Category Archives: US EPA

Greenhouse Gas and Source Registration Due Dates Approaching Reply

by • EH&S Compliance, Greenhouse Gas, MassDEP, US EPA • Tags: ,

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MassDEP) Greenhouse Gas (GHG) and Source Registration reporting deadlines are fast approaching.

EPA Mandatory Greenhouse Gas Reporting – Due April 1st

The EPA mandatory GHG reporting regulation [40 CFR 98] requires any person owning, operating, or controlling the following facilities to report their 2012 carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e) emissions to the EPA:

• One of 17 identified industry categories
• One of seven identified industry categories, that emit greater than 25,000 metric tons or more of CO2e per year
• Facilities that do not meet the above, that have combustion units in aggregate equal to or greater than 30 million Btu per hour, that emit 25,000 metric tons or more of CO2e per year from fuel combustion
• Identified suppliers, producers and importers of GHGs

All requested data must be reported using the EPA’s online Electronic Greenhouse Gas Reporting Tool (e-GGRT) by April 1, 2013.

Mass Air Source Registrations and Emissions Statements Annual Filer Reports – Due April 15

MassDEP requires submittal of Air Source Registration/Emission Statements annually for some sources and triennially (every three years) for others. The MassDEP has implemented staggered filing deadlines as follows:

• Annual filers
 Operating Permit facilities must file by April 15, 2013
 Non-Operating Permit facilities that are required to file annually must file by May 15, 2013
• Triennial filers
 Facilities required to file every three years will receive notification from the MassDEP that their filing is due on either June 3 or July 15, 2013

MassDEP expects filers to use its eDEP on-line source registration filing system. Submittal of hardcopy form is not required.

If your facility meets the criteria under 310 CMR 7.12 for filing Source Registration (SR), reports are due regardless of whether MassDEP sends you a letter. However, you should check the mailing list on the SR web page at Filing Schedules & Deadlines first to see if your facility has been deferred to a later year. If you think there is a mistake in the list, and you should (or should not) be on it (or scheduled for a different year), e-mail air.quality@state.ma.us explaining why the list is wrong.

NOTE: You may be directed by MassDEP to submit a Source Registration through communications other than the annual notice letters. For example, you may be directed to submit as part of an inspection, enforcement action, or permit. You must submit when so directed regardless of whether or not you receive one of the annual Source Registration notice letters.

Mass Mandatory Greenhouse Gas Reporting – Due April 15

The MassDEP mandatory GHG Reporting regulation [310 CMR 7.71] requires any person owning, operating, or controlling the following facilities to report their 2012 carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e) emissions to the MassDEP:

• All Operating Permit facilities with GHG emissions (310 CMR 7.00, Appendix C)
• All facilities that emit greater than 5,000 short tons of CO2e per year

All required data must be reported to the Climate Registry Information System (CRIS) by April 15, 2013.

Please note: Per an update to the General Reporting Protocol dated January 2nd, 2013, there are updated emission factors that are to be used for reporting this year. See the link below for more information:

http://www.theclimateregistry.org/downloads/2013/01/2013-Climate-Registry-Default-Emissions-Factors.pdf

Reporting facilities that have not previously been verified will also be required to verify their reporting year 2012 emissions by December 31, 2013.

For assistance with your SR or GHG reporting, please contact John Baycroft at 508.970.0033 x144 or jbaycroft@capaccio.com. We can sit alongside and assist you in the process, peer review your submittal, or complete the entire process for you.

Formaldehyde and Hexavalent Chromium Compounds Designated as Higher Hazard Substances Reply

by • EH&S Compliance, EPCRA TRI, EPCRA/TURA, US EPA • Tags: ,

As of January 1, 2012, formaldehyde and hexavalent chromium compounds have become designated as Higher Hazard Substances and are subject to Toxics Use Reduction Act (TURA) reporting requirements. The deadline for the first reporting period for both chemicals is July 1, 2013 for facilities that have 10 or more employees and that manufacture, process or otherwise use 1,000 pounds or more of either reportable chemical. The first TUR Plan is due July 1, 2014.

