Madrid defends waste handling despite landfill methane leaks

By ARITZ PARRA and BARRY HATTON
Associated Press

MADRID (AP) — Authorities in Madrid are defending their record of handling gas generated by decomposing organic waste after scientists aided by satellite imagery said they had found major leaks of methane from two landfill sites serving the Spanish capital. The leaks were revealed only a week after the ongoing COP26 climate negotiations in Glasgow produced pledges by the United States, the European Union and other nations to clamp down on emissions of methane, a potent contributor to global warming. In a series of images released Wednesday, methane plumes can be observed earlier this year emanating from two adjacent landfill sites in the southeast suburbs of Madrid.