The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has recently proposed a new GHG emissions program designed to further regulate the amount of greenhouse gas produced in the US. The proposed Prevention of Significant Deterioration and Title V Greenhouse Gas Tailoring Rule would require large facilities to obtain operating permits for their greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Large facilities are defined as those emitting more than 25,000 tons per year CO2e. According to the EPA these large facilities make up nearly 70% of US GHG emissions. Additionally newly constructed facilities and significantly modified facilities would be required to use the best available control technology to minimize GHG emissions under the proposed rule.

Under Title V, the EPA is proposing an applicability threshold of 25,000 tons per year (tpy) CO2e for existing facilities. Facilities with emissions of less than 25,000 tpy CO2e would not be required to obtain an operating permit.

Under Prevention of Significant Deterioration, a program designed to minimize emissions from new or modified sources, the major stationary source threshold is 25,000 tpy CO2e. This is the threshold used to determine if a new facility or a major modification to an existing facility would require a PSD permit. The significance threshold is set at 10,000 to 25,000 tpy CO2e.  A PSD permit would be required if an existing facility makes modifications that increase emissions inside the range set.

The proposed rule includes the six main greenhouse gases; carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4), nitrous oxide (N2O), hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), perfluorocarbons (PFCs) and sulphur hexafluoride (SF6).  If the proposed rule is adopted, the rule would take effect in the spring of 2010. 

*Jonna McConaughy is Intelex's Air Emissions Specialist and is based out of Intelex's satellite location in Pittsburgh PA

The Envinronmental Protection Agency (EPA) has announced its new mandatory GHG reporting program will commence on January 1st 2010 with reports being due in 2011. The new mandatory GHG rule from the EPA brings some changes from the originally proposed rule.   Some of the changes are outlined below.

INDUSTRIES INCLUDED
Excluded from reporting are the following industries:

Electronics manufacturing Ethanol production Fluorinated GHG production Food processing Industrial landfills Magnesium production Oil and natural gas systems SF6 from electrical equipment Underground coal mines Wastewater treatment Suppliers of coal

Industries required to report include those facilities emitting more than 25,000 metric tons CO2e per year.  These industries may include fossil fuel and natural gas suppliers, vehicle and engine makers (excluding light duty vehicles/engines), cement manufacturers, paper manufacturers, chemical manufacturers and others.

MONITORING OR BEST AVAILABLE DATA
Best available data may be used for Q1 2010 in lieu of required monitoring. Extensions for use of best available data may be requested within the year 2010 but not beyond this time.

QUALITY ASSURANCE
Calibration requirements for flow meters and monitors were added.  Accuracy to 5% is specified.

REPORT SUBMITTALS
The mandatory rule specifies reports are to be submitted to the EPA. Data collection was not delegated to the states.
The EPA is working to update the consolidated emissions reporting schema (CERS), the data schema used in submittals of Emission Inventories, to include GHG data.  This standardized data format will assist in data exchange between federal, state, and local agencies as well as other GHG registries and protocols.
Reports may be submitted in an XML format via web based system that is currently under construction.

DATA RETENTION
Records must be kept for 3 years under the mandatory rule.  This is down from 5 years in the proposed rule.

END OF REPORTING
Should a facility reduce their GHG emissions under the 25,000 tons CO2e per year limit for 5 consecutive years, they may cease annual GHG reporting to the EPA.  Should a facility reduce their GHG emissions under 15,000 metric tons CO2e per year for 3 consecutive years, they may cease to report GHG emissions.  Should a facility cease GHG emitting activities or shut down completely, reporting is not required.

