U.S. EPA Issues Final Mandatory Reporting of Greenhouse Gases Rule

The U.S. EPA issued the Final Mandatory Reporting of Greenhouse Gases Rule, which requires reporting of greenhouse gas emissions from large sources and suppliers. The program will cover approximately 85 percent of the nation’s greenhouse gas emissions and apply to approximately 10,000 facilities. The rule will result in the collection of emissions data to help inform future policy decisions.

The rule requires submittal of annual emission reports by suppliers of fossil fuels or industrial greenhouse gases, manufacturers of vehicles and engines, and facilities that emit annually 25,000 metric tons or more of greenhouse emissions. The greenhouse 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).

The first annual reports for the largest emitting facilities, covering calendar year 2010, must be submitted to EPA in 2011. Vehicle and engine manufacturers outside of the light-duty sector must begin phasing in greenhouse gas reporting in 2011. Some source categories included in the proposed rule are still under review.

The Rule can be found at: http://www.epa.gov/climatechange/emissions/ghgrulemaking.html