DETROIT – Methane gas is leaking from Michigan landfills and it poses an environmental threat that goes far beyond our state.

But there’s good news: technology is already available to help fix the problem – it’s just not being used.

At 80 times the potency of carbon dioxide, methane is a potent greenhouse gas. A new study found significant methane leaks at landfills across the country, “including several in Michigan,” according to Katherine Blauvelt, campaign director with Industrious Labs, the nonprofit environmental group that conducted the study. Blauvelt told Local 4 her organization’s in-depth study of landfill methane leaks revealed significant discrepancies between what the landfill operators themselves reported versus what the EPA found.

In Michigan, there are about 60 landfills, and according to the federal Clean Air Act, landfills self-report methane leaks. The EPA is not required to inspect landfills, but occasionally the EPA does conduct landfill inspections. Industrious Labs reviewed numerous EPA landfill inspection reports- including for several Michigan landfills. The group discovered that the EPA found many methane leaks than the landfills reported to the agency.

For example, at Brent Run landfill in Montrose Township, the EPA found excessive methane leaks along with potentially cancer-causing hazardous air pollutants. And at Pine Tree Acres Landfill in Macomb County, an unannounced inspection by the EPA found failures of the landfill’s gas collection system and 19 excessive methane leaks.

The problem, according to Industrious Labs, is that federal rules for reporting leaking methane are seriously out-of-date. Landfills are only required to self-report the invisible methane leaks four times each year, using a handheld device.

Blauvelt offered a technical comparison: “I’d say the EPA standards are sort of like a Windows 2000 operating system.”

Carbon Mapper conducts airborne and satellite observation of methane leaks. The group documents the size and location of methane “plumes,” using special photography. Carbon Mapper’s documentation is available to the public; the group provides it for free to decision-makers.

“We can use known technologies to reduce these emissions. So why would we not want to do that,” Scarpelli said.

Landfills are the third biggest source of methane leaks in the U.S. Of all the environmental problems we face, Katherine Blauvelt says the issue of landfill methane leaks is “very solvable.” “It simply takes action by our federal regulators to make it happen,” she said. Local 4 emailed the EPA and asked whether the federal agency has plans to change anything it’s doing with regard to detecting landfill methane leaks. In response, the EPA said:

“Municipal Solid Waste Landfills are a primary focus of the National Enforcement and Compliance Initiative for mitigating climate change. By inspecting landfills, identifying excess emissions, and taking enforcement actions against noncompliant landfills, the Agency is reducing emissions in the sector. When EPA inspectors find exceedances of the surface methane standard during inspections, facilities are obligated to correct and re-monitor these exceedances according to the timelines under the landfills New Source Performance Standards.”

More information about EPA’s NECI plans can be found here.

Scientists who spoke with Local 4 said food waste is the number one cause of landfill methane, because it decays quickly, releasing methane in the process. Food waste makes up about 25 percent of everything that winds up in Michigan landfills.

Michigan State football coach Jonathan Smith and his coaching staff have had plenty of difficulties since arriving in East Lansing. In addition to revamping the team’s roster after many players entered the transfer portal earlier this offseason, Coach Smith and his coaching staff eventually formed a formidable transfer portal class. 

Coach Smith’s ability to quickly make up for lost ground in the transfer portal was arguably the best example of the difficulties he and his coaching staff have faced this offseason. Michigan State’s eventual success in the transfer portal gives Michigan State a chance to be competitive this season. However, as his first season at the helm approaches, Coach Smith arguably has a more challenging obstacle: Michigan State’s schedule.

During his first season at Michigan State, Coach Smith will likely not face a more significant challenge than successfully navigating the team’s schedule. While his experience at Oregon State has prepared him for some of what to expect, he is undoubtedly facing more of a challenge in East Lansing than in Corvallis.

Grant Hughes of 247Sports recently ranked the hardest schedules in the Big Ten. Coach Smith and Michigan State had the fourth-most challenging schedule in the conference. The only teams Hughes ranked with a more difficult strength of schedule than Michigan State were Illinois, Washington, and Purdue.

Michigan State has home games against Ohio State, Iowa, Purdue, Indiana and Rutgers. It will also play Boston College, Maryland, Oregon, Illinois and Michigan on the road. Michigan State’s schedule is undoubtedly one of the toughest in the Big Ten and the country. 

Hughes noted that Michigan State plays three teams ranked in the preseason top five, which puts into perspective how difficult its schedule is this upcoming season. Not only does Michigan State play three teams ranked in the preseason top five, but they play those teams in five weeks.

