The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced today that it is postponing the March 31 deadline for submitting the first greenhouse gas emission reports under the Mandatory Greenhouse Gas Reporting Rule (Mandatory Reporting Rule).
As we reported in our February 28, 2011 LawFlash,[1] the Mandatory Reporting Rule required subject operations to submit reports of their greenhouse gas emissions data from calendar year 2010 by March 31, 2011. Today's action by EPA adjourns that deadline, but does not set a new deadline for when entities must report their 2010 greenhouse gas emissions data. EPA plans to issue the final tool for uploading data for the reports this summer.
EPA explained that the purpose of the extension was to allow EPA to further test the system for submitting greenhouse gas emissions data and to provide industry members with the opportunity to test the tool, provide feedback, and become familiar with the tool prior to submitting their reports. EPA stated that it will provide additional information on these changes to the greenhouse gas reporting program in the following weeks and will ensure that the extension of the reporting deadline is in effect before March 31, 2011.
Please contact any of the Morgan Lewis attorneys listed below if you have any questions about the requirements or deadlines discussed in this LawFlash.
[1]. Read the full February 28, 2011 LawFlash, "Greenhouse Gas Reporting Deadline Approaches for Most Subject Industries," at http://www.morganlewis.com/pubs/Environmental_LF_GreenhouseGasReportingDeadline_28feb11.pdf.