Mar 20, 2006 -- STATE DEPARTMENT RELEASE/ContentWorks

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is helping India, the third-largest methane-emitting country in the world, develop clean energy sources that can yield substantial economic, environmental and health benefits for its citizens.

EPA and the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry are partnering with stakeholders from India's solid waste industry, finance community and national government to capture and reuse landfill methane gas under the multinational Methane to Markets Partnership.

"President Bush and EPA are delivering global environmental results through innovative international collaborations," said EPA Administrator Stephen Johnson in a March 17 statement.

"We are excited to work with India," he added, "and share our experiences in turning landfill trash into environmental and economic treasures."

Methane is a principal component of natural gas and a greenhouse gas with a global warming potential 23 times higher than that of carbon dioxide. Reusing landfill methane gas for energy purposes has the potential to mitigate 5.5 million metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent, which is equal to the annual emissions from 1 million vehicles.

Methane emissions from the solid-waste sector in India are projected to increase significantly over the next 15 years. No operational landfill gas-to-energy projects currently exist in India, but several large sites in Delhi, Mumbai and other cities could support the clean energy projects.

EPA will collaborate with India to advance project development through technical assistance, technology transfer opportunities and demonstration projects, according to the U.S. agency.

The program will help promote clean energy, energy security, improved public health and economic opportunities.

Methane to Markets promotes cost-effective, near-term recovery and use of methane from landfills, underground coalmines, natural gas and oil systems, and agriculture.

The partnership joins a growing number of developed countries, developing countries, and countries with economies in transition, in which partners work with the private sector, development banks, researchers, and other organizations to develop clean energy projects.

Other countries participating in Methane to Markets include Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, Colombia, Ecuador, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Nigeria, Russia, South Korea, Ukraine, and the United Kingdom. Methane to Markets projects also support the Asia-Pacific Partnership on Clean Development and Climate, in which the United States and India participate.

More information about the collaboration with India is available on the EPA Web site, as is the full text of the EPA press release. Additional information about Methane to Markets is available on the organization's Web site.

(Distributed by the Bureau of International Information Programs, U.S. Department of State.)

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