Submit Your Comments on the USEPA Draft GHG Report!

On February 15, 2023, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) sent out a Federal Register notice regarding the draft of the Inventory of US Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Emissions and Sinks 1990-2021 that is now available for the public to review. In this notice, the EPA is requesting recommendations to improve the overall quality of the inventory report. The EPA aims to finalize this report, along with the subsequent inventory reports, by April 2023. The draft can be found at https://www.epa.gov/ghgemissions/draft-inventory-us-greenhouse-gas-emissions-and-sinks-1990-2021.

Inventory of US GHG Emissions and Sinks

The US Inventory of GHG Emissions and Sinks is an annual report. The latest draft of the report displays 1990-2021 recorded data for man-made sources of GHG emissions. It also includes the removal of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere by “sinks, ” which occur in places such as forests, vegetation, and soils where carbon uptake can take place. The inventory of gas emissions includes carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, hydrofluorocarbons, perfluorocarbons, sulfur hexafluoride, and nitrogen trifluoride. The report then gets submitted to the United Nations in accordance with the Framework Convention on Climate Change.

Example of one of the key findings from the DRAFT 1990-2021:

“Emissions increased from 2020 to 2021 by 6.8 percent (after accounting for sequestration from the land sector). The increase in total greenhouse gas emissions was driven largely by an increase in CO₂ emissions from fossil fuel combustion. In 2021, CO₂ emissions from fossil fuel combustion increased by 7.0 percent relative to the previous year. This increase in fossil fuel consumption emissions was due primarily to economic activity rebounding after the COVID-19 pandemic. Greenhouse gas emissions in 2021 (after accounting for sequestration from the land sector) were 16.3 percent below 2005 levels.” (EPA)

How to Submit Comments

Comments are being welcomed until March 17, 2023. Any comments received after this date will be considered for the next edition of the report. There are several options to submit your comments:

• Online submission via Federal eRulemaking Portal: https://www.regulations.gov (identified by Docket ID NO. EPA-HQ-OAR-2023-001)
• Hardcopy submission to the GHG Inventory at: Environmental Protection Agency, Climate Change Division (6207A), 1200 Pennsylvania Ave. NW, Washington, DC 20460, Fax: (202) 343-2342
• Submit via email to GHGInventory@epa.gov

Other submission methods together with the full EPA public comment policy, information about confidential business information (CBI), and general guidance can be found at https://www.epa.gov/dockets.

Walden will track any updates related to the publication of the final report, and we will follow up with another blog. Read some of Walden’s other recent posts on the EPA’s efforts to combat climate change here and here. If you need help navigating air quality requirements at the federal, state, or local level, reach out to one of Walden’s air experts at 516-588-6859.