Call for Information: Information on Inputs to Emission Equations Under the Mandatory Reporting of Greenhouse Gases Rule

Document ID: EPA-HQ-OAR-2010-0964-0001
Docket ID: EPA-HQ-OAR-2010-0964

EPA is publishing this call for information and public comment to solicit certain additional information pertaining to reporting of inputs to emission equations under the Mandatory Greenhouse Gas Reporting Rule. In response to EPA's July 7, 2010 proposed confidentiality determinations for data required under the reporting rule, EPA received several comments that warrant in-depth evaluation of potential harm to businesses from possible public availability of some of this data.

Consistent with EPA's long-standing interpretation, EPA proposed that data elements in the inputs to emission equations data category meet the definition of emission data under 40 CFR 2.301(a)(2)(i) and therefore, under CAA section 114(c), could not be held as confidential once they were reported to EPA. EPA received numerous public comments on the July 7, 2010 CBI proposal and the July 27, 2010 supplemental CBI proposal.

Though the EPA is still in the process of considering these comments, they plan to complete their consideration of these comments and issue final confidentiality determinations for the Part 98 data elements that are not inputs to emission equations, which constitute approximately 75 percent of the data elements, in a separate final action.

However, EPA received comments that raise concerns regarding the public availability of data in the inputs to emission equations category. Almost all commenters from industry wrote that some or all inputs to emission equations (which include product compositions, raw materials used, fuel types and quantities, production volumes, and other process-specific information) are considered trade secrets or otherwise sensitive business information, and that making that information publicly available would cause them serious competitive harm.

Some commenters expressed concern that public disclosure of production volumes and process-specific information could give competitors insight into sensitive operational limits and process capabilities.

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