Georgia, Texas Landfills May Lack Air Permits: EPA Watchdog (2)

A dozen landfills in Georgia and Texas may be operating under state agencies without permits required under the Clean Air Act, the EPA’s internal watchdog said Thursday.

Without state oversight, landfills “could operate for years without required emissions controls,” allowing pollution to soar over federal regulatory levels, according to the report by the Office of Inspector General for the Environmental Protection Agency.

As waste in a municipal solid waste landfill decomposes it emits methane, carbon dioxide, and nonmethane organic compounds, which can harm public health and the environment. Nonmethane organic compounds are mostly toxic air pollutants for which EPA hasn’t ...