Federal Register: October 30, 2009 (Volume 74, Number 209)

DOCID: fr30oc09-16 FR Doc E9-23315

ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

Treasury Department

CFR Citation: 40 CFR Parts 86, 87, 89 et al.

RIN ID: RIN 2060-A079

EPA ID: [EPA-HQ-OAR-2008-0508; FRL-8963-5]

NOTICE: Part II

DOCID: fr30oc09-16

DOCUMENT ACTION: Final rule.

SUBJECT CATEGORY:

Mandatory Reporting of Greenhouse Gases

DATES: The final rule is effective on December 29, 2009. The incorporation by reference of certain publications listed in the rule is approved by the Director of the Federal Register as of December 29, 2009.

DOCUMENT SUMMARY:

EPA is promulgating a regulation to require reporting of greenhouse gas emissions from all sectors of the economy. The final rule applies to fossil fuel suppliers and industrial gas suppliers, direct greenhouse gas emitters and manufacturers of heavyduty and off road vehicles and engines. The rule does not require control of greenhouse gases, rather it requires only that sources above certain threshold levels monitor and report emissions.

SUMMARY:

Environmental Protection Agency

SUPPLEMENTAL INFORMATION

Regulated Entities. The Administrator determined that this action is subject to the provisions of Clean Air Act (CAA) section 307(d). See CAA section 307(d)(1)(V) (the provisions of section 307(d) apply to ``such other actions as the Administrator may determine.''). The final rule affects fuel and chemicals suppliers, direct emitters of greenhouse gases (GHGs) and manufacturers of mobile sources and engines. Regulated categories and entities include those listed in Table 1 of this preamble:
Table 1Examples of Affected Entities by Category Examples of affected Category NAICS facilities General Stationary Fuel .............. Facilities operating Combustion Sources. boilers, process heaters, incinerators, turbines, and internal combustion engines: 211 Extractors of crude petroleum and natural gas.
321 Manufacturers of lumber and wood products. 322 Pulp and paper mills. 325 Chemical manufacturers. 324 Petroleum refineries, and manufacturers of coal products. 316, 326, 339 Manufacturers of rubber and miscellaneous plastic products. 331 Steel works, blast furnaces. 332 Electroplating, plating, polishing, anodizing, and coloring. 336 Manufacturers of motor vehicle parts and accessories. 221 Electric, gas, and sanitary services. 622 Health services. 611 Educational services. Electricity Generation......... 221112 Fossilfuel fired electric generating units, including units owned by Federal and municipal governments and units located in Indian Country. Adipic Acid Production......... 325199 Adipic acid manufacturing facilities. Aluminum Production............ 331312 Primary Aluminum production facilities. Ammonia Manufacturing.......... 325311 Anhydrous and aqueous ammonia manufacturing facilities. Cement Production.............. 327310 Portland Cement manufacturing plants. Ferroalloy Production.......... 331112 Ferroalloys manufacturing facilities. Glass Production............... 327211 Flat glass manufacturing facilities. 327213 Glass container manufacturing facilities. 327212 Other pressed and blown glass and glassware manufacturing facilities. HCFC22 Production and HFC23 325120 Chlorodifluoromethane Destruction. manufacturing facilities. Hydrogen Production............ 325120 Hydrogen manufacturing facilities. Iron and Steel Production...... 331111 Integrated iron and steel mills, steel companies, sinter plants, blast furnaces, basic oxygen process furnace shops. Lead Production................ 331419 Primary lead smelting and refining facilities. 331492 Secondary lead smelting and refining facilities. Lime Production................ 327410 Calcium oxide, calcium hydroxide, dolomitic hydrates manufacturing facilities. Nitric Acid Production......... 325311 Nitric acid manufacturing facilities. Petrochemical Production....... 32511 Ethylene dichloride manufacturing facilities. 325199 Acrylonitrile, ethylene oxide, methanol manufacturing facilities. 325110 Ethylene manufacturing facilities. [[Page 56261]]
325182 Carbon black manufacturing facilities. Petroleum Refineries........... 324110 Petroleum refineries. Phosphoric Acid Production..... 325312 Phosphoric acid manufacturing facilities. Pulp and Paper Manufacturing... 322110 Pulp mills. 322121 Paper mills. 322130 Paperboard mills. Silicon Carbide Production..... 327910 Silicon carbide abrasives manufacturing facilities. Soda Ash Manufacturing......... 325181 Alkalies and chlorine manufacturing facilities. 212391 Soda ash, natural, mining and/or beneficiation. Titanium Dioxide Production.... 325188 Titanium dioxide manufacturing facilities. Zinc Production................ 331419 Primary zinc refining facilities. 331492 Zinc dust reclaiming facilities, recovering from scrap and/or alloying purchased metals.
Municipal Solid Waste Landfills 562212 Solid waste landfills. 221320 Sewage treatment facilities. Manure Management.............. 112111 Beef cattle feedlots. 112120 Dairy cattle and milk production facilities. 112210 Hog and pig farms. 112310 Chicken egg production facilities. 112330 Turkey Production. 112320 Broilers and Other Meat type Chicken Production. Suppliers of Coal Based Liquids 211111 Coal liquefaction at Fuels. mine sites. Suppliers of Petroleum Products 324110 Petroleum refineries. Suppliers of Natural Gas and 221210 Natural gas NGLs. distribution facilities. 211112 Natural gas liquid extraction facilities. Suppliers of Industrial GHGs... 325120 Industrial gas manufacturing facilities. Suppliers of Carbon Dioxide 325120 Industrial gas (CO2). manufacturing facilities. Mobile Sources................. 333618 Heavyduty, nonroad, aircraft, locomotive, and marine diesel engine manufacturing. 336120 Heavyduty vehicle manufacturing facilities. 336312 Small nonroad, and marine sparkignition engine manufacturing facilities. 336999 Personal watercraft manufacturing facilities. 336991 Motorcycle manufacturing facilities.