“New head coach Jonathan Smith will face a trial by fire,” Hughes said. “Michigan State faces three of the four best teams in the Big Ten next season, and two of those games (Oregon and Michigan) are on the road. The Spartans could face upwards of five conference losses before the calendar hits November.”

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As the kids say, it’s mock draft SZN (season).

Okay, technically the bulk of mock draft season happens in the 100 or so days between the end of a college football season in mid-January and the NFL draft in late April. But that has never stopped early speculation before.

With the college football season fast approaching, it’s never too early to take a look at what the next crop of prospects will look like. The good news for Michigan football is ESPN’s Matt Miller released his first mock draft ahead of the 2025 NFL draft (which will be held in Green Bay, Wisconsin) earlier this week, and the Wolverines were well represented, with three picks mocked in the first half of the first round.

The first U-M star off the board? Cornerback Will Johnson at No. 3 to the Denver Broncos, which comes as no surprise. After his freshman season, Johnson appeared in the top 10 of some mocks that were drafting the best athletes available, not just those who were draft-eligible.

In the meantime, Johnson has developed into one of the most NFL-ready cornerback prospects of the past decade and could be a clear fit for Denver, which Miller said could well be in “best player available” territory.

“Johnson’s tape from his first two seasons at Michigan is some of the best cornerback tape I’ve seen,” Miller wrote. “The 6-foot-2 playmaker’s closest comparison as a college prospect is Pat Surtain II, whom he’d be lined up opposite in this scenario.”

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Johnson, a former five-star product from Grosse Pointe South, was named an All-American as a sophomore and was a consensus All-Big Ten first-teamer. With 25 games played (16 starts), Johnson was named defensive MVP of the January’s College Football Playoff title game, finishing his second year with 27 tackles (including one for loss), four interceptions (including one returned for a touchdown).

If this holds, it would make Johnson the highest-drafted Wolverine since Aidan Hutchinson went No. 2 to the Lions in the 2022 draft and the highest-drafted U-M cornerback since Charles Woodson came off his Heisman Trophy campaign during the 1997 national championship season and was selected No. 4 overall (Oakland Raiders) in 1998.

According to Miller, U-M won’t have to wait all that long to hear its next name called. Mason Graham, the star defensive tackle who former Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh called “a gift from the football gods” upon his arrival in Ann Arbor, was pegged to go No. 7 and reunite with J.J. McCarthy on the Minnesota Vikings.

“The interior of the defensive line should get a big look next year, and Graham is a legitimate contender for the class’ top overall prospect,” Miller wrote. “His stats won’t blow you away, thanks to Michigan’s defensive line rotation and assignments — he had three sacks in 2023 — but Graham’s explosion and power jump off the tape.”

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At 6 feet 3 and 318 pounds, the Anaheim, California, product was named a second-team All-American last season after he appeared in 13 games (13 starts) and recorded 36 tackles, which included 7½ for loss, and three sacks to go with three quarterback hurries, one pass breakup, one forced fumble and one fumble recovery.

The final U-M prospect mocked in the first round was not Graham’s running mate in Kenneth Grant, nor was it running back (and cover athlete of EA Sports College Football 25) Donovan Edwards or safety Rod Moore, who was pegged as a late first-rounder before he suffered a knee injury in the spring.

Instead, it was Colston Loveland, perhaps Michigan’s top offensive weapon this season. Miller had him going No. 14 overall to the Indianapolis Colts. Loveland is widely regarded as the nation’s top tight end as he comes off a monster sophomore season that saw him catch 45 passes for 649 yards (14.4 yards per reception) and four touchdowns.

Loveland had 10 games with at least three receptions and seven games with at least 55 receiving yards, despite playing in a run-first offense that had the most decorated running back the program has ever seen, as well as two receivers who were taken in the NFL draft.

“Who could resist the temptation to give Anthony Richardson more playmakers?” Miller wrote. “Tight end remains one of the team’s few offensive question marks and Loveland will be a top-10 player on my preseason board thanks to his ability as a receiver and expert run blocking.

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“The 6-5 junior has elite agility and speed in the open field as a receiving option.”

Though it’s a stretch, given he will be working with a new quarterback, Loveland is now just 763 yards away from passing Jake Butt’s Michigan record (1,646 yards) for career receiving yards by a tight end.

Although the Wolverines set a program record this past spring with 13 NFL draft picks — second-most by one program in a single draft — it came with just one first-round pick, in McCarthy. Baring something unforeseen, Michigan can expect to have at least a trio of first-rounders next spring — and possibly more.