Landfill Methane Regulations (SOR/2025-279)

Marginal note:Definitions

• 1 (1) The following definitions apply in these Regulations.

  active landfill gas recovery system

  active landfill gas recovery system means any system that employs landfill gas recovery wells, piping, blowers, fans, pumps or compressors to create a pressure gradient to actively extract landfill gas. (système de récupération active de gaz d’enfouissement)

  authorized official

  authorized official means

  • (a) in respect of an owner or operator who is an individual, that individual or another individual who is authorized to act on their behalf;

  • (b) in respect of an owner or operator that is a corporation, an officer of the corporation who is authorized to act on its behalf; and

  • (c) in respect of an owner or operator that is an entity other than a corporation, an individual who is authorized to act on its behalf. (agent autorisé)

  biocover

  biocover means a landfill cover that is designed to support microbial oxidation of methane via the aerobic pathway. (biocouverture)

  closed

  closed, in relation to a landfill, means that the landfill has permanently ceased to accept solid waste for disposal. (fermé)

  EPA Method 21

  EPA Method 21 means the method of the Environmental Protection Agency of the United States entitled Method 21 — Determination of Volatile Organic Compound Leaks, set out in Appendix A-7 to Part 60 of Title 40, chapter I of the Code of Federal Regulations of the United States. (méthode 21 de l’EPA)

  EPA OTM 51

  EPA OTM 51 means the method of the Environmental Protection Agency of the United States entitled Other Test Method 51 (OTM-51) - UAS Application of Method 21 for Surface Emission Monitoring of Landfills. (autre méthode 51 de l’EPA)

  equipment component

  equipment component means any part of a landfill gas management system that contains landfill gas including wells, pipes, flanges, fittings, valves, flame arrestors, knock-out drums, sampling ports, blowers, compressors and connectors. (composant d’équipement)

  exceedance

  exceedance means, in relation to

  • (a) a surface methane concentration, a concentration of 500 ppmv or more; and

  • (b) a zone-average surface methane concentration, a concentration of 25 ppmv or more. (dépassement)

  final cover

  final cover means a landfill cover that is placed on the portions of a landfill where acceptance of solid waste for disposal has permanently ceased. (couverture finale)

  landfill gas

  landfill gas means a mixture of gases, including methane, generated by the decomposition of biodegradable waste in a landfill. (gaz d’enfouissement)

  landfill gas management system

  landfill gas management system means a system used in a landfill to recover and combust or process landfill gas. (système de gestion de gaz d’enfouissement)

  location of concern

  location of concern in relation to a surface methane concentration, means a location with a concentration of at least 200 ppmv but less than 500 ppmv. (emplacement préoccupant)

  methane leak

  methane leak means a methane leak with a methane concentration of 500 ppmv or more. (fuite de méthane)

  methane modelling tool

  methane modelling tool means the Landfill Methane Modelling Tool published by Environment and Climate Change Canada for the calculation of methane generation at Canadian landfills. (outil de modélisation du méthane)

  monitoring event

  monitoring event means, as the case may be, each of the monitoring events in relation to

  • (a) landfill gas recovery wells required under subsection 10(1);

  • (b) equipment components required under subsection 13(1); or

  • (c) surface methane concentrations and zone-average surface methane concentrations required under subsection 17(1). (activité de surveillance)

  municipal solid waste

  municipal solid waste means waste that originates from residential, commercial, institutional, construction, renovation, demolition or land clearing sources. (déchet solide municipal)

  operator

  operator means a person that has the charge, management or control of a landfill or a landfill gas management system. (exploitant)

  ppmv 

  ppmv  means parts per million by volume. (ppmv)

  vent

  vent means to passively emit landfill gas to the atmosphere via vent pipes. (évacuation)

  zone-average surface methane concentration

  zone-average surface methane concentration means the average of all methane concentrations recorded within a specified zone of 4500 m². (concentration moyenne de méthane en surface par zone)

• Marginal note:EPA Method 21 adaptations — paragraph 13(1)(a)

  (2) For the purposes of paragraph 13(1)(a), with regards to EPA Method 21,

  • (a) section 8.3.1 is to be read without regard to the fifth sentence of that section; and

  • (b) the reference to “an increased meter reading” in that section is to be read as a reference to “a reading of 200 ppmv of methane or more”.

• Marginal note:EPA Method 21 adaptations — paragraph 19(1)(a)

  (3) For the purposes of paragraph 19(1)(a), with regards to EPA Method 21,

  • (a) the instrument detector referred to in section 6.1 must respond to methane;

  • (b) the instrument referred to in section 6.2 must be capable of measuring 500 ppmv of methane;

  • (c) the scale of the instrument meter referred to in section 6.3 must be readable to ±2.5 % of 500 ppmv of methane;

  • (d) the reference to “VOC” in section 7.1.1 is to be read as a reference to “methane”;

  • (e) the references to “calibration gas” and “the applicable leak definition specified in the regulation” in section 7.1.2 are to be read as references to “500 ppmv of methane”;

  • (f) in section 7.2, the requirement to have cylinder calibration gas mixtures analyzed and certified is to be read as a requirement to analyze and certify 500 ppmv of methane;

  • (g) the reference to “calibration gases” in section 7.3 is to be read as a reference to “500 ppmv of methane”;

  • (h) in section 8.1.1.1, the reference compound is methane and the references to the “the calibration gas mixture” and “the calibration gas” are to be read as references to “500 ppmv of methane”;

  • (i) section 8.1.1.2 is to be read only with reference to the first sentence of that section and the instrument response factor referred to in that sentence must be in relation to 500 ppmv of methane and be less than 10;

  • (j) the calibration precision test referred to in section 8.1.2 must be performed before the instrument is first used on any day;

  • (k) the reference to “the specified calibration gas” in section 8.1.2.1 is to be read as a reference to “500 ppmv of methane”;

  • (l) the reference to “the calibration gas value” in section 8.1.2.2 is to be read as a reference to “500 ppmv of methane”;

  • (m) the response time test referred to in section 8.1.3 must be performed before the instrument is first used on any day;

  • (n) the reference to “the specified calibration gas” in section 8.1.3.1 is to be read as a reference to “500 ppmv of methane”; and

  • (o) the references to “the calibration gas” and “the calibration gas value” in section 10.1 are to be read as reference to “500 ppmv of methane”.

• Marginal note:EPA OTM 51 adaptations — paragraph 19(1)(b)

  (4) For the purposes of paragraph 19(1)(b), with regards to EPA OTM 51,

  • (a) the reference in Section 6.1.2 to “the operational limit of 500 ppm specified in the regulation” is to be read as a reference to “500 ppmv of methane”; and

  • (b) the reference in Section 7.1.2 to “the 500 ppm above background operational limit specified in the regulation” is to be read as a reference to “500 ppmv of methane”.