Table 1 of this preamble is not intended to be exhaustive, but rather provides a guide for readers regarding facilities likely to be affected by this action. Table 1 of this preamble lists the types of facilities that EPA is now aware could be potentially affected by the reporting requirements. Other types of facilities and suppliers not listed in the table could also be subject to reporting requirements. To determine whether you are affected by this action, you should carefully examine the applicability criteria found in 40 CFR part 98, subpart A or the relevant criteria in the sections related to manufacturers of heavyduty and offroad vehicles and engines. If you have questions regarding the applicability of this action to a particular facility, consult the person listed in the preceding FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT section.

Many facilities that are affected by the final rule have GHG emissions from multiple source categories listed in Table 1 of this preamble. Table 2 of this preamble has been developed as a guide to help potential reporters subject to the mandatory reporting rule identify the source categories (by subpart) that they may need to (1) consider in their facility applicability determination, and (2) include in their reporting. For each source category, activity, or facility type (e.g., electricity generation, aluminum production), Table 2 of this preamble identifies the subparts that are likely to be relevant. The table should only be seen as a guide. Additional subparts may be relevant for a given reporter. Similarly, not all listed subparts are relevant for all reporters.
Table 2Source Categories and Relevant Subparts
Other subparts recommended for Source category (and main applicable review to determine subpart) applicability General Stationary Fuel Combustion
Sources.
Electricity Generation................. General Stationary Fuel Combustion, Suppliers of CO2. Adipic Acid Production................. General Stationary Fuel Combustion.
Aluminum Production.................... General Stationary Fuel Combustion.
Ammonia Manufacturing.................. General Stationary Fuel Combustion, Hydrogen, Nitric Acid, Petroleum Refineries, Suppliers of CO2. Cement Production...................... General Stationary Fuel Combustion, Suppliers of CO2. Ferroalloy Production.................. General Stationary Fuel Combustion.
Glass Production....................... General Stationary Fuel Combustion.
HCFC22 Production and HFC23 General Stationary Fuel Destruction. Combustion.
Hydrogen Production.................... General Stationary Fuel Combustion, Petrochemicals, Petroleum Refineries, Suppliers of Industrial GHGs, Suppliers of CO2. Iron and Steel Production.............. General Stationary Fuel Combustion, Suppliers of CO2. [[Page 56262]]
Lead Production........................ General Stationary Fuel Combustion.
Lime Manufacturing..................... General Stationary Fuel Combustion.
Nitric Acid Production................. General Stationary Fuel Combustion, Adipic Acid. Petrochemical Production............... General Stationary Fuel Combustion, Ammonia, Petroleum Refineries.
Petroleum Refineries................... General Stationary Fuel Combustion, Hydrogen, Suppliers of Petroleum Products.
Phosphoric Acid Production............. General Stationary Fuel Combustion.
Pulp and Paper Manufacturing........... General Stationary Fuel Combustion.
Silicon Carbide Production............. General Stationary Fuel Combustion.
Soda Ash Manufacturing................. General Stationary Fuel Combustion.
Titanium Dioxide Production............ General Stationary Fuel Combustion.
Zinc Production........................ General Stationary Fuel Combustion.
Municipal Solid Waste Landfills........ General Stationary Fuel Combustion.
Manure Management...................... General Stationary Fuel Combustion.
Suppliers of Coalbased Liquid Fuels... Suppliers of Petroleum Products.
Suppliers of Petroleum Products........ General Stationary Fuel Combustion.
Suppliers of Natural Gas and NGLs...... General Stationary Fuel Combustion, Suppliers of CO2. Suppliers of Industrial GHGs........... General Stationary Fuel Combustion, Hydrogen Production, Suppliers of CO2. Suppliers of Carbon Dioxide (CO2)...... General Stationary Fuel Combustion, Electricity Generation, Ammonia, Cement, Hydrogen, Iron and Steel, Suppliers of Industrial GHGs. Mobile Sources......................... General Stationary Fuel Combustion.

Judicial Review. Under section 307(b)(1) of the CAA, judicial review of this final rule is available only by filing a petition for review in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit by December 29, 2009. Under CAA section 307(d)(7)(B), only an objection to this final rule that was raised with reasonable specificity during the period for public comment can be raised during judicial review. This section also provides a mechanism for us to convene a proceeding for reconsideration, ``[i]f the person raising an objection can demonstrate to EPA that it was impracticable to raise such objection within [the period for public comment] or if the grounds for such objection arose after the period for public comment (but within the time specified for judicial review) and if such objection is of central relevance to the outcome of this rule.'' Any person seeking to make such a demonstration to us should submit a Petition for Reconsideration to the Office of the Administrator, Environmental Protection Agency, Room 3000, Ariel Rios Building, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave., NW., Washington, DC 20004, with a copy to the person listed in the preceding FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT section, and the Associate General Counsel for the Air and Radiation Law Office, Office of General Counsel (Mail Code 2344A), Environmental Protection Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave., NW., Washington, DC 20004. Note, under CAA section 307(b)(2), the requirements established by this final rule may not be challenged separately in any civil or criminal proceedings brought by EPA to enforce these requirements.

