The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has imposed a fine on Hamm Inc., a sanitary landfill operator based in Lawrence, Kansas, to settle claims of violation of the federal Clean Air Act. The company is expected to pay a civil penalty of $4,206 and allocate approximately $30,000 towards monitoring air pollution emissions.

According to an EPA news release, Hamm Inc. exceeded the stipulated protocol for methane emissions and failed to make necessary adjustments at its landfill operations. An inspection conducted by the EPA in March 2022 led to the discovery of these violations, which subsequently resulted in the settlement.

Hamm Inc., as stated on its website, is an integrated aggregates and waste services company with over six decades of experience in the industry.

David Cozad, director of EPA Region 7’s Enforcement and Compliance Assurance Division said, "Two of EPA’s top priorities are mitigating climate change through its regulatory authorities and reducing methane emissions from landfills." He added that the agency is heartened by Hamm's commitment to reducing emissions through enhanced landfill cover integrity practices as part of this settlement.

In response to the EPA findings, Hamm Inc. has agreed to take corrective measures. In addition to paying the fine, it will use drone technology for monitoring methane emissions and Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) to assess the landfill’s cover integrity. This will help prevent potential future releases of landfill gases that cause significant air pollution and pose threats to public health and ecosystems.

The news release further states that methane constitutes about 50 percent of landfill gas pollutants. It is "more than 28 times as potent as carbon dioxide at trapping heat in the atmosphere," making it a significant contributor to climate change. Climate change mitigation remains a key objective for the EPA when monitoring companies' facilities.