These new regulations apply to all landfills that have accepted waste after November 8, 1987 with design capacities of 2.5 million Mg (or 2.5 million cubic meters) or larger. New facilities (defined as any landfill for which construction, modification, or reconstruction commenced on or after May 30, 1991 or that began accepting waste on or after that date) are subject to New Source Performance Standard. The Emission Guideline applies to landfills that began accepting waste prior to that date.

Under the regulations, and affected facility that emits more than 50 Mg/yr of non-methane organic compounds (NMOC) is required to install controls.

Best demonstrated technology for both new and existing landfills requires installation of a "well-designed and well-operated gas collection system and a control device capable of reducing NMOC in the collected gas by 98 weight-percent. A well-designed and well-operated collection system would, at a minimum:

1. be capable of handling the maximum expected gas generation rate;
2. have a design capable of monitoring and adjusting the operation of the system; and
3. be able to collect gas effectively from all areas of the landfill that warrant control".

The collection system should be designed to allow expansion from new areas that require control. The control device (presumed to be a combuster) must demonstrate either 98 percent NMOC reduction or NMOC concentration of 20 ppmv or less an outlet.

The collection and control system must be kept in operation until:

1. the landfill has been permanently closed under the requirements of 40 CFR 258.60;
2. the collection and control system has been in operation a minimum of 15 years; and
3. the annual NMOC emission rate routed to the control device is less than the emission rate cutoff on three successive dates, between 90 and 180 days apart.

Operational standards for collection and control systems require:

1. collection of gas from each area, cell or group of cells in which non-asbestos degradable solid waste has been placed for a period of 5 years or more for active areas or 2 years or more for closed areas;
2. operation of the collection system with each wellhead under negative pressure, with a nitrogen level less than or equal to 20% or an oxygen level less than or equal to 5%;
3. operation with a landfill gas temeprature less than 55 deg. C. at each well...; and
4. a requirement that the collection system be operated to limit the surface methane concentration to 500 ppm or less...