Extension to Greenhouse Gas Reporting Deadline for 2010 Reporting Period

EPA recently issued a final rule extending the deadline for reporting 2010 data under the Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Reporting Program to September 30, 2011. The original deadline was March 31, 2011.  

EPA's GHG Reporting Program requires the reporting of GHG data from large emission sources across a range of industry sectors, as well as suppliers of products that would emit GHGs if released or combusted. The data is intended to help guide policy decisions and the development of future programs which the EPA might implement to reduce these emissions. 

Entities submitting data through the electronic GHG reporting tool (e-GGRT) must register using e-GGRT no later than 60 days before the reporting deadline. Thus, the new deadline for registering with e-GGRT is August 1, 2011. The rule changes ONLY the deadline for entities required to report 2010 emissions. It does not change the reporting deadline for future years and does not change what data must be reported. 

Some underground coal mines are required to report 2010 emissions. For example, an underground mine with associated large stationary combustion sources such as thermal dryers and with emissions above the triggering threshold may be required to collect data in calendar 2010 and report by March 31, 2011. The extension applies to those mines. 

Most underground coal mines are not required to report 2010 emissions, however, and the rule granting an extension is not applicable to underground coal mines required to begin reporting 2011 emissions by March 31, 2012. For those underground coal mines, the first deadline under the GHG Reporting Rule is the preparation of a Monitoring Plan by March 31, 2011.   

This article was authored by Matthew S. Tyree, Jackson Kelly PLLC. For more information on the author see here.