Contributing to a Greener New York: Analysis of Methane Emissions in New York State

Abstract

New York state is reducing its carbon footprint through the Community Leadership and Climate Protection Act. One important target is methane, a potent greenhouse gas that contributes 35% of the state’s CO2-equivalent emissions.1 Here we present the results of mobile observations conducted to better identify and quantify emissions of methane in central New York. We discovered a modest source of methane following numerous visits to a mining operation. During repeated visits the facility produced two distinct plumes with ethane and methane ratios of 0.010 and 0.007, which differ from local natural gas infrastructure. Using a Gaussian plume approach, we estimate the emission flux to be 70−100 kg/h. Additional observations are required to better refine our estimate.