The Oregon Senate passed a bill requiring a landfill notorious for methane leaks to use advanced technology to regulate the pollution it generates.
As Oregon Public Broadcasting reported, lawmakers passed Senate Bill 726, and Gov. Tina Kotek is expected to sign it into law. The state bill requires Benton County's Coffin Butte Landfill to invest in technology to monitor its release of methane.
To comply with a federal requirement, the landfill uses outdated handheld devices to check for methane leaks. Landfill staff members walk across acres of trash with the devices but can't measure some sections because they're too steep and dangerous.
Modern devices such as drones, sensors, and satellite images can fill this critical gap.
The passing of this bill is encouraging because methane is a potent, toxic gas that traps atmospheric heat and contributes to rising global temperatures. Landfills have devastating environmental impacts, especially when they aren't properly monitored to control pollution output.
However, Coffin Butte certainly isn't the only landfill releasing unsafe methane levels into the air.
Environmentalists have criticized the Oregon bill for not doing enough to limit methane pollution. The bill's initial draft applied to all landfills in the state, not just Coffin Butte.
"We're talking about a time-sensitive issue here," said Mason Leavitt, programs coordinator at the environmental nonprofit Beyond Toxics. "I think we're in a comfortable space to move forward with the whole state, and that's not what happened. That's just politics."
The bill's passing is still a starting point for a cleaner, more sustainable future. Perhaps it will pave the way for additional, broader legislation that can be applied to other landfills in Oregon and beyond.
Meanwhile, technological advancements in methane monitoring can help landfill operators handle public trash efficiently and set higher standards for low-pollution landfill management.
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As an individual, you can do your part to limit methane pollution by supporting businesses that repurpose materials before they ever reach landfills. Giving usable items second lives can reduce landfill overcrowding and curb the waste that would otherwise contribute to methane release.
In response to a Reddit post to r/corvallis, one social media user commented on the Coffin Butte Landfill news, writing: "If it genuinely, really makes a difference, awesome. I don't have a problem with testing out new-ish tech at the expense of the giant company that provides alright trash service."
"It's a good start, but will the company actually follow through?" another user wondered. "Hope they don't just twiddle their thumbs at the top."
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