The results of the significant gas emissions from landfills research conducted at Cal Poly over the last decade are being used directly to inform new climate change regulations in California.
The research team involves civil and environmental engineering Professor Jim Hanson, Director of the Global Waste Research Institute Dr. Nazli Yesiller and civil and environmental engineering Assistant Professor Derek Manheim.
The field research program was substantial, using large-scale static flux chamber tests over 34 different landfill cover types to characterize 82 gases being emitted from five California landfills.
The research was funded by the California Air Resources Board and CalRecycle.
Dozens of graduate and undergraduate students contributed to the fieldwork and contributed to the follow-up laboratory testing. Alex Sohn (civil and environmental engineering) and Alexandra Limpert (civil and environmental engineering) served as lead graduate students on two sequential research projects.
You can read more about the framework relating to the changing regulations here.
