diff --git a/SWEET_python/city_params.py b/SWEET_python/city_params.py
index 830bf8d..f8d48ab 100644
--- a/SWEET_python/city_params.py
+++ b/SWEET_python/city_params.py
@@ -8345,14 +8345,28 @@ def _apply_open_close_window(
             if oxidation_override["baseline"]:
                 ox_value_series_baseline.loc[:] = float(oxidation_override["baseline"])
 
-        # Check if flaring is defined as a variable
-        try:
-            flaring_series_baseline = pd.Series(flaring["baseline"], index=years)
-            flaring_series_scenario = flaring_series_baseline.copy()
-            flaring_series_scenario.loc[implement_year:] = flaring["scenario"]
-        except:
-            flaring_series_baseline = pd.Series(0.98, index=years)
-            flaring_series_scenario = flaring_series_baseline.copy()
+        # Flaring destruction efficiency of captured methane. The endpoint forwards a
+        # Variant, {"baseline": [...], "scenario": [...]}, with one value per landfill;
+        # sdst models a single landfill (index 0). This block previously referenced an
+        # undefined name `flaring`; the resulting NameError was swallowed by a bare
+        # `except`, so the user-supplied efficiency was silently ignored and flaring was
+        # always forced to the default. Read `new_landfill_flaring`, falling back to the
+        # canonical default only when no value is supplied.
+        from SWEET_python.dst_common import DEFAULT_FLARE_EFFICIENCY
+
+        flaring = {}
+        for scenario_key in ("baseline", "scenario"):
+            value = (
+                None
+                if new_landfill_flaring is None
+                else new_landfill_flaring[scenario_key][0]
+            )
+            flaring[scenario_key] = (
+                DEFAULT_FLARE_EFFICIENCY if value is None else value
+            )
+        flaring_series_baseline = pd.Series(flaring["baseline"], index=years)
+        flaring_series_scenario = flaring_series_baseline.copy()
+        flaring_series_scenario.loc[implement_year:] = flaring["scenario"]
 
         if biocover["baseline"] > 0:
             baseline_biocover = float(biocover["baseline"])
diff --git a/changelog/2026-08.md b/changelog/2026-08.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..606f6b7
--- /dev/null
+++ b/changelog/2026-08.md
@@ -0,0 +1,6 @@
+# SWEET_python Changelog — August 2026
+
+**Highlights:** A variable-name bug in `City.sdst_v1_5` was silently discarding the `/sdst` flaring efficiency and forcing flare destruction to the 0.98 default on every run. Sites that set a non-default flaring efficiency now model the value the user supplied. This is a model-output change for any sdst run with a non-0.98 flaring efficiency.
+
+## Fixed
+- `City.sdst_v1_5` now reads the caller-supplied flaring efficiency again. The flaring block referenced an undefined bare name `flaring` (the endpoint parameter is `new_landfill_flaring`); the resulting `NameError` was swallowed by a bare `except`, so flare destruction was always forced to the 0.98 default and the user's input was ignored. The block now reads `new_landfill_flaring[...][0]` per landfill (sdst models a single landfill, index 0), falling back to `DEFAULT_FLARE_EFFICIENCY` only when no value is supplied. **Model-output change:** any sdst run that set a non-0.98 flaring efficiency will now produce different (correct) results. ([#41](https://github.com/RMI/SWEET_python/pull/41))
diff --git a/changelog/README.md b/changelog/README.md
index 0c62df3..1cce4ca 100644
--- a/changelog/README.md
+++ b/changelog/README.md
@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@ The project does not publish semantic version tags, so releases are tracked by
 
 Newest first:
 
+- [2026-08](2026-08.md) — `/sdst` flaring efficiency reached the model again: fixed a variable-name bug in `City.sdst_v1_5` that silently forced flare destruction to 0.98 and ignored the user's input (model-output change)
 - [2026-07](2026-07.md) — All ten waste types eligible for combustion (metal/glass/other added); methane-only model treats combustion as landfill diversion (model-output change)
 - [2026-06](2026-06.md) — New single-site and city-level ADST modeling modules, min-cost max-flow rewrite of the city DST diversion allocator, physical-k fix for cold/dry sites, no more spurious negative food-waste mass
 - [2026-05](2026-05.md) — SDST models from a landfill's actual open year (1950–2050), Central Asia/Afghanistan disposal-default fix, auto-Jira issue tooling, professional-comment cleanup