The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced today that it is extending the deadline for reporting greenhouse gas emissions from March 31, 2011, to "later this summer." According to the agency’s press release, "This extension will allow EPA to further test the system that facilities will use to submit data and give industry the opportunity to test the tool, provide feedback, and have sufficient time to become familiar with the tool prior to reporting." Details will be announced later this month.
The extension is good news for the roughly 10,000 facilities affected by the GHG Reporting Rule. As Reuters reported, both the National Petrochemical and Refiners Association and the American Chemistry Council applauded the decision.
The delay should have little, if any, impact on state GHG reporting rules. For example, California has required facilities in that state to report since 2009; while Massachusetts and Oregon started requiring reports last year. By contrast, the state of Washington rules (PDF) do not require the first reports until March 31, 2013, for 2012 emissions.
But the bigger question remains, what will Congress do? If efforts are successful to delay or prevent EPA implementation of its various GHG rules, including the reporting rule, the current extension could become indefinite.
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