From Models to Measurement: How Technology Is Improving Landfill Management and Monitoring

Monitoring landfill methane emissions has relied on periodic inspections that often provide only a snapshot of landfill conditions and misses a huge portion of the problems nearby communities are concerned about.  Now, however, new technologies are transforming how methane emissions are detected, measured, and managed.

Satellites can identify large methane releases from space, aircraft with sensors can map emissions across entire landfill sites, and drones can scan areas that are difficult to access on foot. Continuous methane monitoring systems can alert operators when emissions change in almost real time, and landfill gas collection controls can automatically improve collection system performance.

These technologies complement traditional inspections by providing operators, regulators, and communities with better information about where methane is escaping, how landfill conditions are changing and evolving, and whether attempts to solve problems are actually reducing emissions.

To explore these innovations, Full Circle Future recently convened a technology showcase featuring leaders in this burgeoning tech sector. 

As states continue modernizing landfill methane regulations, these tools offer several opportunities to improve performance, strengthen regulatory oversight, increase efficiency, and better protect nearby communities.

Where Are We Now? How Landfills Are Currently Monitored

Most landfill operators conduct routine Surface Emissions Monitoring (SEM), during which technicians walk the landfill with handheld methane devices to identify areas where methane exceeds regulatory thresholds. These inspections help operators identify leaks, evaluate landfill cover performance, and demonstrate compliance with requirements.

However, landfills are extremely dynamic systems.  Methane emissions can increase or decrease over the course of a day, meaning conditions observed during a scheduled inspection may not reflect what happens before or after that survey.

Several presenters during Full Circle Future's technology showcase noted that methane emissions can emerge from damaged landfill cover, malfunctioning wells, changing operational practices, equipment failures, or shifting underground conditions that may not be detected until the next inspection cycle, which can be weeks or months away.

As one presenter explained, these models were designed to estimate emissions over broad geographic and time scales, not to help operators identify the specific locations where methane is escaping or determine how to fix those problems.

Traditional monitoring follows a prescribed walking pattern. Under current federal requirements, inspectors generally walk in a grid pattern spaced approximately 30 meters apart, while some states require less spacing. Although this approach provides some coverage, portions of the landfill surface remain between walking paths, increasing the likelihood that hotspots are undetected.

Active working faces are often among the largest sources of methane emissions, but are not required to adhere to the same level of inspection. Additionally, steep slopes, unstable surfaces, and other areas can be difficult to access safely and consistently using traditional walking surveys.  Overall, not only are large portions of the landfill missed, but we know that the actual methane detected is far less than what’s being produced. 

A Common Message from Technology Leaders

As Dr. Peter Barber of Bridger Photonics, whose company uses aircraft to map methane plumes, said, "A good program is to build in layers that overlap with everybody's strengths."  That same philosophy was echoed throughout the discussion.

Satellites can rapidly identify unusually large methane emissions across hundreds of landfills, aircraft can narrow those emissions to specific portions of a landfill, drones and robotics can inspect difficult  areas and pinpoint the leak locations, continuous monitoring systems can alert operators when emissions change between inspections, and automated landfill gas controls can increase gas collection performance before emissions become even more overblown.

Several presenters stated that modeled estimates were never intended to help operators manage the day-to-day performance of an individual landfill.  As Krishna Kataria of GHGSat, whose satellites detect methane emissions from space, explained, "The inventories are built on models. They were designed for annual national-scale accounting. They weren't designed for operational performance. They don't tell you where the emissions are and how to mitigate them."

A model cannot identify a torn section of landfill cover that is releasing methane today nor can it pinpoint a malfunction, and it cannot confirm whether yesterday's repairs successfully reduced emissions.  Only direct measurement technologies can, and lead to real action.

Continuous methane monitoring systems, like those discussed by Qube Technologies, provide operators with near real-time information about changing methane concentrations across a landfill. Instead of waiting  for the next scheduled inspection, operators can identify changing conditions as they occur and investigate sooner.

LoCI Controls demonstrated how automated landfill gas collection controls continuously optimize wellfield performance beneath the landfill surface by automatically adjusting vacuum levels in response to changing landfill conditions, these systems can improve gas collection efficiency while reducing the need for constant manual adjustments.

Jarett Henry of Qube Technologies talked about how modern monitoring becomes more performance-based. "If you're managing your emissions well, you don't need to spend the money on detailed surveys in areas that aren't experiencing problems. If emissions increase, you know where to focus."

Instead of treating every portion of a landfill the same, operators can prioritize inspections, maintenance, and repairs where data indicate it is necessary.

Better Technology Benefits Communities 

While much of the discussion focused on improving landfill operations, presenters repeatedly emphasized why better methane monitoring matters beyond regulatory compliance.

Landfill gas contains methane along with a complex mixture of volatile organic compounds (VOCs), hazardous air pollutants, and other emissions. Detecting methane emissions earlier can help identify broader landfill gas releases before they become larger community concerns.

Earlier detection can mean fewer odor complaints, faster identification of leaks, quicker repairs, improved air quality, greater transparency, and stronger public confidence in landfill operations.

One presenter shared an example in which continuous methane monitoring detected an emissions spike early in the day. Later that afternoon, nearby residents reported odors through the landfill's community hotline.Instead of searching an entire landfill for the source of the problem, they had information almost immediately.

For communities living near landfills, faster detection and faster repairs can translate into fewer prolonged emission events and greater confidence that operators are responding effectively when problems occur.  This makes an enormous difference for the local environment and community health outcomes, since methane carries other health-harming pollutants into the atmosphere.

In one example on the webinar, aerial measurements led to corrective actions that reduced methane emissions by approximately 65 percent. Another case study demonstrated an 80 percent reduction after continuous monitoring helped operators identify emission sources and improve gas collection infrastructure.

Lessons from States Already Modernizing Landfill Monitoring

Across the country, regulators are beginning to explore how advanced methane-detection technologies can complement traditional landfill inspections, improve emissions detection, and accelerate corrective action. 

• California – In November 2025, the California Air Resources Board approved amendments to its Landfill Methane Regulation that utilizes satellite-based methane data to support faster investigation, repair, reporting, and regulatory follow-up.

• Colorado’s Regulation 31 in December 2025, creating new methane-control and monitoring requirements for municipal solid waste landfills. The regulation also establishes a framework for incorporating remote methane monitoring into state oversight. 

  • In 2026, the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment CDPHE began convening a technical working group to develop standards and thresholds with remote methane data.Because that process is ongoing, the precise compliance and enforcement role of satellite, aircraft, and other remote-monitoring technologies is still being developed.

• Washington's landfill methane regulation incorporates an alternative test method that uses an aerial system carrying a methane detector. This method may be used in place of traditional walking procedures for determining compliance.. Washington’s rule also provides a process so operators may request approval of additional alternative monitoring or compliance methods.

These approaches show that advanced monitoring can strengthen traditional landfill programs without requiring regulators to rely on a single technology. Regulatory frameworks should establish clear performance and data standards while allowing technologies to improve detection, guide inspections, and follow up on corrective actions.

Looking Ahead: Building Smarter Landfill Regulations – New York’s Opportunity

Rather than asking regulators to choose a single technology, presenters consistently advocated for a “layered approach” combining multiple monitoring methods. The discussion also highlighted that regulations can focus on outcomes rather than prescribing a single technological solution.

As the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) develops updated landfill methane regulations, it has an opportunity to build on the work of other states and regulators. DEC can create a regulation that allows proven technologies to build on existing requirements, improve emissions detection and strengthen accountability.

Full Circle Future developed model rules that can help other states increase both their use of efficient technologies as well as other landfill standards.