EPA's Greenhouse Gas Emissions Reporting Rule

On September 22, 2009 the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) issued its Final Mandatory Reporting of Greenhouse Gases Rule. This rule establishes mandatory greenhouse gas (GHG) reporting requirements for owners and operators of facilities and suppliers within specified categories.

Source Categories (no CO2 threshold)

• Electricity Generation*
• Aluminum Production
• Ammonia Manufacturing
• Cement Production
• HCFC-22
• HFC-23 Destruction*
• Lime Manufacturing
• Nitric Acid Production
• Petrochemical Production
• Petroleum Refineries
• Phosphoric Acid Production
• Silicon Carbide Production
• Soda Ash Production
• Titanium Dioxide Production

*See EPA rule for qualifiers

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 the EPA directly. Also, all entities within specified categories (as defined in the EPA’s final rule) must report, even if they do not exceed the threshold of 25,000 metric tons of GHG emissions. An estimated 10,000 facilities in the U.S. will fall under the new rule.

Source Categories (25,000 metric tons CO2 threshold)

• General Stationary Combustion Sources
(with aggregate maximum rated heat input
capacity of 30 mmBtu/hr or more)
• Miscellaneous uses of carbonates
• Municipal Solid Waste Landfills
(CH4 as CO2e)
• Manure Management Systems
(CH4 plus N2O as CO2e)
• Ferroalloy Production
• Glass Production
• Hydrogen Production
• Iron and Steel Production
• Lead Production
• Pulp and Paper Manufacturing
• Zinc Production

The first annual reports covering calendar year 2010, must be submitted to EPA by March 31, 2011.

(Bureau Veritas, EPA-Mandatory Reporting of GHG Rule)