Inventory of U.S. Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Sinks: 1990-2010 Report Released

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has released the 17th annual U.S. greenhouse gas inventory. The final report shows overall emissions in 2010 increased by 3.2 %from the previous year. The trend is attributed to an increase in energy consumption across all economic sectors, due to increasing energy demand associated with an expanding economy, and increased demand for electricity for air conditioning due to warmer summer weather during 2010.

Total emissions of the six main greenhouse gases in 2010 were equivalent to 6,822 million metric tons of carbon dioxide. These gases include carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, hydrofluorocarbons, perfluorocarbons and sulfur hexafluoride. The report indicates that overall emissions have grown by over 10 % from 1990 to 2010.

The Inventory of U.S. Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Sinks: 1990-2010 is the latest annual report that the United States has submitted to the Secretariat of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, which sets an overall framework for intergovernmental efforts to tackle the challenge posed by climate change. EPA prepares the annual report in collaboration with multiple federal agencies and after gathering comments from stakeholders across the country.

The inventory tracks annual greenhouse gas emissions at the national level and presents historical emissions from 1990 to 2010. The inventory also calculates carbon dioxide emissions that are removed from the atmosphere by “sinks”.

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Proposed Adoption of International Standards For Air Transport of Lithium Batteries

The Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) accepting comments on the potential impact of changes to the requirements for the air transport of lithium cells and batteries that have been adopted into the 2013-2014 International Civil Aviation Organization Technical Instructions on the Transport of Dangerous Goods by Air (ICAO Technical Instructions). PHMSA is considering whether to harmonize with these requirements. Comments are due by May 11, 2012.

The proposed rule/request for comments was published in the Federal Register on April 11, 2012.

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PHMSA Proposed Rules On Criteria For State Programs

The Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) has issued a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) to revise the Pipeline Safety Regulations. The proposed rules would establish criteria and procedures for determining the adequacy of state pipeline excavation damage prevention law enforcement programs; establish an administrative process for making adequacy determinations; establish the Federal requirements PHMSA will enforce in states with inadequate excavation damage prevention law enforcement programs; and establish the adjudication process for administrative enforcement proceedings against excavators where Federal authority is exercised. The Pipeline Inspection, Protection, Enforcement, and Safety (PIPES) Act of 2006 required establishment of review criteria for state excavation damage prevention law enforcement programs. The development of these criteria and the subsequent determination of the adequacy of state excavation damage prevention law enforcement programs is intended to encourage states to develop effective excavation damage prevention law enforcement programs to protect the public from the risk of pipeline ruptures caused by excavation damage, and allow for Federal administrative enforcement action in states with inadequate enforcement programs.

PHMSA is accepting written comments on the NPRM through June 1, 2012.

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History and Overview of New TCSA Chemical Data Reporting Rule

The EPA Chemical Data Reporting rule was finalized in November 2011, and the reporting period is now open until June 30, 2012.

Below is a link to a brief history and summary of the CDR rule.

History and Overview of New TCSA Chemical Data Reporting Rule

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OSHA Announces Final HazCom 2012 Rule and Compliance Dates

On a teleconference call, OSHA announced the revision to the Hazard Communication Standard (HCS) as well as related compliance deadlines affecting chemical manufacturers, distributors and employers. According to OSHA the Final Rule will be filed on March 20th at the Office of the Federal Register and available for viewing on their Public Electronic Inspection Desk. The Federal Register will publish the final rule on March 26, 2012. The effective date of the final rule is 60 days after the date of publication.”

The revised HCS, which OSHA is calling HazCom 2012, is expected to affect every U.S. workplace with exposure to hazardous chemicals, and is estimated to cover over 5 million facilities and over 40 million workers. The first compliance date employers should be aware of is December 1, 2013, which is the date by which employees must be trained on the new label and SDS formats. OSHA is now calling this standard the “Right to Understand” updating the “Right to Know” concept behind the former HCS.

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TSCA section 8(a) and TSCA section 8(d) Reporting Hydraulic Fracturing Chemicals

EPA has announced plans to develop an Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (ANPRM) and initiate a stakeholder process to provide input on the design and scope of the TSCA reporting requirements for Hydraulic Fracturing Chemicals. This would include chemical information reporting under TSCA section 8(a) and health and safety data reporting under TSCA section 8(d). EPA anticipates that states, industry, public interest groups and members of the public will be participants in the stakeholder process.

No proposed schedule for the ANPRM was released.

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EPA Proposes No Revision To Current Greenhouse Gas PSD Program

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is proposing not to change the greenhouse gas (GHG) permitting thresholds for the Prevention of Significant Deterioration (PSD) and Title V Operating Permit programs, and also proposing steps the agency believes would streamline the permitting process for large sources. EPA has proposed not to include additional, smaller sources in the permitting program at this time. EPA will be accepting comments on the proposal for 45 days after it is published in the Federal Register.

The GHG Tailoring Rule would continue to address a group of six greenhouse gases: carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4), nitrous oxide (N2O), hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), perfluorocarbons (PFCs), and sulfur hexafluoride (SF6). Under the approach maintained in the current proposal, new facilities with GHG emissions of at least 100,000 tons per year (tpy) carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e) continue to be required to obtain PSD permits. Existing facilities that emit 100,000 tpy of CO2e and make changes increasing the GHG emissions by at least 75,000 tpy CO2e, must also obtain PSD permits. Facilities that must obtain a PSD permit, to include other regulated pollutants, must also address GHG emission increases of 75,000 tpy or more of CO2e. New and existing sources with GHG emissions above 100,000 tpy CO2e must also obtain operating permits.

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