Proposed changes to GHG reporting rules

On 10^th March, the EPA proposed changes to its GHG reporting requirements that the American Public Gas Association have said will affect natural gas distribution operators that currently have to report estimated fugitive emissions of natural gas from distribution piping. Only systems with estimated emissions of methane and CO₂ equivalent to 25 000 t or more are currently required to report. Emissions are estimated, rather than measured, based on mileage of mains by material, number of service lines by material, number of underground regulator stations by inlet pressure, and a count of leaking components at gate stations owned by the operator. Current rules require the operator to perform complex and confusing calculations specified in the regulations to convert mileage and counts into CO₂ equivalents.

Thoughts on the proposals

The proposed rules would require fewer calculations by reporting operators as EPA would now perform the calculations to convert reported methane in to CO₂ equivalents. Operators would only perform calculations to convert standard ft³ into t of methane. Many APGA members have complained about the confusion caused by the current rules and EPA’s unresponsiveness to questions, so APGA members have complained about the confusion caused by the current rules and EPA’s unresponsiveness to questions, so APGA welcomes EPA’s attempts to simplfy the reporting leakage from the system that grossly exceeds reasonable amounts, sometimes exceeding the total unaccounted for gas. These overestimates of distribution system leakage have often been mischaracterised in the press and by congressional analysts. APGA welcomes any effort to make reporting easier and more accurate.

Comments on the above are due to the EPA by 24^th April 2014. 

Adapted from a press release by Claira Lloyd.

Read the article online at: https://www.hydrocarbonengineering.com/gas-processing/14032014/changes_to_ghg_reporting266/