SEATTLE (Recycling Monster): Legislators are reportedly considering measures to strengthen landfill restrictions in a number of states, including Oregon, New Hampshire, Ohio, and Hawaii.

In order to reduce emissions, the Oregon legislature recently enacted a bill requiring Republic Services, the landfill's owner, to employ cutting-edge methane monitoring technology. The SB 726 mandates the operator to deploy cutting-edge technologies, such as drones, remote direct monitoring, satellite monitoring, and airflight monitoring. The governor must now approve the bill.

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Additionally, by granting the New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services complete and sole authority to approve any new landfill capacity, the proposed budget measure in New Hampshire seeks to limit landfill siting regulations. A one-year prohibition on approving any new landfill projects is another of the bill's stipulations.

A law in Hawai‘i seeks to prohibit the construction of new landfills on O’ahu on agricultural property or over a source of drinking water. The Waimanalo Gulch dump, which the administration had previously ordered to shut down by 2028, will continue to operate if the measure is approved by the governor.

A measure in Ohio would give local health districts the authority to impose tipping fees for C&D waste. C&D disposal fees are already greater than those in neighboring states, it was noted.