 *Jonna McConaughy is Intelex's Air Emissions Specialist and is based out of Intelex's satellite location in Pittsburgh PA

As announced in a press release on August 19th 2009, a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) has recently been established between two of the major players in the Canadian standards and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions industries. Leading Canadian standards-based solutions organization, CSA Standards, and the leading North American GHG registry, The Climate Registry, have come together through the MoU to more closely align the two organizations in regards to supporting a consistent GHG measurement and reporting culture in Canada. The partnership solidifies the collaboration between the two organizations to promote the voluntary reporting of GHG emissions to The Climate Registry as well as the adoption of The Climate Registry’s platform for mandatory reporting among Canadian jurisdictions. The MoU also strives to improve upon and create new training opportunities and capacity building programs related to The Climate Registry as well as for general GHG accounting, verification, reporting and tracking.

With over 340 members, The Climate Registry currently operates the foremost North American voluntary GHG registry holding a unique relationship with the 12 Canadian provinces and territories as well as the 41 states that all sit on their board of directors. The Climate Registry, by setting consistent and transparent standards for calculating, verifying and publicly reporting GHG emissions, plays an active role in supporting mandatory reporting schemes across North America. On the other side, CSA Standards serves industry, government, consumers and other interested parties in North America and the global marketplace and has been working with Canadian jurisdictions to build components that support GHG reporting, regional emissions trading systems, and program performance tracking.

Speaking on the newly established MoU, Suzanne Kiraly, president of CSA Standards commented, “This MoU highlights CSA Standards and The Climate Registry’s mutual purpose and common goal of building standardized methods for measuring and tracking GHG emissions. Continued collaboration between our two organizations will serve to further these efforts and, in turn, benefit various organizations, including government and industries.”  Alex Carr, Canadian Regional Director of The Climate Registry, also sees the benefit that the MoU will bring to both government and industry stating that, “By working together with CSA, we can better support Canadian governments and industry as climate policy continues to evolve and capturing high quality GHG emissions data becomes even more important – both to regulators and to companies wanting to manage their risks, improve energy efficiency, and demonstrate their leadership.” The establishment of this MoU is a positive sign that the standardization of GHG emissions reporting in Canada is moving closer to becoming a reality, ultimately creating a reporting climate where ingenuity and continuous improvement are held as key drivers.

Web-based Environmental Management Systems such as the one offered by Intelex provide a platform to track and report GHG emissions data across an entire organization in real-time, providing a 360 degree view of emissions performance fostering regulatory compliance as well as driving continual improvement.

As we move more and more towards an increasingly eco-conscious and environmentally friendly society, progressively steps are being taken by governments, officials and regulatory bodies to help facilitate this transition at a national level both efficiently and effectively. One such area that has received particular attention is the industrial sector; this is ultimately due to the amounts of emissions released into our atmosphere from industrial and manufacturing sites which can be linked to the effects of global warming. Mandatory reporting of greenhouse gas emissions by organizations operating in the industrial sector is an initiative that has already been explored and adopted in Canada and in the state of California, but a recent article posted on environmental-expert.com reveals the details of a newly proposed national emissions reporting system in the US that if passed will prove to be a large step forward for the green movement.

The article, entitled “EPA Releases Proposed Mandatory Greenhouse Gas Reporting Rule,” outlines how the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has proposed a comprehensive national system for reporting greenhouse gas emissions under the authority of the Clean Air Act. Originally published in the Federal Register (the official daily publication for rules, proposed rules, and notices of Federal agencies and organizations in the US), the new rule would require industrial facilities that emit 25,000 metric tons or more of carbon dioxide equivalent (C02e) to submit an annual emissions report to the EPA beginning in 2011 for the year 2010. Smaller businesses that generate less than 25,000 tons of C02e annually will not be required to submit a report. With the main goal of this new initiative to harvest accurate and comprehensive data, the EPA plans to use the figures generated to inform future policy decisions. Although this newly proposed rule would see many US organizations having to generate emissions reports for the first time, in Canada and the state of California this is nothing new. Canada’s Turning the Corner, a regulatory framework for industrial greenhouse gas emissions announced in April of 2007, requires Canadian industrial companies to submit annual reports with the goal of reducing emissions 18% from their 2006 levels by the year 2010. In California, 2009 marks the first year of required emissions reporting under California’s groundbreaking Assembly Bill 32 (AB 32), part of the California Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006. The Act’s goal is an emissions reduction of 25% over the 30 year period from 1990 to 2020, and then in 2050 a reduction to 80% below 1990 levels. This newly proposed rule is keeping with the recent trend of creating a culture of corporate transparency, in which the barriers restricting access to once undisclosed information are being brought down to increase visibility into organizations operations  and encourage a higher level of corporate social responsibility.

