Different Approaches to Estimate Methane Emissions from Several Landfills in New York State

Methane is a potent global greenhouse gas (GHG) with a wide array of both natural and anthropogenic sources. There exist major uncertainties in each of these sources and sinks which arise from uncertainty in estimating emissions. Emission estimates can be determined by either bottom-up or top-down approaches, both of which have their strengths and weaknesses. This presentation exhibits the use of both approaches in estimating methane emissions from select waste sector facilities in New York State. Direct mobile measurements of methane concentrations from several landfills will be utilized to estimate emissions using mass balance, dispersion, and inverse modeling methods and will be compared to the self-reported estimates from the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation GHG Inventory. This will help improve emission estimation accuracy and thus policy and regulation regarding methane emissions from the waste sector.