Please remember to consider formaldehyde that may be manufactured as a byproduct when processing materials such as resins. Also, it is important that you separate out trivalent chromium compounds from hexavalent chromium compounds when calculating threshold quantities.

If you would like assistance in putting together an effective methodology for threshold and emission calculations, please contact Travis Wheeler at twheeler@capaccio.com or 508.970.0033 ext. 115.

TRI-ME Web Updates

There have been a few minor changes to the Tri-ME Web reporting software. There is now a tool that assists with calculating production ratio. There have been changes to the data quality alerts. You will now receive data quality alerts when large increases or decreases in emissions are noted without an associated change in production or source reduction technique. You will be prompted by the software to fix the error. There are also some interface changes such as pull down menus which will make reporting a little easier.

TRI/TURA Workshops

The Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection and the Office of Technical Assistance are partnering with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to hold four training sessions on calendar year 2012 TURA/Toxic Release Inventory (TRI) reporting requirements. These workshops are designed for experienced reporters and are free, but require registration via email.

Workshop Dates and Locations

Thursday, April 25, 2013
North Central Massachusetts Chamber of Commerce
860 South Street, Fitchburg

Thursday, May 2, 2013
Massachusetts Mutual Insurance Co. Learning & Training Conference Center
350 Memorial Drive (Route 33), Chicopee

Tuesday, May 14, 2013
ATMC Conference Center
151 Martine Drive, Fall River

Tuesday, May 21, 2012
Parker River National Wildlife Refuge Headquarters Building
6 Plum Island Turnpike, Newburyport

For more information or to register, please email Nicholas Leonardi of the EPA at leonardi.nicholas@epa.gov. Toxics Use Reduction Planners who attend one of these training sessions will qualify for six (6) continuing education credits.

EPA’s New Tier II Software Now Available Reply

by • EH&S Compliance, EPCRA Tier II, US EPA • Tags:

The newest version of Tier2Submit, the Environmental Protection Agency’s Tier II software developed to help facilities prepare electronic chemical inventory reports, is now available for download. This version, designed for Reporting Year (RY) 2012, can be used to report Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act (EPCRA) Tier II chemical inventory data. Each state and town may have specific reporting requirements so check with your state before starting the Tier II chemical inventory reports. These reports are due by March 1, 2013 for chemicals stored onsite in calendar year 2012.

Visit the EPA’s Tier II website at http://www.epa.gov/emergencies/content/epcra/tier2.htm to find information on state reporting requirements, to download the Tier2Submit 2012 software, and to review Tier II reporting forms and instructions. For more information, please contact Linda Swift at 508-970-0033 ext. 119 or lswift@capaccio.com.

Federal NPDES Stormwater Annual Site Inspections Due September 29 Reply

by • Stormwater, US EPA

Have you conducted your Stormwater Annual Site Inspection?  Companies with coverage under the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) Multi-Sector General Permit for stormwater discharges associated with industrial activity must conduct an Annual Comprehensive Site Inspection by September 29, 2012.  The period for the inspection is September 29, 2011- September 29, 2012.  The annual comprehensive site inspection includes an inspection of the areas where industrial activity may be exposed to stormwater, and a review of corrective actions taken during the reporting period.  The Annual Reporting Form (Appendix I of the MSGP) must be mailed to the EPA within 45 days after completion of the inspection.

Companies covered under the 2008 MSGP must continue quarterly visual assessments, routine facility inspections, and required effluent or benchmark monitoring.  Results for quarterly benchmark monitoring must be submitted to the EPA within 30 days of receiving the results from the laboratory.

“No Exposure” Certifications obtained under NPDES regulations for stormwater permitting in 2007 are valid for five years and will expire in 2012. Companies should reassess whether the “No Exposure” conditions still apply and renew if applicable. Companies that have never filed a “No Exposure” Certification should consider whether their facility can meet the conditions of the certification, therefore precluding the need for coverage under the MSGP.

If you have any questions or need assistance, please call Lucy Servidio at (508) 970-0033 extension 114 or lservidio@capaccio.com.