Acronyms and Abbreviations. The following acronyms and abbreviations are used in this document.
ARP Acid Rain Program
ASME American Society of Mechanical Engineers
ASTM American Society for Testing and Materials
BLS Bureau of Labor Statistics
CAA Clean Air Act
CAFE Corporate Average Fuel Economy
CAIR Clean Air Interstate Rule
CARB California Air Resources Board
CBI confidential business information
CCAR California Climate Action Registry
CCS carbon capture and sequestration
CEMS continuous emission monitoring system(s)
cf cubic feet
CFCs chlorofluorocarbons
CFR Code of Federal Regulations
CH4 methane
CO2 carbon dioxide
CO2e CO2equivalent
COD chemical oxygen demand
DOE U.S. Department of Energy
DOT U.S. Department of Transportation
EAF electric arc furnace
ECOS Environmental Council of the States
EGUs electric generating units
EIA Energy Information Administration
EO Executive Order
EOR enhanced oil recovery
EPA U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
FY2008 fiscal year 2008
GHG greenhouse gas
GWP global warming potential
HCFC22 chlorodifluoromethane (or CHClF2)
HCFCs hydrochlorofluorocarbons
HFC23 trifluoromethane (or CHF3)
HFCs hydrofluorocarbons
HFEs hydrofluorinated ethers
HHV higher heating value
ICR information collection request
IPCC Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change
kg kilograms
LDCs local natural gas distribution companies
LMP lime manufacturing plants
mmBtu/hr millions British thermal units per hour
MSW municipal solid waste
MW megawatts
MY mileage year
N2O nitrous oxide
NACAA National Association of Clean Air Agencies
NAICS North American Industry Classification System
NEI National Emissions Inventory
NESHAP national emission standards for hazardous air pollutants NF3 nitrogen trifluoride
NGLs natural gas liquids
NSPS new source performance standards
NSR New Source Review
NTTAA National Technology Transfer and Advancement Act of 1995 O3 ozone
ODS ozonedepleting substance(s)
OMB Office of Management and Budget
ORIS Office of Regulatory Information Systems
PFCs perfluorocarbons
PIN personal identification number
PSD Prevention of Significant Deterioration
QA quality assurance
QA/QC quality assurance/quality control
QAPP quality assurance performance plan
R&D research and development
RFA Regulatory Flexibility Act
RGGI Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative
RICE reciprocating internal combustion engine
RIA regulatory impact analysis
SBREFA Small Business Regulatory Enforcement Fairness Act
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scf standard cubic feet
SF6 sulfur hexafluoride
SIP State Implementation Plan
SOP standard operating procedure
SSM startup, shutdown, and malfunction
TCR The Climate Registry
TRI Toxic Release Inventory
TSD technical support document
U.S. United States
UIC underground injection control
UMRA Unfunded Mandates Reform Act of 1995
UNFCCC United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change VMT vehicle miles traveled
VOC volatile organic compound(s)
WBCSD World Business Council for Sustainable Development
WCI Western Climate Initiative
WRI World Resources Institute
XML eXtensible Markup Language
Table of Contents
I. Background

A. Organization of This Preamble

B. Background on the Final Rule

C. Legal Authority

D. How does this rule relate to EPA and U.S. government climate change efforts?

E. How does this rule relate to State and regional programs? II. General Requirements of the Rule

A. Summary of the General Requirements of the Final Rule

B. Summary of the Major Changes Since Proposal

C. Summary of Comments and Responses on GHGs To Report

D. Summary of Comments and Responses on Source Categories To Report

E. Summary of Comments and Responses on Thresholds

F. Summary of Comments and Responses on Level of Reporting

G. Summary of Comments and Responses on Initial Reporting Year and Best Available Monitoring Methods

H. Summary of Comments and Responses on Frequency of Reporting and Provisions To Cease Reporting

I. Summary of Comments and Responses on General Content of the Annual GHG Report

J. Summary of Comments and Responses on Submittal Date and Making Corrections to Annual Reports

K. Summary of Comments and Responses on De Minimis Reporting

L. Summary of Comments and Responses on General Monitoring Requirements

M. Summary of Comments and Responses on General Recordkeeping Requirements

N. Summary of Comments and Responses on Emissions Verification Approach

O. Summary of Comments and Responses on the Role of States and Relationship of This Rule to Other Programs

P. Summary of Comments and Responses on Other General Rule Requirements

Q. Summary of Comments and Responses on Statutory Authority

R. Summary of Comments and Responses on CBI

S. Summary of Comments and Responses on Other Legal Issues III. Reporting and Recordkeeping Requirements for Specific Source Categories

A. Overview

B. Electricity Purchases

C. General Stationary Fuel Combustion Sources

D. Electricity Generation

E. Adipic Acid Production

F. Aluminum Production

G. Ammonia Manufacturing

H. Cement Production

I. Electronics Manufacturing

J. Ethanol Production

K. Ferroalloy Production

L. Fluorinated GHG Production

M. Food Processing

N. Glass Production

O. HCFC22 Production and HFC23 Destruction

P. Hydrogen Production

Q. Iron and Steel Production

R. Lead Production

S. Lime Manufacturing

T. Magnesium Production

U. Miscellaneous Uses of Carbonates

V. Nitric Acid Production

W. Oil and Natural Gas Systems

X. Petrochemical Production

Y. Petroleum Refineries

Z. Phosphoric Acid Production

AA. Pulp and Paper Manufacturing

BB. Silicon Carbide Production

CC. Soda Ash Manufacturing

DD. Sulfur Hexafluoride (SF6) from Electrical Equipment

EE. Titanium Dioxide Production

FF. Underground Coal Mines

GG. Zinc Production

HH. Municipal Solid Waste Landfills

II. Wastewater Treatment

JJ. Manure Management

KK. Suppliers of Coal

LL. Suppliers of CoalBased Liquid Fuels

MM. Suppliers of Petroleum Products

NN. Suppliers of Natural Gas and Natural Gas Liquids

OO. Suppliers of Industrial GHGs

PP. Suppliers of Carbon Dioxide (CO2) IV. Mobile Sources

A. Summary of Requirements of the Final Rule

B. Summary of Changes Since Proposal

C. Summary of Comments and Responses
V. Collection, Management, and Dissemination of GHG Emissions Data

A. Summary of Data Collection, Management and Dissemination for the Final Rule

B. Summary of Comments and Responses on Collection, Management, and Dissemination of GHG Emissions Data
VI. Compliance and Enforcement

A. Compliance and Enforcement Summary

B. Summary of Public Comments and Responses on Compliance and Enforcement
VII. Economic Impacts of the Rule

A. How were compliance costs estimated?

B. What are the costs of the rule?

C. What are the economic impacts of the rule?

D. What are the impacts of the rule on small businesses?

E. What are the benefits of the rule for society? VIII. Statutory and Executive Order Reviews

A. Executive Order 12866: Regulatory Planning and Review

B. Paperwork Reduction Act

C. Regulatory Flexibility Act (RFA)

D. Unfunded Mandates Reform Act (UMRA)

E. Executive Order 13132: Federalism

F. Executive Order 13175: Consultation and Coordination With Indian Tribal Governments

G. Executive Order 13045: Protection of Children From Environmental Health Risks and Safety Risks

H. Executive Order 13211: Actions That Significantly Affect Energy Supply, Distribution, or Use

I. National Technology Transfer and Advancement Act

J. Executive Order 12898: Federal Actions To Address Environmental Justice in Minority Populations and LowIncome Populations

K. Congressional Review Act
I. Background

A. Organization of This Preamble

This preamble is broken into several large sections, as detailed above in the Table of Contents. The paragraphs below describe the layout of the preamble and provide a brief summary of each section.

