoring. It has been determined that they have enough gas production that will that warrants having the system to be efficient and to meet these requirements,” Zakoren said.
Zakoren added that this initiative is part of a larger effort to make the environment cleaner and safer.
“Methane is one piece of that puzzle. And I think this this program is in the fact that Washington is putting money towards helping landfills do this. It really helps us demonstrate that we’re really looking to be a leader and help us meet these targets and really set our our communities up for success,” she stated.
Another requirement of Washington’s methane law includes an annual report to determine how much methane is released each year, with the first report due in April of next year.
For more information on the Department of Ecology’s initiatives, visit their website.
