Differentiating and mitigating methane emissions from fugitive leaks from natural gas distribution, historic landfills, and manholes in Montréal, Canada

Williams, James P.; Ars, Sebastien; Vogel, Felix; Regehr, Amara; Kang,Mary

doi:https://open-science.canada.ca/handle/123456789/1929

Differentiating and mitigating methane emissions from fugitive leaks from natural gas distribution, historic landfills, and manholes in Montréal, Canada

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dc.contributor.author: Williams, James P.; Ars, Sebastien; Vogel, Felix; Regehr, Amara; Kang,Mary
dc.date.accessioned: 2024-02-12T18:44:42Z
dc.date.available: 2024-02-12T18:44:42Z
dc.date.issued: 2022-11-14
dc.description.abstract - en: Rapidly reducing urban methane (CH4) emissions is a critical component of strategies aimed at limiting climate change. Individual source measurements provide the detail necessary to develop actionable mitigation strategies and are highly complementary to mobile surveys and other top-down methods. Here we perform 615 individual source measurements in Montréal, Canada, to quantify CH4 emissions from historic landfills, manholes, and fugitive emissions from natural gas (NG) distribution systems. We find that in 2020, historic landfills produced 901 (452 to 1,541, 95% c.i.) tons of CH4, manholes emitted 786 (32 to 2,602, 95% c.i.) tons of CH4, and NG distribution systems emitted 451 (176 to 843, 95% c.i.) tons of CH4, placing them all within the top four CH4 sources in Montréal. Methane emissions from both historic landfills and manholes are not accounted for in any greenhouse gas inventory. We find that geochemistry alone can not positively identify source subcategories (e.g., type of manhole or NG infrastructure) in almost all cases, although C2:C1 ratios can distinguish NG distribution sources from biogenic sources (historic landfills and manholes). Using our individual source measurements data, we show that historic landfills have the greatest potential CH4 reductions but the highest mitigation costs, unless we target the highest emitting landfills. In contrast, CH4 emissions from manholes can be reduced at low costs but reduction methods are commercially unavailable. For NG distribution, methods such as increasing repair rates for high-emitting industrial meters, can greatly reduce mitigation costs and emissions. Overall, our results highlight the role of individual source measurements in developing actionable CH4 mitigation strategies to meet municipal, regional, and national climate action plans.
dc.description.fosrcfull - en: This document is the unedited Author’s version of a Submitted Work that was subsequently accepted for publication in Environmental Science & Technology, Copyright © 2022 American Chemical Society after peer review. To access the final edited and published work see <a href="https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.est.2c06254">https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.est.2c06254</a>.
dc.description.fosrcfull-fosrctranslation - fr: Ce document est la version non éditée d'un travail soumis par l'auteur qui a été accepté pour publication dans Environmental Science & Technology, Droit d'auteur © 2022 American Chemical Society après évaluation par les pairs. Pour accéder au travail final édité et publié, voir <a href="https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.est.2c06254">https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.est.2c06254</a>.
dc.identifier.issn: 0013-936X; 1520-5851
dc.identifier.uri: https://open-science.canada.ca/handle/123456789/1929
dc.language.iso: en
dc.publisher: American Chemical Society
dc.relation.isreplacedby: https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.est.2c06254
dc.rights - en: Open Government Licence - Canada
dc.rights - fr: Licence du gouvernement ouvert - Canada
dc.rights.openaccesslevel - en: Green
dc.rights.openaccesslevel - fr: Vert
dc.rights.uri - en: https://open.canada.ca/en/open-government-licence-canada
dc.rights.uri - fr: https://ouvert.canada.ca/fr/licence-du-gouvernement-ouvert-canada
dc.subject - en: Nature and environment; Science and technology
dc.subject - fr: Nature et environnement; Sciences et technologie
dc.subject.en - en: Nature and environment; Science and technology
dc.subject.fr - fr: Nature et environnement; Sciences et technologie
dc.title - en: Differentiating and mitigating methane emissions from fugitive leaks from natural gas distribution, historic landfills, and manholes in Montréal, Canada
dc.type - en: Submitted manuscript
dc.type - fr: Manuscrit soumis
local.article.journaltitle: Environmental Science & Technology
local.pagination: 28 pages
local.peerreview - en: No
local.peerreview - fr: Non

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