The first section of this preamble contains the basic background information about the origin of this rule, our legal authority, and how this proposal relates to other Federal, State, and regional efforts to address emissions of GHGs.

The second section of this preamble summarizes the general provisions of the final GHG reporting rule and identifies the major changes since proposal. It also provides a brief summary of public comments and responses on key design elements such as: (i) Source categories included, (ii) the level of reporting, (iii) applicability thresholds, (iv) selection of reporting and monitoring methods, (v) emissions verification, (vi) frequency of reporting and (vii) duration of reporting. It also addresses some of the legal comments on the statutory authority for the rule and the relationship of this rule to other CAA programs.

The third section of this preamble contains separate subsections addressing each individual source category of the proposed rule. Each source category section contains a summary of specific requirements of the rule for that source category, identifies major changes since proposal, and briefly discusses public comments and EPA responses specific to the source category. For example, comments on EPA's general approach for selecting monitoring methods are discussed in Section II of this preamble, whereas,
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comments on specific monitoring methods for individual source categories are discussed in Section III of this preamble.

The fourth section of this preamble summarizes rule requirements and addresses public comments pertaining to mobile sources.

The fifth section of this preamble explains how EPA plans to collect, manage and disseminate the data, while the sixth section describes the approach to compliance and enforcement. In both sections key public comments are summarized and responses are presented.

The seventh section provides the summary of the cost impacts, economic impacts, and benefits of the final rule and discusses comments on the regulatory impacts analyses. Finally, the last section discusses the various statutory and executive order requirements applicable to this rulemaking.

B. Background on the Final Rule

The fiscal year 2008 (FY2008) Consolidated Appropriations Act, signed on December 26, 2007, authorized funding for EPA to ``develop and publish a draft rule not later than nine months after the date of enactment of [the] Act, and a final rule not later than 18 months after the date of enactment of [the] Act, to require mandatory reporting of greenhouse gas emissions above appropriate thresholds in all sectors of the economy of the United States.'' Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2008, Public Law 110161, 121 Stat. 1844, 2128 (2008).

The accompanying joint explanatory statement directed EPA to ``use its existing authority under the Clean Air Act'' to develop a mandatory GHG reporting rule. ``The Agency is further directed to include in its rule reporting of emissions resulting from upstream production and downstream sources, to the extent that the Administrator deems it appropriate.'' EPA interpreted that language to confirm that it was appropriate for the Agency to exercise its CAA authority to develop this rulemaking. The joint explanatory statement further states that ``[t]he Administrator shall determine appropriate thresholds of emissions above which reporting is required, and how frequently reports shall be submitted to EPA. The Administrator shall have discretion to use existing reporting requirements for electric generating units (EGUs)'' under section 821 of the 1990 CAA Amendments.

On April 10, 2009 (74 FR 16448), EPA proposed the GHG reporting rule. EPA held two public hearings, and received approximately 16,800 written public comments. The public comment period ended on June 9, 2009.

In addition to the public hearings, EPA had an open door policy, similar to the outreach conducted during the development of the proposal. As a result, EPA has met with over 4,000 people and 135 groups since proposal signature (March 10, 2009). Details of these meetings are available in the docket (EPAHQOAR20080508).

EPA developed this final rule and included reporting of GHGs from the facilities that we determined appropriately responded to the direction in the FY2008 Consolidated Appropriations Act \1\ (e.g., capturing approximately 85 percent of U.S. GHG emissions through reporting by direct emitters as well as suppliers of fossil fuels and industrial gases and manufacturers of heavyduty and offroad vehicles and engines). There are, however, many additional types of data and reporting that the Agency deems important and necessary to address an issue as large and complex as climate change (e.g., indirect emissions, electricity use). In that sense, one could view this final rule as narrowly focused on certain sources of emissions and upstream suppliers. As described in Sections I.C and D of this preamble as well as in the comment response sections, there are several existing programs at the Federal, regional and State levels that also collect valuable information to inform and implement policies necessary to address climate change. Many of these programs are focused on cost effectively reducing GHG emissions through improvements in energy efficiency and by other means. These programs are an essential component of the Nation's climate policy, and the targeted nature of this rule should not be interpreted to mean that the data EPA collects through this program are the only data necessary to support the full range of climate policies and programs.
\1\ Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2008, Public Law 110161, 121 Stat. 1844, 2128. Congress reaffirmed interest in a GHG reporting rule, and provided additional funding, in the 2009 Appropriations Act (Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2009, Public Law 110329, 122 Stat. 35743716).

Today's rule requires the reporting of the GHG emissions that could result from the combustion or use of fossil fuel or industrial gas that is produced or imported from upstream sources such as fuel suppliers, as well as reporting of GHG emissions directly emitted from facilities (downstream sources) through their processes and/or from fuel combustion, as appropriate. Vehicle and engine manufacturers are also required to report emissions rate data on the heavyduty and offroad engines they produce. The rule also establishes appropriate thresholds and frequency for reporting.

