Environmental Leader

Companies that want to make their opinions known about the Environmental Protection Agency’s proposal for greenhouse gas reporting will have a chance to do so publicly.

First-year compliance with the rule would cost the private sector $160 million, EPA estimates, with subsequent years costing $127 million.

The EPA is holding public hearings April 6 and 7 in Arlington, Va. The hearings last from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Hearings will be held at: EPA Potomac Yard South Conference Center, 2777 Crystal Drive, Room S-1204, Arlington, VA 22202.

Learn more  about the hearing here.

When announced, it was speculated that the EPA proposal may be a way to regulate emissions. Since then, EPA has proposed classifying carbon dioxide as a pollutant, under the Clean Air Act.

EPA has proposed that suppliers of fossil fuels or industrial greenhouse gases, manufacturers of vehicles and engines, and facilities that emit 25,000 metric tons or more per year of GHG emissions submit annual reports to EPA.

The proposed rule would cover the following gases:

• carbon dioxide (CO2),
• methane (CH4),
• nitrous oxide (N2O),
• hydrofluorocarbons (HFC),
• perfluorocarbons (PFC),
• sulfur hexafluoride (SF6), and
• other fluorinated gases including nitrogen trifluoride (NF3) and hydrofluorinated ethers (HFE).