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Ringing in new reporting requirements

Posted: December 28, 2009 at 11:50 AM CST

The new greenhouse gas reporting requirements set by the U.S. EPA are scheduled to begin next week, but there appears to still be some confusion as to ethanol’s participation in the program. As late as last week, I received inquiries from ethanol-related companies concerning the specifics of the reporting rule.

For those still unsure, the EPA provides a fact sheet and applicability tool to assess a facility’s requirements on its Web site at http://www.epa.gov/climatechange/emissions/ghgrulemaking.html. It’s important to note that the EPA plans to include ethanol as a source category in the future. This means that while not all ethanol producers will be required to report in 2010, the odds are good they will in 2011. For now, only those facilities that emit more than 25,000 tons of carbon dioxide equivalent from stationary sources are required to participate in the program.

I can understand the confusion surrounding who, exactly, will be required to report emissions. This is the EPA’s rule, after all, and nothing the EPA does is simple. For example, while all facilities that emit more than the 25,000 ton threshold are required to file emissions reports, there are special provisions for certain facilities. I suspect regulations specialists around the country will be busy until March filing extensions requests and getting paperwork in order to meet the new reporting demands.

We’ll continue to update the industry as the EPA makes alterations to its rule in 2010, but we’d also like to hear from you. Is your facility affected by the reporting requirements? What are your thoughts about the ethanol industry becoming a regulated source of greenhouse gas emissions? Is this something you’ve been planning for, or did the decision leave you scrambling to comply? I look forward to receiving your comments. Happy new year and good luck!

-Kris Bevill