Making Sense of California’s Long-Awaited Draft Methane Rule
This week, the California Air Resources Board (CARB) released long-overdue draft rules to curb methane and toxic air pollution from municipal solid waste landfills. The last time the state updated these standards, Instagram and the iPad were still novelties. Fifteen years later, the science is clearer, the technology is stronger, and the stakes for people’s health, climate, and frontline communities could not be higher.
For communities living in the shadow of dumps like Chiquita Canyon, Sunshine Canyon, and Avenal landfills, these rules are not abstract regulations — they are a matter of survival. Residents have endured years of toxic gases and health harms while pleading for action.
Learn more about the very real human impacts of landfill pollution by watching our short documentary, Buried Consequences:
According to CARB, the proposed Landfill Methane Rule aims to leverage advanced technologies, the latest scientific findings, and lessons learned to drive further reductions in methane emissions. The amendments are designed to enhance leak detection, minimize gas collection downtime, and reduce emissions from active waste areas, while strengthening oversight and enforcement. CARB emphasizes that these improvements will not only reduce methane but also decrease toxic air contaminants, volatile organic compounds, and odorous emissions. Together, these measures support the state’s ambitious climate goals while protecting communities that live and work near landfills.
We’re still deep in conversation with residents most impacted by landfill pollution to make sure that these rules meet their needs, but our first impression of the draft is that it includes both many strong provisions and some room for improvement.
What’s Promising
Leak detection required in areas that are currently going completely unmonitored: Right now, many parts of a landfill are simply never checked for harmful emissions leaks, because human beings can’t safely go to those areas. Now, we can check for emissions everywhere, thanks to shelf-ready technology like fixed sensors and drones. CARB incorporates this effective technology by requiring methane monitoring at the work face — where new waste is added, as well as in previously unmonitored areas deemed “unsafe.” A recent Carbon Mapper study found that this area is responsible for the lion’s share of methane emissions. In fact, when Carbon Mapper surveyed 115 sites, 75% of emissions came from the work face. As CARB states (page 9), “The prevalence of emissions from active filling operations is a critical new finding because these areas are often excluded from landfill surface emissions monitoring (SEM) for safety reasons.” In fact, CARB did original research and found (page 41): “An analysis of 2022 LMR reporting data for ten landfills found that active landfills were excluding on average approximately 25% of the total surface area while closed landfills were excluding on average approximately 5% of the total surface area.”
Responding to super emitters: Landfill operators would now be required to fix big methane leaks identified by satellites or aircraft. Common sense, yes — but until now, only voluntary!
Timely gas collection system installation and safeguards: The draft closes a loophole in requirements, which has meant food waste is decaying faster than gas collection pipes are being installed; it also shortens the time landfill gas collection systems can be offline.
Clarity that sets everyone up for success: It is impressive how thoroughly the draft addresses unclear or missing information that contributes to needless methane emissions.
These updates are not just technical details. They are practical, proven solutions that will reduce methane pollution, protect public health, and help California meet its climate commitments.
Missed Opportunities
Little accountability to people in harm’s way: The draft takes steps forward in requiring reporting to the regulator that shows landfill operators are actually doing what they are supposed to. Unfortunately, there are too many outstanding questions about how, where, and by whom that information can be accessed. Communities deserve to know if they or their families are in harm's way. We can do better in 2025, when we have so much technology and software that makes information visible — and we have multi-billion-dollar waste companies that can surely make it happen.
No Fenceline Monitoring: A Major Miss: A glaring omission in the draft rule is the absence of fenceline monitoring. Communities living near landfills are desperate to know what pollution is drifting into their homes, and fenceline sensors are a simple, low-cost, and highly effective way to identify major methane leaks. Instead, CARB relies on outdated, operator-controlled surface monitoring four times a year — an approach the U.S. EPA has already flagged for “widespread” compliance failures, ranging from rushed inspections to missed pollution sources. Without mandatory fenceline monitoring, large leaks will continue to go undetected, and communities will remain in the dark. CARB should seize this opportunity to require real accountability by instituting continuous fenceline monitoring.
Fire risk: It’s significant that CARB is adding fire-prevention requirements for the first time. No other state has done this, and it’s badly needed. The rule mandates the monitoring of key fire risk parameters, institutes oxygen reduction measures, and requires enhanced monitoring and specific actions if temperatures remain high. These are overdue protections that finally acknowledge landfill fires as a systemic risk. The draft sets 145°F as the temperature at which wells are considered “too hot,” but given California’s growing landfill fire crisis, regulators must be prepared to explain why they chose such a high limit. Their own analysis (page 60-61) admits that pipe components start to melt/weaken around 140°F, and that wellhead readings can underestimate actual underground temperatures by more than 10°F.
The Path Ahead
Public comments are open, with CARB expected to vote on the draft rule as early as November 20. We encourage all Californians to make their voices heard!
Frontline residents, environmental justice leaders, and health experts have been clear: landfill pollution is a five-alarm fire. It’s time for bold, practical action.
Want to learn more or get involved? Contact us at lee@fullcirclefuture.org