The rule requires reporting of annual emissions of carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4), nitrous oxide
(N2O), sulfur hexafluoride (SF6),
hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), perfluorocarbons (PFCs), and other fluorinated gases (e.g., nitrogen trifluoride (NF3) and hydrofluorinated ethers (HFEs)). It also includes provisions to ensure the accuracy of emissions data through monitoring, recordkeeping and verification requirements. The rule applies to certain downstream facilities that emit GHGs (primarily large facilities emitting 25,000 metric tons or more of CO2 equivalent (CO2e) GHG emissions per year) and to most upstream suppliers of fossil fuels and industrial GHGs, as well as to manufacturers of vehicles and engines. Reporting is at the facility level, except certain suppliers and vehicle and engine manufacturers report at the corporate level. C. Legal Authority

As proposed, EPA is promulgating this rule under its existing CAA authority, specifically authorities provided in CAA sections 114 and 208. As discussed further below and in ``Mandatory Greenhouse Gas Reporting Rule: EPA's Response to Public Comments, Legal Issues'', we are not citing the FY 2008 Consolidated Appropriations Act as the statutory basis for this action. While that law required that EPA spend no less than $3.5 million on a rule requiring the mandatory reporting of GHG emissions, it is the CAA, not the Appropriations Act, that EPA is citing as the authority to gather the information required by this rule.

Sections 114 and 208 of the CAA provide EPA broad authority to require the information mandated by this rule because such data will inform and are relevant to EPA's carrying out a wide variety of CAA provisions. As discussed in the proposed rule, CAA section 114(a)(1) authorizes the Administrator to require emissions sources, persons subject to the CAA, or persons whom the Administrator believes may have necessary information to monitor and report emissions and provide such other information the Administrator requests for the purposes of carrying out any provision of the CAA (except for a provision of title II with respect to manufacturers of new motor vehicles or
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new motor vehicle engines).\2\ Section 208 of the CAA provides EPA with similar broad authority regarding the manufacturers of new motor vehicles or new motor vehicle engines, and other persons subject to the requirements of parts A and C of title II. We note that while climate change legislation approved by the U.S. House of Representatives would provide EPA additional authority for a GHG registry similar to today's rule, and would do so for purposes of that pending legislation, this final rule is authorized by, and the information being gathered by the rule is relevant to implementing, the existing CAA. We expect, however, that the information collected by this final rule will also prove useful to legislative efforts to address GHG emissions.
\2\ Although there are exclusions in CAA section 114(a)(1) regarding certain title II requirements applicable to manufacturers of new motor vehicle and motor vehicle engines, CAA section 208 authorizes the gathering of information related to those areas.

As discussed in the proposal, emissions from direct emitters should inform decisions about whether and how to use CAA section 111 to establish new source performance standards (NSPS) for various source categories emitting GHGs, including whether there are any additional categories of sources that should be listed under CAA section 111(b). Similarly, the information required of manufacturers of mobile sources should support decisions regarding treatment of those sources under CAA sections 202, 213 or 231. In addition, the information from fuel suppliers would be relevant in analyzing whether to proceed, and particular options for how to proceed, under CAA section 211(c) regarding fuels, or to inform action concerning downstream sources under a variety of Title I or Title II provisions. The data overall also would inform EPA's implementation of CAA section 103(g) regarding improvements in nonregulatory strategies and technologies for preventing or reducing air pollutants (e.g., EPA's voluntary GHG reduction programs such as the nonCO2 partnership programs and ENERGY STAR, described below in Section I.D of this preamble and Section II of the proposal preamble (74 FR 16448, April 10, 2009)). D. How does this rule relate to EPA and U.S. government climate change efforts?

This reporting rule is one specific action EPA has taken, consistent with the Congressional request contained in the FY2008 Consolidated Appropriations Act, to collect GHG emissions data. EPA has recently announced a number of climate change related actions, including proposed findings that GHG emissions from new motor vehicles and engines contribute to air pollution which may reasonably be anticipated to endanger public health and welfare (74 FR 18886, April 24, 2009, ``Proposed Endangerment and Cause or Contribute Findings for Greenhouse Gases Under Section 202(a) of the Clean Air Act''), and an intent to regulate light duty vehicles, jointly published with U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) (74 FR 24007, May 22, 2009, ``Notice of Upcoming Joint Rulemaking To Establish Vehicle GHG Emissions and CAFE Standards''). The Administrator has also announced her reconsideration of the memo entitled ``EPA's Interpretation of Regulations that Determine Pollutants Covered By Federal Prevention of Significant Deterioration (PSD) Permit Program'' (73 FR 80300, December 31, 2008), and granted California's request for a waiver for its GHG vehicle standard (74 FR 32744, July 8, 2009). These are all separate actions, some of which are related to EPA's response to the U.S. Supreme Court's decision in Massachusetts v. EPA. 127 S. Ct. 1438 (2007). This rulemaking does not indicate EPA has made any final decisions on pending actions. In fact the mandatory GHG reporting program will provide EPA, other government agencies, and outside stakeholders with economywide data on facilitylevel (and in some cases corporatelevel) GHG emissions, which should assist in future policy development.

Accurate and timely information on GHG emissions is essential for informing many future climate change policy decisions. Although additional data collection (e.g., for other source categories or to support additional policy or program needs) will no doubt be required as the development of climate policies evolves, the data collected in this rule will provide useful information for a variety of polices. Through data collected under this rule, EPA, States and the public will gain a better understanding of the relative emissions of specific industries across the nation and the distribution of emissions from individual facilities within those industries. The facilityspecific data will also improve our understanding of the factors that influence GHG emission rates and actions that facilities could in the future or already take to reduce emissions, including under traditional and more flexible programs.

As discussed in more detail in ``Mandatory Greenhouse Gas Reporting Rule: EPA's Response to Public Comments, Legal Issues'' and elsewhere, EPA is promulgating this rule to gather GHG information to assist EPA in assessing how to address GHG emissions and climate change under the Clean Air Act. However, we expect that the information will prove useful for other purposes as well. For example, using the rich data set provided by this rulemaking, EPA, States and the public will be able to track emission trends from industries and facilities within industries over time, particularly in response to policies and potential regulations. The data collected by this rule will also improve the U.S. government's ability to formulate climate policies, and to assess which industries might be affected, and how these industries might be affected by potential policies. Finally, EPA's experience with other reporting programs is that such programs raise awareness of emissions among reporters and other stakeholders, and thus contribute to efforts to identify and implement emission reduction opportunities. These data can also be coupled with efforts at the local, State and Federal levels to assist corporations and facilities in determining their GHG footprints and identifying opportunities to reduce emissions (e.g., through energy audits or other forms of assistance).

