US EPA Proposes Mandatory GHG Reporting

Originally published March 11, 2009

Keywords: EPA, mandatory reporting, greenhouse gas emissions, GHG, United States, Consolidated Appropriations Act, Clean Air Act, Kyoto Protocol, fossil fuel, industrial GHGs, coal-fired boiler

On March 10, 2009, the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) released its 1410 page proposal to require mandatory reporting of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in the United States.¹ The proposed rule was issued pursuant to the FY 2008 Consolidated Appropriations Act (signed in December 2007) and EPA's authority under the Clean Air Act.

As drafted, the proposal would cover anthropogenic emissions of the six GHGs subject to the Kyoto Protocol—carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4), nitrous oxide (N2O), hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), perfluorocarbons (PFCs), and sulfur hexafluoride (SF6)—plus other fluorinated gases such as nitrogen trifluoride and hydrofluorinated ethers. As is usual, the GHG quantities are described in terms of metric tons