Statement

ACC Supports EPA's Establishment of Greenhouse Gas Reporting System

Final Rule, Announced Today, Includes Some Positive Changes Over Proposed Rule

ARLINGTON, VA (September 22, 2009) – Today the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced and posted its final rule on mandatory greenhouse gas (GHG) reporting under the Clean Air Act (CAA) (proposed rule at 74 FR 16448, April 10, 2009).  Additional information is available on the Environmental Protection Agency website.  On June 9, 2009, ACC submitted comments to EPA on the proposed rule.

American Chemistry Council (ACC) President and CEO Cal Dooley issued the following statement:

“ACC supports EPA’s step of establishing a national reporting system for greenhouse gas emissions.  The nation needs a reporting system to gain a better understanding of the GHGs emitted by sources within the United States as a basis for discussion, development and implementation of a national climate policy. We are reviewing the specifics of the final rule.  Based on our initial analysis, we believe the final rule provides some additional flexibility, as compared with the proposed rule, that will make it easier for chemistry companies to thoroughly and accurately report GHG emissions. 

“We support EPA’s addition of a mechanism for facilities and suppliers to cease annual reporting by reducing their GHG emissions.  We also support a new provision to allow use of best available monitoring methods in lieu of the required methods for some or all of reporting year 2010, depending on facility.  Additionally, EPA made some valuable changes to the monitoring equipment provisions by adding monitoring options, changing monitoring locations or reducing the need for installing new monitors.  Also positive are the final rule’s reduction in the required frequency sampling and analysis for fuel combustion and some other source categories, as well as EPA’s exclusion of research and development activities from reporting.  Finally, the final rule made some sensible changes to combustion sources provisions, including exemptions for some types of sources and changes to monitoring requirements and reporting. 

“Consistent with our forward-looking approach to climate issues, ACC member companies already track greenhouse gas emissions data and report it to ACC as a requirement of membership under our Responsible Care® program.  ACC reports the industry data on an aggregate basis.  Our companies’ greenhouse gas emissions fell 16 percent between 1990 and 2008, exceeding Kyoto Protocol requirements.  Our industry’s greenhouse gas intensity – a measure of emissions per unit of output – fell (improved) 39.4 percent in the same time period.”

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