A EPA Fact Sheet United States Environmental Protection Agency Proposed Rule: Revisions and Confidentiality Determinations for Data Elements Under the Greenhouse Gas Reporting Rule Action • The U. S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is proposing amendments to specific provisions of the Greenhouse Gas Reporting Program (GHGRP) to improve the quality of the data collected under the program by addressing changes in industry practices; adopting improved calculation and monitoring methods; and collecting new data to understand new source categories or new emissions sources for specific sectors. • The EPA is also requesting comment on potential future revisions that would expand the GHGRP to several new source categories. • In addition, this action proposes confidentiality determinations for data elements proposed to be added or revised and for existing data elements where no confidentiality determination has been previously made or where the EPA is proposing to amend the prior determinations. These proposed determinations establish whether data submitted to the EPA will be entitled to confidential treatment. Background • The GHGRP, mandated by Congress in the Fiscal Year 2008 Consolidated Appropriations Act and promulgated under Clean Air Act authority, requires reporting of greenhouse gas (GHG) data from certain large emission sources and suppliers across a range of industry sectors. The GHGRP, which implements the Greenhouse Gas Reporting Rule and subsequent revisions, collects greenhouse gas data from 41 source categories covering more than 8,000 direct emitters and suppliers of GHGs, and has published eleven years of data from most source categories. • The EPA has evaluated the regulatory requirements of the GHGRP to identify areas for improvement, such as where the rule may be modified to better reflect industry practices, or to improve data collection and reporting where additional data may be necessary to better understand emissions from specific sectors or inform future policy decisions. Proposed Revisions • The EPA is proposing the following types of amendments to the GHGRP: o Amendments to calculation and monitoring methods that reflect an improved understanding of emissions sources and end uses of GHGs. o Amendments that would require reporting of additional data to understand new emissions sources for specific sectors, improve the EPA's understanding of the sector-specific processes or other factors that influence GHG emission rates, improve verification of reported data, and complement or inform other EPA programs. o Amendments that would streamline requirements and improve implementation by providing flexibility, increasing efficiency, and clarifying certain provisions. April 2022 1 40 CFRPart98 ------- EPA is proposing revisions to the following subparts: A (General Provisions) Y (Petroleum Refineries) C (Stationary Fuel Combustion Sources) BB (Silicon Carbide Production) G (Ammonia Manufacturing) DD (Electrical Transmission & Distribution Equipment Use) H (Cement Production) FF (Underground Coal Mines) I (Electronics Manufacturing) GG (Zinc Production) N (Glass Production) HH (Municipal Solid Waste Landfills) P (Hydrogen Production) NN (Suppliers of Natural Gas and Natural Gas Liquids) Q (Iron and Steel Production) 00 (Suppliers of Industrial Greenhouse Gases) S (Lime Manufacturing) PP (Suppliers of Carbon Dioxide) W (Petroleum and Natural Gas Systems) SS (Electrical Equipment Manufacture or Refurbishment) X (Petrochemical Production) UU (Injection of Carbon Dioxide) • The proposed revisions would further enhance the quality of reported data from the Petroleum and Natural Gas Systems source category (Subpart W) so that the GHGRP continues to serve as an important tool for the Agency and the public to understand emissions from this sector. In addition, the EPA is proposing provisions to align certain requirements in the Petroleum and Natural Gas Systems source category with the EPA's Proposal to Reduce Methane Emissions from the Oil and Gas Industry (86 FR63110). • The proposed revisions would further increase transparency associated with carbon capture, utilization, and sequestration activities, including proposing to add reporting of direct air capture as a carbon capture option under Suppliers of Carbon Dioxide (subpart PP) and proposing to add anew subpart, Geologic Sequestration of Carbon Dioxide with Enhanced Oil Recovery Using ISO 27916 (subpart VV), as an option for quantifying geologic sequestration in association with enhanced oil recovery operations. • The EPA is proposing that the revisions would become effective on January 1, 2023 and that reporters would implement the changes beginning with reports prepared for the 2023 reporting year and submitted April 1, 2024. In the limited cases where the EPA is proposing to require new monitoring, such as from Petroleum and Natural Gas Systems (Subpart W) facilities, the EPA is proposing to allow the temporary, automatic use of best available monitoring methods (BAMM) for annual reports submitted for the 2023 reporting year. Additional Requests for Comment • The EPA is soliciting comment on expanding the GHGRP to include several new source categories that could improve the EPA" s understanding of GHGs and inform the development of GHG policies and programs under the Clean Air Act. These source categories are energy consumption; ceramics production; calcium carbide production; glyoxal, glyoxylic acid, and caprolactam production; coke calcining; and CO2 utilization. More Information • For more information on the GHGRP and an unofficial prepublication version of this action, please visit our Web site: https://www.epa.gov/ghgreporting/rulemaking-notices-ghg-reporting. The Federal Register notice for this proposal will be posted on this webpage when it is available. • The public comment period is open for 60 days after publication in the Federal Register. Detailed instructions on how to provide comments are located in the preamble of the proposed rule. April 2022 2 40 CFRPart98 ------- |