One particular challenge that comes along with emissions reporting is tracking and recording an accurate set of data. As the article mentions, “Verification will be an important element of the requirements. The reporting organization will self-certify the emissions data and other specified activity data and submit the inventory report to the EPA for quality assurance verification.” The EPA has estimated the average cost of reporting emissions under the newly proposed rule to be approximately $0.04 per metric ton. With organizations responsible for self-certifying their own emissions data, a cost friendly and effective reporting system is crucial to finding success within these new regulations. Web based emissions tracking solutions like the one offered by Intelex Technologies have been implemented by many organizations to handle their emissions reporting due to their cost-effectiveness , ability to track across multiple locations and their overall ease of use and implementation. With more and more green initiatives being proposed and passed it is clear that the future of the industrial sector will no doubt continue to follow the trend of corporate transparency, ultimately fostering sustainability and industry growth in a period of economic downturn.

A recent article published on Business News America's website addresses Intelex Technologies growing presence into the South American market. During an interview with journalist Renzo Dasso, Intelex Account Manager Jason Fitzpatrick explained how an increased awareness surrounding environmental considerations has been a motivating factor for many organizations to begin implementing web-based environmental management systems, despite the current economic climate, "We have done quite well in spite of the global financial crisis. The environment industry is developing rapidly and companies are becoming more aware of these issues, which for us is an advantage."

Visit the Business News America website to read the complete article.

Intelex Technologies Inc. is pleased to announce that Jonna McConaughy has joined the company as Product Manager for all Intelex Greenhouse Gas and Air Compliance Management Systems.  In this position, McConaughy will work collaboratively with the development and design teams to continue strengthening our greenhouse gas and air compliance product offering. McConaughy brings over eight years of experience in systems engineering and implementation of environmental, health, and safety management software with a focus on compliance reporting and emissions inventories. She holds a B.S. in Geosciences from Pennsylvania State University and an M.B.A. from Indiana University of Pennsylvania.

"Jonna's reputation in air emissions inventories and EHS software implementations make her the ideal product manager to continue developing Intelex's air compliance systems and modules," said Mark Jaine, President and CEO at Intelex Technologies Inc. "Jonna's accomplishments in the field of regulatory compliance are extensive. We are very pleased to have Jonna on board as Intelex continues to grow our team and product offering."

In March 2009, Intelex announced the release of its Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Emissions Tracking & Reporting System, a completely configurable application designed to enable mid-size and enterprise organizations to improve their environmental performance through accurate, real-time carbon footprint tracking and reporting. Using Intelex's GHG Emissions Tracking & Reporting System, users can collect, track, and report their current carbon footprint as well as their progress toward user-defined sustainability targets.

Reducing greenhouse gas emissions is a significant effort that requires a great deal of planning and implementation, but tracking and reporting this reduction is a whole other process that many California companies are now being required to do. Two thousand and nine marks the first year of required emissions reporting under California’s groundbreaking Assembly Bill 32 (AB 32), part of the California Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006. The Act’s goal is an emissions reduction of 25% over the 30 year period from 1990 to 2020, and then in 2050 a reduction to 80% below 1990 levels, thus making 1990 the baseline year for companies to base their progress on.  The March 2009 issue of Pollution Engineering featured an article written by Patrick Sullivan entitled “Getting Ready to Count Carbon,” which outlined some of the issues that companies who must establish their 1990 baseline are facing and offers some insight into just how important an effective and accurate emissions tracking and reporting system is, especially as California’s model is being looked at as a template for other states.

