Amid the global urgency to combat climate change, the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) “Climate Enforcement and Compliance Strategy” carries significant weight. The EPA’s newly issued guidance memo underscores its strong commitment to mitigating methane emissions, a potent greenhouse gas. This blog will delve into the EPA’s latest strategy and its alignment with our cutting-edge satellite technology.
EPA strategy has put the climate crisis front and center ─ resounding it as a call to action to all enforcement officers to prioritize climate change within their jurisdictions, as they see fit, in every relevant case.
Oil and gas methane emissions in focus
The central focus of this strategy is the enhanced enforcement of regulations related to methane emissions from oil and gas facilities. It places a specific spotlight on compliance with the proposed performance standards, which also proposes a definition for super-emitters.
This includes the use of new technologies such as remote sensing for quantifying emissions from other large release events to improve verification and transparency of the data collected. The strategy also addresses methane emissions from landfills and combat the illegal importation of hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs).
Pioneering satellite technology
Our advanced high-resolution satellite technology offers unparalleled capabilities in detecting and monitoring emissions at the facility level. It excels in identifying super-emitting events, defined as emissions of 100 kg/hr or larger.
Independent tests conducted by Stanford University earlier this year confirmed the unique ability of GHGSat’s satellites to accurately detect methane leaks down to this level. This not only ensures compliance with proposed performance standards but also equips organizations with actionable data to mitigate emissions and reduce carbon footprints.
Landfill emissions monitoring
Methane emissions from landfills is another critical aspect of the EPA’s strategy. GHGSat’s unique satellite emissions monitoring service can accurately quantify emissions from landfills and dumpsites with unparalleled accuracy and coverage across the globe, all at a lower cost than traditional on-the-ground readings.
Leveraging High-Resolution Satellite Technology for EPA Enforcement
The EPA’s commitment to stringent enforcement of methane emissions regulations presents an opportunity for businesses to utilize high-resolution satellite technology while ensuring compliance with EPA regulations.
- Compliance Assurance: High-resolution satellite technology helps to identify emissions the faster, reducing penalties for non-compliance. It assists operators in swiftly identifying and mitigating emissions, reducing the risk of large, unlawful emissions events known as super-emitter events.
- Improved Decision-Making: Accurate and precise greenhouse gas emissions data empowers organizations with actionable data, allowing to make confident decisions regarding emissions reduction and mitigation strategies. Informed decision-making is key to efficiently managing emissions and aligning with EPA regulations.
- Environmental Responsibility: Continuous monitoring and detection to reduce emissions can enhance your corporate image and reputation, demonstrating a commitment to environmental responsibility.
In addition to methane emissions, the EPA’s climate enforcement and compliance program aims to reduce emissions of various greenhouse gases, including carbon dioxide (CO2). Their efforts include a wide range of sectors, including gas flaring, emissions from storage tanks, and compliance with the Greenhouse Gas Reporting Rule.
By the end of 2023, three additional GHGSat methane monitoring payloads will be launched, expanding the satellite constellation to twelve. Among these, the first commercial and high-resolution CO2 monitoring payload will monitor industrial sources of carbon dioxide.
This expansion in greenhouse gas monitoring capacity enables us to revisit energy facilities daily for our customers. By the half of 2023, with nine satellites in orbit, GHGSat detected 400 MTCO2e of methane emissions, equivalent to the emissions produced by approximately 88 million cars driving for a year.
As the EPA intensifies its efforts to reduce methane emissions, GHGSat is here to assist operators in understanding and complying with these rules. Our advanced satellite technology ensures swift identification and mitigation of emissions, aligning with your goals of environmental sustainability and regulatory compliance.
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