Nevada Statewide Greenhouse Gas Emissions Inventory and Projections
Nevada Statewide Greenhouse Gas Emissions Inventory and Projections, 1990 to 2030
7.
Waste Management
7.1 Overview
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Waste management sector GHG emissions are separated into two source categories, solid waste and
wastewater treatment. Emissions from solid waste in Nevada are calculated based on waste in landfills.
In landfills, CO2 and CH 4 are produced through the decomposition of organic matter. The
decomposition process is relatively complex and long-lived and results in a biogas consisting of roughly
equal parts CO2 and CH 4 by volume. Neither the directly emitted CO2 nor the converted CO2 emitted
from combusting CH at landfills are counted as anthropogenic GHG emissions. This is because the
carbon primarily released by the decomposition of organic materials derived from biomass sources (e.g.,
food waste and yard trimmings) is an initially sequestered, equivalent amount of carbon (in the form of
CO2) drawn from the atmosphere. While some of Nevada's landfills simply flare recovered landfill gas,
thereby converting the CH4 portion of the biogas into CO2, the largest of Nevada's landfills collects and
burns its biogas to generate electricity in a process known as landfill-gas-to-energy (LFGTE).
Wastewater emissions in Nevada are the result of the treatment of municipal and industrial wastewater.
Generally, wastewater is treated by technologies designed to accelerate naturally occurring processes.
Aerobic and anaerobic conditions are created, resulting in the release of CH 4 through the decomposition
of organic matter in the wastewater and the release of N2O through the concurrent nitrification and
denitrification of the wastewater.
The SIT methodologies were used to estimate GHG emissions. Emissions for solid waste were estimated
by using historical EPA landfill estimates 29, data received from the NDEP's Bureau of Waste
Management, and the EPA Landfill Methane Outreach Program (LMOP), which was also used in this
report to estimate the impacts of landfill flaring and LFGTE projects. Emissions from the treatment of
municipal wastewater were estimated using Nevada state population figures. Emission factors and
emissions from the treatment of industrial wastewater used in the processing of red meat were
provided in the SIT. The sources of the dataset used to estimate waste management sector GHG
emissions are summarized in Table 7-1.
Table 7-1: Sources Used to Estimate Waste Management Sector GHG Emissions
Process
Source
Reference
Emission factors
Solid waste totals
- SIT
- SIT
http://ndep.nv.gov/bwm/index.htm
- NDEP Bureau of Waste Management
Landfill flaring and LFGTE
projects
- EPA Landfill Methane Outreach
Program (LMOP)
https://www.epa.gov/lmop
Wastewater treatment
- SIT
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No municipal solid waste in Nevada undergoes incineration. N2O is a direct result of waste incineration.
Therefore, there are no N2O emissions associated with solid waste in Nevada.
29 EPA's landfill estimates are based on waste-in-place (WIP) figures (obtained via a variety of sources including the
Landfill Methane Outreach Program (LMOP) and working with local state agencies across the country)
redistributed across the years of activity based on Nevada's population statistics.
29View entire presentation