Before a landfill methane survey begins, the most useful work often happens off the flight line. A clear monitoring objective, current site information, and an agreed reporting format help the field team plan appropriate coverage and make the resulting data easier to use.
This checklist is intended for landfill operators, environmental consultants, and project managers preparing for a drone-supported landfill methane monitoring project. It is a scoping guide, not a substitute for a site-specific regulatory or permit review.
1. Define the purpose of the survey
Start with the decision the survey needs to support. Is this an initial screening campaign, an investigation of an identified area, a repeat survey after corrective work, or ongoing program monitoring? Confirm whether the work is voluntary, permit-driven, or associated with a specific regulatory monitoring obligation.
The answer affects the measurement method, field coverage, follow-up plan, quality controls, and deliverables. A UAS approach is not automatically an approved replacement for a prescribed surface-emissions monitoring method; applicability must be checked before committing to a compliance scope.
2. Assemble the site information package
A current GIS/KMZ boundary or site drawing is a useful starting point. Where available, include:
- Property limits, permitted survey boundaries, access gates, and safe staging areas.
- Active and closed cells, cover types, recent earthwork, and planned operating activities.
- Landfill-gas collection infrastructure, including wells, headers, flares, and known service areas.
- Previously investigated locations, historical findings, and recent repair or maintenance work.
- Areas with restricted access, vehicle traffic, steep slopes, or other operational hazards.
These materials can be reviewed before mobilization to distinguish what can be covered from the air, where closer investigation may be needed, and where site operations could interfere with sampling.
3. Identify field access and operating constraints
Landfills change throughout the day. Confirm the site point of contact, work windows, safety induction requirements, nearby personnel and equipment, and any active operations that must continue uninterrupted. The field plan should also account for airspace, flight permissions, weather, wind, surface conditions, and launch or recovery locations.
Review these constraints early rather than assuming every part of the site can be surveyed identically.
4. Agree on the monitoring method and follow-up
Specify what constitutes a finding under the selected method, how locations will be recorded, and what additional checks will occur when an area is flagged. A project may call for repeat coverage, ground-supported investigation, or follow-up after repairs, depending on the objective and authorized scope.
Perspectum supports field programs using project-appropriate aerial and ground methods, including specialized Sniffer Robotics landfill-monitoring technology where suitable. The technology, acceptance criteria, and any regulatory reporting obligations should be confirmed for the individual program.
5. Define the deliverable before fieldwork
Useful deliverables may include a survey-coverage record, mapped observations, field notes, time and location references, recheck documentation, and a project summary. Decide whether the project team needs GIS-compatible files, tabular results, annotated maps, or material formatted for a broader environmental report.
When an environmental consultant is the prime contractor, agree in advance on data structure, naming conventions, and handoff so the field package can be incorporated into the final report without extensive rework.
Canadian landfill regulations: confirm the applicable monitoring pathway
Canada’s Landfill Methane Regulations (SOR/2025-279) establish requirements that vary by landfill and compliance phase. Whether drone-supported monitoring qualifies depends on the prescribed method, instrument specifications, calibration, survey procedures, required ground follow-up and reporting. EPA OTM-51 compatibility alone should not be treated as blanket approval for every drone or survey. Before mobilization, the landfill operator and environmental advisor should confirm the current requirements and the specific monitoring method. See Perspectum’s regulatory compliance overview.
What a prospective landfill client should ask
Ask the inspection provider to identify the proposed measurement method and sensor, survey coverage plan, calibration and quality-control approach, weather and access limitations, criteria for flagged areas, ground follow-up responsibilities, and the exact reporting deliverables. Request an example of an anonymized coverage map or finding record, where available. This helps distinguish a general methane-screening flight from a monitoring program designed around specific permit or regulatory obligations.
A seven-item kickoff checklist
- Objective: What operational or monitoring question are we answering?
- Location: What landfill, site boundary, and approximate acreage are involved?
- Method: Is there a permit, regulation, approved plan, or project-specific protocol to follow?
- Site data: Can you share current GIS/KMZ files and gas-system drawings?
- Operations: What access restrictions, active work areas, and safety requirements apply?
- Follow-up: Will flagged areas require investigation, a recheck, or documentation after corrective work?
- Output: Who will use the findings, in what format, and on what schedule?
Plan the inspection around the site—not the other way around
Effective landfill monitoring starts with a defined question and ends with usable evidence. The right flight plan and measurement approach follow from the site, monitoring objective, and applicable program requirements.
For further context, review our emissions compliance support overview and industrial inspection scoping checklist.
Preparing an upcoming survey? Send Perspectum the landfill location, approximate acreage, monitoring purpose, project timeline, and desired deliverables to discuss a practical field approach.