SWANA supports proposed changes to reporting rule

The Solid Waste Association of North America (SWANA) submitted comments to the Environmental Protection Agency regarding proposed revisions to the mandatory greenhouse gas reporting rule in September.

SWANA agreed with the following revisions proposed by EPA:

• Waste-to-Energy (WTE) units processing 600 tons per day or less should be able to use the Tier 2 reporting method.
• Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) should be removed from the definition of fossil fuel in the rule and MSW and tires should be listed as “other fuels” not “fossil fuel derived”.
• Facilities should be able to use default moisture values if they measure CO2 on a dry basis, consistent with requirements under the Acid Rain Program.

“We encourage EPA to move ahead with these changes and to issue a final rule as soon as possible so that waste-to-energy facilities know for certain what is required of them” said John H. Skinner, SWANA executive director and CEO. “Waste-to-energy facilities can make an important contribution to reducing greenhouse gas emissions and providing renewable energy” added Skinner.

SWANA was not in agreement with all of the revisions proposed by EPA. One such revision was the requirement to report aggregate carbon dioxide emissions, instead of separating out biogenic emissions from anthropogenic ones. The majority of emissions from WTE are biogenic in nature and for more accurate reporting SWANA supports reporting them separately.

These changes are the result of a settlement between EPA and the Energy Recovery Council, the national trade association representing the waste-to-energy industry. The notice published on August 11, 2010 allows the opportunity for additional public comments on the revisions. If EPA doesn’t make these changes final, ERC can continue the lawsuit.