The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced on Sept. 12 a proposed rule to end the Greenhouse Gas Reporting Program. This program requires large greenhouse gas emission sources to track and report their emissions of various greenhouse gases, including carbon dioxide, methane, and nitrous oxide, if their total emissions from covered sources exceed 25,000 metric tons of CO2e per year.
Many of the more than 8,000 facilities impacted by this change are manufacturing, refining, or mining facilities, but the Greenhouse Gas Reporting Program is also used by large universities and hospitals whose emissions meet the program’s requirements.
“The Greenhouse Gas Reporting Program is nothing more than bureaucratic red tape that does nothing to improve air quality,” said EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin. “Instead, it costs American businesses and manufacturing billions of dollars, driving up the cost of living, jeopardizing our nation’s prosperity and hurting American communities.”
Since the program began in 2009, participants have reported a 20% reduction in carbon emissions that was mostly the result of closing coal-fired power plants, the Associated Press reports.
The agency plans to initiate a public comment period to solicit input on the proposed change. More information on the public comment process and how to participate will be published in the Federal Register and on the EPA website. The agency also released a fact sheet with additional information on how to comment.
