Additional Information on 2009 Proposed Rule

Please note that the Final Greenhouse Gas Mandatory Reporting Rule (PDF) (260 pp, 1.4MB) was signed by the Administrator on September 22, 2009 and has undergone several revisions. A list of all final rulemakings from that point forward is available on the Rulemaking Notices for GHG Reporting page and the Historical Rulemakings page.

EPA is maintaining this record of GHGRP materials, many generated prior to the September 22, 2009 signature, for historical purposes.

Background

In response to the FY2008 Consolidated Appropriations Act (H.R. 2764; Public Law 110–161), EPA has proposed a rule that requires mandatory reporting of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from large sources in the United States.

The proposed rule would collect accurate and comprehensive emissions data to inform future policy decisions.

In general, EPA proposes that suppliers of fossil fuels or industrial greenhouse gases, manufacturers of vehicles and engines, and facilities that emit 25,000 metric tons or more per year of GHG emissions submit annual reports to EPA. The 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 proposed rule was signed by the Administrator on March 10, 2009. On April 10, 2009. the proposed rule was published in the Federal Register (www.regulations.gov) under Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-OAR-2008-0508:

The Proposed Mandatory Greenhouse Gas Reporting Rule public comment period ended June 9, 2009. The comment period was open for 60 days, following publication of the proposed rule in the Federal Register, April 10, 2009. 

Resources

• Press Release (3/10/2009)
• Proposed Mandatory GHG Reporting Rule Preamble
• Proposed Mandatory GHG Reporting Rule
• Proposed Rule Supporting Documents in the Docket
• Proposed Rule Regulatory Impact Analysis
• Power point presentation providing a general overview of the Proposed Mandatory Greenhouse Gas Reporting Rule
• General Fact Sheet for the Proposed Mandatory GHG Reporting Rule
• Guides for industry sectors: These reference materials outline how the Greenhouse Gas Reporting Program could affect various industry sectors.
  • Guide for Agriculture Information Sheet
  • Guide for State and Local Agencies Information Sheet
  • Guide for Small Businesses Information Sheet
  • Guide for Tribal Governments Information Sheet
  • Mobile Sources Information Sheet
• Consolidated Appropriations Act (PDF) (613 pp, 1.4MB). See page 286 for the appropriations language on mandatory GHG emissions reporting.
• Consolidated Appropriations Act, Conference Report (PDF) (230 pp, 1MB). See page 1254 (page 94 of the PDF file) for an explanatory statement providing more detail on the GHG reporting rule.
• Public Comments submitted during the public comment period may be found at: Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-OAR-2008-0508 in the Federal Register (www.regulations.gov).