September 24, 2009,
Washington, DC – On January 1, 2010, the U.S. 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.
September 24, 2009,
Washington, DC – On January 1, 2010, the U.S. 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.
This new program will
cover approximately 85 percent of the nation’s GHG emissions and apply to
roughly 10,000 facilities.
“This is a major step
forward in our effort to address the greenhouse gases polluting our skies,” said
EPA Administrator Lisa P. Jackson. “For the first time, we begin collecting
data from the largest facilities in this country, ones that account for
approximately 85 percent of the total U.S. emissions. The American public, and
industry itself, will finally gain critically important knowledge and with this
information we can determine how best to reduce those emissions.”
EPA’s new reporting system
will provide a better understanding of where GHGs are coming from and will
guide development of the best possible policies and programs to reduce
emissions. The data will also allow businesses to track their own emissions,
compare them to similar facilities, and provide assistance in identifying cost
effective ways to reduce emissions in the future. This comprehensive,
nationwide emissions data will help in the fight against climate change.
Greenhouse gases, like
carbon dioxide, are produced by burning fossil fuels and through industrial and
biological processes. Fossil fuel and industrial GHG suppliers, motor vehicle
and engine manufacturers, and facilities that emit 25,000 metric tons or more
of CO2 equivalent per year will be required to report GHG emissions data to the EPA
annually.
According to Paul Martin,
the director of the Western United Dairymen’s environmental services, the
proposed threshold represents the equivalent of about 3,200 mature cows.
“We will be working to
make compliance as simple and convenient as possible,” said Martin. “For the
moment simply stay tuned. Western United Dairymen will be working on behalf of
producers along with a lot of other organizations across the country.”
The first annual reports
for the largest emitting facilities, covering calendar year 2010, will be
submitted to EPA in 2011. Vehicle and engine manufacturers outside of the
light-duty sector will begin phasing in GHG reporting with model year 2011.
Some source categories included in the proposed rule are still under review.
Click here for more
information on the new reporting system and reporting requirements.
