Final Federal Plan for Municipal Solid Waste Landfills Fact Sheet

June 10, 1999

FACT SHEET

FINAL FEDERAL PLAN FOR MUNICIPAL SOLID WASTE LANDFILLS
TODAY'S ACTION

! The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is today finalizing a Federal plan to

implement emission guidelines for existing municipal solid waste (MSW) landfills. EPA
issued final emission guideline requirements for MSW landfills in 1996 (61 FR 9905) and
revised the guidelines in 1998 (63 FR 32743) and 1999 (64 FR 9258). EPA's emission
guidelines apply to existing landfills that handled everyday household waste and were in
operation from November 8, 1987 to May 30, 1991 or have capacity available for future
waste deposition. Landfills constructed on or after May 30, 1991 or which undergo
changes in design capacities on or after May 30, 1991 are subject to EPA's new source
performance standards and not this Federal plan.

! This Federal plan applies to any existing MSW landfill which is not covered by an

approved and effective State or Tribal plan. This action is a gap filling requirement until
States and Tribes begin implementation of State and Tribal plans that have been approved
by EPA. Following implementation of an approved State or Tribal program, EPA's
Federal plan is rescinded and no longer applies in the applicable area.

WHAT ARE THE HEALTH AND ENVIRONMENTAL BENEFITS?

! Implementation of EPA's 1996 emission guidelines for landfills through Federal, State
and Tribal plans will reduce national emissions of nonmethane organic compounds
(NMOC) from landfills by over fifty percent. Landfills emit NMOC which include
hazardous air pollutants (HAPs), volatile organic compounds (VOCs), and odorous
compounds. Exposure to HAPs can lead to cancer, respiratory irritation, and damage to
the nervous system. VOC emissions contribute to ozone formation which can result in
adverse affects on human health and vegetation.

! While the overall o on 1 of F.PA'k Federal nlan is to reduce emissions of NMOC the same

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WHAT LANDFILLS ARE SUBJECT TO EPA'S FINAL FEDERAL PLAN?

! EPA's emission guidelines apply to existing landfills that handled everyday household
waste and were in operation from November 8, 1987 to May 30, 1991 or have capacity
available for future waste deposition. Landfills constructed on or after May 30, 1991 or
which undergo changes in design capacities on or after May 30, 1991 are subject to
EPA's new source performance standards and not the emissions guidelines.

! The Federal plan applies to any existing landfill located in a State that is not covered by
an approved and effective State plan. Currently 34 of the 63 States, territories, and
municipalities are expected to be covered by this Federal plan, the bulk of which are
expected to have fully approvable plans within 1 to 2 years.

! EPA's Federal Plan also applies to existing landfills located in Indian country. At this
time, Tribal plans have not been submitted to EPA for approval. EPA anticipates that
fewer than 12 landfills located in Indian country will come under EPA's Federal plan
which will be large enough to warrant controls.

WHAT ARE THE MAIN COMPONENTS OF EPA'S FEDERAL PLAN?

! EPA is requiring landfill owners and operators subject to this Federal plan to submit a
report identifying the design capacity within 150 days following publication in the
Federal Register.

! For large landfills with a design capacity of 2.5 million megagrams and 2.5 million cubic
meters or more of waste, EPA is also requiring them to submit an NMOC emission rate
report within 150 days of publication in the Federal Register.

! For any landfill with a design capacity of 2.5 million megagrams and 2.5 million cubic
meters that emits NMOC at a rate of 50 megagrams per year or more, EPA is requiring
the installation of a gas collection and control system within 30 months after the NMOC
emission rate report first shows emissions of 50 megagrams per year or more.

BACKGROUND

! EPA's final emission guideline regulations for MSW landfills are expected to

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reporting and collection and control requirements for MSW landfills in States and
portions of Indian country that do not have approved plans.

! This final Federal plan contains the same requirements as a State or Tribal plan, including
an emission limit, a source and emission inventory, testing, monitoring, record keeping
and reporting requirements, as well as a compliance schedule that includes increments of
progress.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION

! Interested parties can download the final MSW landfills Federal plan from EPA's web
site on the Internet under Office of Air and Radiation Recent Actions at the following
address: http://www.epa.gov/ttn/oarpg/ramain.html. Also, the State plan implementation
assistance document for MSW landfills can be downloaded at the following address:
http://www.epa.gov/ttn/oarpg/tled.html. For further information about the final MSW
landfills Federal plan, contact Ms. Mary Ann Warner of EPA's Office of Air Quality
Planning and Standards at (919) 541-1192.

! For more information on other air pollution programs and issues, the Office of Air and
Radiation homepage can be accessed at the following address: http://www.epa.gov/oar.

LNDFPFS.WPD

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