EPA Releases Mandatory GHG Reporting Rule

On January 1, 2010, the US Environmental Protection Agency will, for the first time, require large emitters of heat-trapping emissions to begin collecting greenhouse gas (GHG) data under a new reporting system finalized and announced on September 22, 2009.

This new program will cover approximately 85 percent of the nation’s GHG emissions and apply to roughly 10,000 facilities, including all sites that emit more than 25,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e) a year.

Under the rule, suppliers of fossil fuels or industrial greenhouse gases, manufacturers of vehicles and engines, and facilities that emit 25,000 metric tons or more per year of GHG emissions are required to submit annual reports to EPA. The gases covered by the proposed rule are carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4), nitrous oxide (N2O), hydrofluorocarbons (HFC), perfluorocarbons (PFC), sulfur hexafluoride (SF6), and other fluorinated gases including nitrogen trifluoride (NF3) and hydrofluorinated ethers (HFE).

A significant change to the rule since its original proposal in April of this year (see our Spring e-newsletter) is the addition of a mechanism for facilities and suppliers to cease annual reporting by reducing their GHG emissions:

• after 5 consecutive years of emissions below 25,000 metric tons CO2e /year
• after 3 consecutive years of emissions below 15,000 metric tons CO2e /year
• if the GHG-emitting processes or operations are shut down

In response to the EPA regime, CSA Standards has developed informational tools to help organizations determine whether they need to report to EPA, and how to prepare for compliance, housed on a special section of the CSA Standards Carbon Performance website.

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