This GHG reporting program supplements and complements, rather than duplicates, existing U.S. government programs (e.g., climate policy and research programs). For example, EPA anticipates that facilitylevel GHG emissions data will lead to improvements in the quality of the Inventory of U.S. Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Sinks (Inventory), which EPA prepares annually, with input from several other agencies, and submits to the Secretariat of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).

A number of EPA voluntary partnership programs include a GHG emissions and/or reductions reporting component (e.g., Climate Leaders, the Natural Gas STAR program, Energy Star). This mandatory reporting program has broader coverage of U.S. GHG emissions than most voluntary programs, which typically focus on a specific industry and/or goal (e.g., reduction of CH4 emissions or development of corporate inventories). It will improve EPA's understanding of emissions from facilities not currently included in these programs and increase the coverage of these industries. That said, we expect ongoing and potential new voluntary programs to continue to
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play an important role in achieving lowcost reductions in GHG emissions.

In addition to EPA's programs mentioned above, U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) EIA implements a voluntary GHG registry under section 1605(b) of the Energy Policy Act, which is further discussed in Section II of the proposal preamble (74 FR 16458, April 10, 2009). Under EIA's ``1605(b) program,'' reporters can choose to prepare an entitywide GHG inventory and identify specific GHG reductions made by the entity.\3\ EPA's mandatory GHG reporting rule covers a much broader set of reporters, primarily at the facility rather than entitylevel, but this reporting rule is not designed with the specific intent of reporting of emission reductions, as is the 1605(b) program.

For additional information about these programs, please see Sections I and II of the preamble to the proposed GHG reporting rule (74 FR 16454, April 10, 2009).
\3\ Under the 1605(b) program an ``entity'' is defined as ``the whole or part of any business, institution, organization or household that is recognized as an entity under any U.S. Federal, State or local law that applies to it; is located, at least in part, in the U.S.; and whose operations affect U.S. greenhouse gas emissions.'' (http://www.pi.energy.gov/enhancingGHGregistry/) E. How does this rule relate to other State and Regional Programs?

There are several existing State and regional GHG reporting and/or reduction programs summarized in Section II of the proposal preamble (74 FR 16457, April 10, 2009). These are important programs that not only led the way in reporting of GHG emissions before the Federal government acted but also assist in quantifying the GHG reductions achieved by various policies. Many of these programs collect different or additional data as compared to this rule. For example, State programs may establish lower thresholds for reporting or request information on areas not addressed in EPA's reporting rule (e.g., electricity use or emission related to other indirect sources). States collecting additional information have determined that these data are necessary to implement their specific climate policies and programs. EPA agrees that State and regional programs are crucial to achieving emissions reductions, and this rule does not preempt any other programs.

EPA's GHG reporting rule is a specific single action that was developed in response to the Appropriations Act, and therefore is targeted to accomplish the purpose of the language of the
Appropriations Act and serve EPA's purposes under the CAA. As State experience has demonstrated, we recognize that in order to address the breadth of climate change issues there will likely be a need to collect additional data from sources subject to this rule as well as other sources. The timing and nature of these additional needs will be dependent on the types of programs and actions the Agency has underway or may develop and implement in response to future policy developments and/or new requests from Congress. Addressing climate change will require a suite of policies and programs and this reporting rule is just one effort to collect information to inform those policies.

EPA is committed to working with State and regional programs to coordinate implementation of reporting programs, reduce burden on reporters, provide timely access to verified emissions data, establish mechanisms to efficiently share data, and harmonize data systems to the extent possible. See Section II.O of this preamble for a summary of public comments and responses on the role of States and the relationship of this GHG reporting rule to other programs. See Section VI.B of this preamble for a summary of comments and responses on State delegation of rule implementation and enforcement. As mentioned above, for additional information about existing State and regional programs please see Section II of the proposal preamble (74 FR 16457, April 10, 2009) and the docket EPAHQOAR20080508.

II. General Requirements of the Rule

The rule requires reporting of annual emissions of CO2, CH4, N2O, SF6, HFCs, PFCs, and other fluorinated gases (as defined in 40 CFR part 98, subpart A) in metric tons. The final 40 CFR part 98 applies to certain downstream facilities that emit GHGs, and to certain upstream suppliers of fossil fuels and industrial GHGs. For suppliers, the GHG emissions reported are the emissions that would result from combustion or use of the products supplied. The rule also includes provisions to ensure the accuracy of emissions data through monitoring, recordkeeping and verification requirements. Reporting is at the facility \4\ level, except that certain suppliers of fossil fuels and industrial gases would report at the corporate level.
\4\ For the purposes of this rule, facility means any physical property, plant, building, structure, source, or stationary equipment located on one or more contiguous or adjacent properties in actual physical contact or separated solely by a public roadway or other public rightofway and under common ownership or common control, that emits or may emit any greenhouse gas. Operators of military installations may classify such installations as more than a single facility based on distinct and independent functional groupings within contiguous military properties.

In addition, GHG reporting by manufacturers of heavyduty and off road vehicles and engines is required, by incorporating new requirements into the existing reporting requirements for motor vehicles and engine manufacturers in 40 CFR parts 86, 87, 89, 90, 94, 1033, 1039, 1042, 1045, 1048, 1051, 1054, and 1065. A summary of the reporting requirements for manufacturers of motor vehicles and engines is contained in Section IV of this preamble. A discussion of public comments and responses that pertain to motor vehicles is also contained in Section IV of this preamble and in the ``Mandatory Greenhouse Gas Reporting Rule: EPA's Response to Public Comments, Motor Vehicle and Engine Manufacturers.''

