EPA 40 CFR Part 98

EPA 40 CFR Part 98 requires greenhouse gas emissions reporting effective January 1, 2010. Over 10,000 facilities have operations that fall under the reporting requirements to report annual output (in tons of mass flow) of greenhouse gases. Some of those applications are described in this Environmental Section in other specific listings: See Landfill Gas, Digester Gas–Farming Operations, Biogas, Ethanol Distillation & Refining, Flare Gas, and Flue Gas.

How Can Sage Help with Greenhouse Gas Reporting Requirements?

Sage Thermal Mass Flow Meters help quantify the emissions saved by measuring the mass flow rate, even at very low flows, and by providing a straightforward way to conduct the required periodic calibration field checks with its unique In-Situ Calibration procedure. Also, Sage provides non-resettable totalizers and a variety of outputs to comply with the various protocols associated with the U.S. EPA Greenhouse Gas Reporting Program and other environmental protocols.

The U.S. EPA Greenhouse Gas Reporting Mandate can be addressed using Sage Thermal Mass Flow Meters, which measure the mass flow rate of greenhouse gases.

Why is EPA 40 CFR Part 98 Important?

EPA published 40 CFR part 98 (Mandatory Greenhouse Gas Reporting) on October 30, 2009 (see 74 FR 56260). Part 98 is designed to collect the information necessary to characterize and quantify greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from a broad range of industry sectors. It applies to direct emitters of GHGs (e.g., glass manufacturing facilities) and to suppliers of products that, when used, may result in the release of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere (e.g., fossil fuels and industrial GHGs). Those entities subject to Part 98 are required to submit annual reports that contain not only GHG data but also the data needed to characterize, quantify, and verify GHG emissions and related information. The specific data required to be reported varies by source category (i.e., Part 98 subpart).

EPA Part 98 Confidentiality

During the development of Part 98, EPA received some comments from businesses and other stakeholders regarding their concern that some of the data reported consisted of trade secrets and other confidential business information that, if released to the public, would likely harm their competitive position. To address these concerns, EPA decided to make determinations on the confidentiality of reported data elements through a notice and comment process. As part of this process, EPA grouped Part 98 data elements into 22 different data categories, with each category containing data with similar characteristics.