New York's municipal solid waste landfills are a huge source of climate and health pollution, spewing methane and other toxins like benzene and VOCs into the air. And landfills aren't in the middle of nowhere — they're near residential neighborhoods, parks, and schools. In fact, 1 in 3 New Yorkers has a landfill within five miles of their community, facing increased exposure to toxic pollution. 

One major driver of landfill pollution is weak, outdated regulations for how landfill operators find, capture, and control air emissions. The New York Department of Environmental Conservation is currently considering changes to those regulations, but they need to hear from you. New York should be leading the nation with bold, comprehensive standards, not lagging behind. 

Email SolidWasteRegulations@dec.ny.gov with what you want to see in stronger landfill regulations. Use our template below or create your own!

Remember: customized messages make a much bigger impact. Consider including a personal anecdote about how landfill pollution impacts you and why stronger standards are important to your family and community.  For example: 

  • Have you experienced health impacts from your local landfill? 

  • Are you concerned about how your state manages waste? 

  • Are you concerned about the impacts of climate change on your community? 

Email Template

Subject line: Landfill GHG emissions

Dear Commissioners,

I’m writing as a New Yorker to urge you to prioritize strong standards to reduce landfill methane emissions.

Landfills are a major source of climate pollution in our state, and current rules allow too much methane to go unchecked. This pollution also harms nearby communities—millions of New Yorkers live close enough to landfills to be exposed to dangerous air pollutants.

The solutions are clear and achievable. Strengthening landfill standards can significantly cut emissions while improving public health. Other states like California and Colorado have already moved forward. New York should be leading the nation alongside them.

Strong standards for landfills should include:

• Gas control system maintenance and landfill cover that prevents methane from escaping into the atmosphere.

• Provisions that ensure New Yorkers have access to timely, transparent, and accessible information about landfill emissions.

• The use of readily available technology —including drones, sensors, and satellites — to ensure fast and early detection of methane leaks.

• Provisions that mitigate the risk of landfill fires.

Reducing landfill methane is one of the fastest, most cost-effective ways to cut climate pollution and deliver cleaner air.

Please act with urgency by adopting stronger landfill standards.

Sincerely,

[YOUR NAME]

[YOUR CITY]