The remainder of this section summarizes the general provisions of 40 CFR part 98, identifies changes since the proposed rule, and summarizes key public comments and responses on the general requirements of the rule.
A. Summary of the General Requirements of the Final Rule

1. Applicability

Reporters must submit annual GHG reports for the following facilities and supply operations.

  • Any facility that contains any source category (as defined in 40 CFR part 98, subparts C through JJ) that is listed below in any calendar year starting in 2010.\5\ For these facilities, the annual GHG report covers all source categories and GHGs for which calculation methodologies are provided in 40 CFR part 98, subparts C through JJ. \5\ Unless otherwise noted, years and dates in this notice refer to calendar years and dates.
    Electricity generating facilities that are subject to the Acid Rain Program (ARP) or otherwise report CO2 mass emissions year round through 40 CFR part 75.
    Adipic acid production.
    Aluminum production.
    Ammonia manufacturing.
    Cement production.
    HCFC22 production.
    HFC23 destruction processes that are not colocated with a HCFC22 production facility and that destroy more than 2.14 metric tons of HFC 23 per year.
    Lime manufacturing.
    Nitric acid production.
    Petrochemical production.
    Petroleum refineries.
    [[Page 56267]]
    Phosphoric acid production.
    Silicon carbide production.
    Soda ash production.
    Titanium dioxide production.
    Municipal solid waste (MSW) landfills that generate CH4 in amounts equivalent to 25,000 metric tons CO2e or more per year, as determined according to 40 CFR part 98, subpart HH. Manure management systems that emit CH4 and N20 (combined) in amounts equivalent to 25,000 metric tons CO2e or more per year, as determined according to 40 CFR part 98, subpart JJ.
  • Any facility that contains any source category (as defined in 40 CFR part 98, subparts C through JJ) that is listed below and that emits 25,000 metric tons CO2e or more per year in combined emissions from stationary fuel combustion units, miscellaneous use of carbonates and all of the source categories listed in this paragraph in any calendar year starting in 2010. For these facilities, the annual GHG report must cover all source categories and GHGs for which calculation methodologies are provided in 40 CFR part 98, subparts C through JJ.
    Ferroalloy Production.
    Glass Production.
    Hydrogen Production.
    Iron and Steel Production.
    Lead Production.
    Pulp and Paper Manufacturing.
    Zinc Production.
  • Any facility that in any calendar year starting in 2010 meets all three of the conditions listed in this paragraph. For these facilities, the annual GHG report covers emissions from stationary fuel combustion sources only. For 2010 only, the facilities can submit an abbreviated GHG report according to 40 CFR 98.3(d).
    The facility does not meet the requirements described in the above two paragraphs;
    The aggregate maximum rated heat input capacity of the stationary fuel combustion units at the facility is 30 million British thermal units per hour (mmBtu/hr) or greater; and
    The facility emits 25,000 metric tons CO2e or more per year from all stationary fuel combustion sources.\6\
    \6\ This does not include portable equipment, emergency generators, or emergency equipment as defined in the rule.
  • Any supplier (as defined in 40 CFR part 98, subparts LL through PP) of any of the products as listed below in any calendar year starting in 2010. For these suppliers, the annual GHG report covers all applicable products for which calculation methodologies are provided in 40 CFR part 98, subparts KK through PP.
    Coalbased liquid fuels: All producers of coaltoliquid fuels; importers and exporters of coaltoliquid fuels with annual imports or annual exports that are equivalent to 25,000 metric tons
    CO2e or more per year.
    Petroleum products: All petroleum refiners that distill crude oil; importers and exporters of petroleum products with annual imports or annual exports that are equivalent to 25,000 metric tons
    CO2e or more per year.
    Natural gas and natural gas liquids (NGLs): All natural gas fractionators and all local natural gas distribution companies (LDCs). Industrial GHGs: All producers of industrial GHGs; importers and exporters of industrial GHGs with annual bulk imports or exports of N2O, fluorinated GHGs, and CO2 that in combination are equivalent to 25,000 metric tons CO2e or more per year.
    CO2: All producers of CO2; importers and exporters of CO2 with annual bulk imports or exports of N2O, fluorinated GHGs, and CO2 that in combination are equivalent to 25,000 metric tons CO2e or more per year.
  • Research and development activities (as defined in 40 CFR 98.6) are not considered to be part of any source category subject to the rule.

    It is important to note that the applicability criteria apply to a facility's annual emissions or a supplier's annual quantity of product supplied.\7\ For example, while a facility's emissions may be below 25,000 metric tons CO2e in January, if the cumulative emissions for the calendar year are 25,000 metric tons CO2e or more at the end of December, the rule applies and the reporter must submit an annual GHG report for that facility. Therefore, it is in a facility's or supplier's interest to collect the GHG data required by the rule if they think they will meet or exceed the applicability criteria in 40 CFR 98.2 by the end of the year. EPA plans to have tools and guidance available to assist potential reporters in assessing whether the rule applies to their facilities or supply operations. \7\ Supplied means produced, imported, or exported.

    2. Schedule for Reporting

    Reporters must begin collecting data on January 1, 2010. The first annual GHG report is due on March 31, 2011, for GHGs emitted or products supplied during 2010. For a portion of 2010, the rule allows reporters to use best available monitoring methods for parameters that cannot reasonably be measured according to the monitoring and quality assurance/quality control (QA/QC) requirements of the relevant subpart as described in Sections II.A.3 and II.G of this preamble.

    Reports are submitted annually. For EGUs that are subject to the ARP, reporters must continue to report CO2 mass emissions quarterly, as required by the ARP, in addition to providing annual GHG reports under this rule. Reporters must submit GHG data on an ongoing, annual basis. The snapshot of information provided by a onetime information collection request (ICR) would not provide the type of ongoing information which could inform the variety of potential CAA policy options being evaluated for addressing climate change.