Establishing credible and accurate numbers for emissions reporting is imperative to companies finding success in achieving the goals set forth by AB 32. Mr. Sullivan discusses how many companies are facing challenges as they try to go back to 1990 and piece together information from multiple sources to establish their baseline emissions numbers. The lack of an accurate tracking system has caused many companies much frustration and likely a set of inaccurate data which will ultimately affect their progress and compliance with AB 32. As Mr. Sullivan states, “When getting into the planning mode for the baseline audit, companies should begin to think about how they can better centralize their reporting systems to make it easier for the future. Record keeping will be critical to compliance. The key now is to get to the heart of the data, get a sense of the company’s processes, and evaluate how real the data are.”

As Mr. Sullivan suggests, accurate record keeping and organization-wide reporting will be key to determining an organization’s ability to comply with these new regulations.  A web-based greenhouse gas tracking & reporting system, like the one Intelex offers, is an ideal way to achieve compliance for several reasons. First, a web-based system requires minimal implementation and is easily accessed by any approved user with access to an Internet connection. Secondly, being web-based allows for organizations to easily track data across multiple locations; thus providing a 360-degree picture of the entire company’s emissions performance. Lastly, Intelex’s web-based GHG Systems include a comprehensive reporting suite, allowing managers access to real-time data at any point. With California setting the bar for the future of emissions tracking, there is no doubt that more US states and other countries will not be far behind. The simplicity of implementation, ease of use and range of features that Intelex’s  web-based GHG System offers make it a smart and effective choice for any company looking to invest in their own future and that of the environment.

Intelex held its first-ever Online Round Table Discussion today and it was a great success!

The discussion on Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Emissions was coordinated and led by Intelex’s Stephen Ross. Stephen’s colleagues Bryden Waggott and Bevin Lyon also joined in to participate in the conversation.

In addition to the questions submitted in advance, responses to those questions, exchange of ideas, and input from Intelex Account Managers, made for a highly informative and rewarding group discussion.    

Intelex clients and prospective clients were given a platform to engage in an informal talk about a wide spectrum of issues related to tracking, managing, and reporting GHG emissions. Overall, it was great discussion about industry regulations and best practices related to GHG emissions.

If you are interested in participating in an industry- or module-specific round table discussion in the future, please contact Carmela, Intelex’s Client Relations Coordinator!

Learn how Intelex’s GHG Emissions Tracking Module can help your organization.

On March 10, 2009 the United States EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) announced a proposal for the first nation-wide system for reporting greenhouse gases.

"The new reporting requirements would apply to suppliers of fossil fuel and industrial chemicals, manufacturers of motor vehicles and engines, as well as large direct emitters of greenhouse gases with emissions greater than a threshold of 25,000 metric tons per year." March 10, 2009 EPA News Release.

Organizations effected by the new regulations would be required to submit their first annual report to the EPA in 2011, with the exception of automobile and engine manufacturers who would submit their first report for model year 2011.

If you’re interested in learning how your organization can begin to track and report greenhouse gases submit a request for more information or ask for a live demo.

In an environment where corporations are demanding that their suppliers and business partners assume greener corporate processes, Standard & Poor’s launched the S&P US Carbon Efficient Index as a means of measuring the performance of large US companies with relatively lower carbon emissions.

According to Standard & Poor’s, the companies listed on the new US Carbon Efficient Index had a 48% lower carbon footprint when compared with the average company on the S&P 500. There are currently 362 companies listed, with plans to examine all 4,500 companies recognized on S&P’s indices.

To calculate the carbon footprint, S&P is working with the environmental research organization Trucost PLC. Trucost arrives at a figure by dividing greenhouse gas emissions by annual revenues.

With the potential for new and more conservative emissions regulations just around the corner, and an increase in consumer demand for socially responsible products and services, it appears that tracking corporate greenhouse gas emissions is evolving from an optional business initiative to a mandatory one.

Click here to read a recent press release addressing how Intelex is enabling organizations to improve their sustainability efforts through greenhouse gas emissions tracking and reporting.