    Once subject to this reporting rule, reporters must continue to submit GHG reports annually. A reporter can cease reporting if the required annual GHG reports demonstrate that reported GHG emissions are either (1) less than 25,000 metric tons of CO2e per year for five consecutive years or (2) less than 15,000 metric tons of CO2e per year for three consecutive years. The reporter must notify EPA that they intend to cease reporting and explain the reasons for the reduction in emissions. This provision applies to all facilities and suppliers subject to the rule, regardless of their applicability category (i.e., whether rule applicability was initially triggered by an ``allin'' source category or a source category with a 25,000 metric tons CO2e threshold). The reporter must keep records for all five consecutive years in which emissions were less than 25,000 metric tons per year, or all three consecutive years in which emissions were less than 15,000 metric tons per year, as appropriate. If GHG emissions (or quantities in products supplied) subsequently increase to 25,000 metric tons CO2e in any calendar year, the reporter must again begin annual reporting. The rule also contains a provision to allow facilities and suppliers to notify EPA and stop reporting if they close all GHGemitting processes and operations covered by the rule.

    If reporters discover or are notified by EPA of errors in an annual GHG report, they must submit a revised GHG report within 45 days. 3. What has to be included in the annual GHG report?

    Reporters must include the following information in each annual GHG report:
    [[Page 56268]]

  • Facility name or supplier name (as appropriate) and physical street address including the city, State, and zip code.
  • Year and months covered by the report, and date of report submittal.
  • For facilities that directly emit GHG:
    Annual facility emissions (excluding biogenic CO2), expressed in metric tons of CO2e per year, aggregated for all GHG from all source categories in 40 CFR part 98, subparts C through JJ that are located at the facility.
    Annual emissions of biogenic CO2 (i.e., CO2 from combustion of biomass) aggregated for all applicable source categories in subparts C through JJ located at the facility. Annual GHG emissions for each of the source categories located at the facility, by gas. Gases are: CO2 (excluding biogenic CO2), biogenic CO2, CH4,
    N2O, and each fluorinated GHG.
    Within each source category, emissions broken out at the level specified in the respective subpart (e.g., some source categories require reporting for each individual unit or each process line). Additional data specified in the applicable subparts for each source category. This includes activity data (e.g., fuel use, feedstock inputs) that were used to generate the emissions data and additional data to support QA/QC and emissions verification.
    Total pounds of synthetic fertilizer produced through nitric acid or ammonia production and total nitrogen contained in that fertilizer.
  • For suppliers: \8\
    \8\ Suppliers include producers, importers, and exporters of fuels and industrial gases. The level of reporting for suppliers is specified in the rule. Most report at the facility level. Imports and exports are reported at the corporate level.
    Annual quantities of each GHG that would be emitted from combustion or use \9\ of the products supplied, imported, or exported during the year. Report this for each applicable supply category in 40 CFR part 98 subparts KK through PP, by gas. Also report the total quantity, expressed in metric tons of CO2e, aggregated for all GHGs from all applicable supply categories.
    \9\ ``Use'' for purposes of industrial GHGs presumes that there will be 100 percent release of the GHG.
    Additional data specified in the applicable subparts for each supply category. This includes data used to calculate GHG quantities or needed to support QA/QC and verification.
  • A written explanation if the reporter changes GHG calculation methodologies during the reporting period.
  • If best available monitoring methods were used for part of calendar year 2010, a brief description of the methods used.
  • Each data element for which a missing data procedure was used according to the procedures of an applicable subpart and the total number of hours in the year that a missing data procedure was used for each data element.
  • A signed and dated certification statement provided by the Designated Representative of the owner or operator.

    Note that in some cases, the same facility is subject to the rule requirements for direct emitters as well as for suppliers. For example, petroleum refineries are suppliers of petroleum products (40 CFR part 98, subpart NN) and also directly emit GHGs from petroleum refining (40 CFR part 98, subpart Y), general stationary fuel combustion (40 CFR part 98, subpart C), and possibly other source categories located at a refinery. In such cases, reporters must report the information in both the facility and supplier bullets listed above.

    EPA will protect any information claimed as CBI in accordance with regulations in 40 CFR part 2, subpart B. However, note that in general, emission data collected under CAA sections 114 and 208 shall be available to the public and cannot be withheld as CBI.\10\
    \10\ Although CBI determinations are usually made on a caseby case basis, EPA has discussed in an earlier Federal Register notice what constitutes emissions data that cannot be withheld as CBI (956 FR 70427043, February 21, 1991). In addition, as discussed in Section II.R of this preamble, EPA will be initiating a separate notice and comment process to make CBI and emissions data
    determinations for the categories of data collected under this rulemaking.

    Special Provisions for Reporting Year 2010. During January 1, 2010 through March 31, 2010, reporters may use best available monitoring methods for any parameter (e.g., fuel use, daily carbon content of feedstock by process line) that cannot reasonably be measured according to the monitoring and QA/QC requirements of a relevant subpart. The reporter must still use the calculation methodologies and equations in the ``Calculating GHG Emissions'' sections of each relevant subpart, but may use the best available monitoring method for any parameter for which it is not reasonably feasible to acquire, install, and operate a required piece of monitoring equipment by January 1, 2010. Starting no later than April 1, 2010, the reporter must begin following all applicable monitoring and QA/QC requirements of this part, unless they submit a request to EPA showing that it is not reasonably feasible to acquire, install, and operate a required piece of monitoring equipment by April 1, 2010, and EPA approves the request. EPA will not approve use of best available methods beyond December 31, 2010. Best available monitoring methods include any of the following methods:

  • Monitoring methods currently used by the facility that do not meet the specifications of a relevant subpart.
  • Supplier data.
  • Engineering calculations.
  • Other company data.

    FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT

    Carole Cook, Climate Change Division, Office of Atmospheric Programs (MC6207J), Environmental Protection Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave., NW., Washington, DC 20460; telephone number: (202) 3439263; fax number: (202) 3432342; email address: GHGReportingRule@epa.gov. For technical information and implementation materials, please go to the Web site www.epa.gov/climatechange/ emissions/ghgrulemaking.html. You may also contact the Greenhouse Gas Reporting Rule Hotline at telephone number: (877) 4441188; or email: ghgmrr@epa.gov.

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