On April 15, EPA released the15th annual U.S. Greenhouse Gas Inventory Report, which shows a drop in overall emissions of 2.9 percent from 2007 to 2008. The downward trend is attributed to a decrease in carbon dioxide emissions associated with fuel and electricity consumption. Total emissions of the six main greenhouse gases in 2008 were equivalent to 6,957 million metric tons of carbon dioxide. The gases include carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, hydrofluorocarbons, perfluorocarbons and sulfur hexafluoride. Though overall emissions dropped in 2008, emissions are still 13.5 percent higher than they were in 1990.
The Inventory of U.S. Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Sinks: 1990-2008 is the latest annual report that the United States has submitted to the Secretariat of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. The convention sets an overall framework for intergovernmental efforts to tackle the challenge posed by climate change. EPA prepares the annual report with experts from multiple federal agencies and after gathering comments from a broad range of stakeholders across the country. The inventory tracks annual greenhouse gas emissions at the national level and presents historical emissions from 1990 to 2008. The inventory also calculates carbon dioxide emissions that are removed from the atmosphere by “sinks,” which occurs through the uptake of carbon by forests, vegetation and soils.
Landfills accounted for approximately 22 percent of total U.S. anthropogenic methane (CH4) emissions in 2008, the second largest contribution of any CH4 source in the United States. Additionally, wastewater treatment and composting of organic waste accounted for approximately 4 percent and less than 1 percent of U.S. CH4 emissions, respectively. Nitrous oxide (N2O) emissions from the discharge of wastewater treatment effluents into aquatic environments were estimated, as were N2O emissions from the treatment process itself.
The National Biosolids Partnership (NBP) will be hosting a free webcast - Carbon Footprint Implications from Biosolids Management Practices – on Wednesday, January 27 from 2-4 pm EST. The webcast will bring together wastewater utilities and regulators who will explore the regulatory environment, implications of land application of biosolids for reducing carbon footprint and costs, green aspects of biosolids processing and use, and a case study of how a utility’s biosolids program got green.
Join NBP for the first of four free quarterly webcasts based on critical biosolids technical topics.
California Wastewater Climate Change Group has been tracking the evolution of Guidelines for addressing GHG emissions under CEQA as they are being adopted by air districts around the state. In the Bay Area, the group submitted comments and public testimony requesting that biogenic emissions not be counted toward the threshold in determining whether a project’s GHG emissions are significant under CEQA. BAAQMD responded with revised guidelines, which include the following language:
Biogenic emissions should not be included in the quantification of greenhouse gas emissions for a project. Biogenic emissions are defined as carbon dioxide emissions resulting from materials that are derived from living cells, excluding fossil fuels, limestone and other materials that have been transformed by geological processes. Biogenic carbon dioxide originates from carbon (released in the form of emissions) that is present in materials that include, but are not limited to, wood, paper, vegetable oils, animal fat, and food, animal and yard waste.
Therefore, the indirect emissions from wastewater treatment include only the GHGs associated with the electricity use in wastewater treatment. This language sets precedent for other air districts still evaluating how they will address GHGs under CEQA.
Read more about BAAQMD’s proposed CEQA Guidelines
First published by SCAP, here are California Wastewater Climate Change Group (CWCCG) updates from Kris Flaig and Greg Adams on the past year and the coming year in climate change regulations…
By Kris Flaig
City of Los Angeles
The apparent lull of August was followed by the Herculean efforts by the State Legislature to pass several hundred bills, several of which directly affect the SCAQMD, some of which could affect us all down the road. The Governor, true to his promise, signed a few and vetoed several, then called the legislature back to work for unfinished business. [snip]
While legislative progress was made, POTWs are making some progress through the California Wastewater Climate Change Group (CWCCG). Our consultant, CH2M Hill, led by Jackie Kepke, is able to use the collaborative efforts of POTWs across the State (e.g., LACSD and BACWA), as well as NACWA and ACWA positions, to approach regulators. Jackie submitted comments to the ARB on Mandatory GHG Emission Reporting, providing feedback relative to a recent ARB Workshop, including comments on problems with reporting, and sampling and testing. In a letter to the ARB on Combined Heat and Power (CHP), Jackie expressed the need to exclude municipal wastewater (an essential public service) from a Cap and Trade Program, and for incentives combined with fewer regulatory hurdles for CHP to use renewable fuels. CWCCG leadership, led by Jackie, will be meeting with ARB senior staff regarding Cap and Trade issues. Jackie and her CH2M Hill colleagues also attend and report on specific workshops and webinars. The CWCCG Steering Committee is working closely with our consultant to effectuate the direction desired by the CWCCG Policy Committee.
CWEA is working to evaluate the need for workshops to educate the wastewater community on greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions reporting, climate change regulations (e.g., cap and trade), and climate change adaptation. Please take a 5-minute survey to help us better understand what education and training would be useful to you. Please provide your response by Tuesday, December 1st. Click here to take the survey or paste this URL into your web browser. http://www.zoomerang.com/Survey/?p=WEB229WHZLW87J
As background…Per the Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006, AB 32, the California Air Resources Board (ARB) is in the process of developing regulations to reduce California’s greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions to 1990 levels by the year 2020. In 2007 ARB adopted a mandatory reporting regulation, effective January 2009, which requires certain facilities and entities to report their GHG emissions on an annual basis. ARB has also developed a Scoping Plan, which outlines more than 70 emission reduction measures to be developed in conjunction with other state agencies (e.g., CPUC, CEC). There are over 10 Scoping Plan measures that impact the wastewater community, including cap and trade. The wastewater community may be profoundly affected by decisions being made by ARB and other regulatory agencies in pursuit of meeting the goals of AB 32.
CWEA members interested in receiving regular email updates about Climate Change issues can join the Climate Change email group by subscribing at http://lists.casaweb.org/mailman/listinfo/cc. For more information about the email list and the Wastewater Climate Change Group click here.
The California Wastewater Climate Change Group (CWCCG) is forging ahead on Climate Change issues, striving to monitor and influence 13 priority project areas of more than 70 Scoping Plan Measures for which the Air Resources Board (ARB) seeks to adopt regulations.
CWEA members interested in receiving regular email updates about Climate Change issues can join the Climate Change email group by subscribing at http://lists.casaweb.org/mailman/listinfo/cc.
Who is the CWCCG?
The CWCCG is a partnership between SCAP, BACWA, CVCWA, and CASA. The contract is administered by CASA with direction from a Steering Committee (SC) made up of one representative from each organization (Kris Flaig – City of LA for SCAP; Stephanie Cheng – EBMUD for BACWA; Vicki Fry – Sacramento Regional for CVCWA; and Greg Kester for CASA). The actual work is chosen by a Policy Committee (PC) who sets the direction of the CWCCG. The PC now consist of the five (5) major SCAP donors, two (2) major CVCWA donors, five (5) designated BACWA members, and three (3) designated CASA members Bobbi Larson, (CASA) Dan Carlson (City of Santa Rosa) and Jim Clark(Black and Veatch), in addition to the SC.
Priority issues include: Cap & Trade, Renewable Energy Portfolio Standards (RPSs), federal and State legislation, and the ARB Low Carbon Fuel Standard (LCFS), implementation of CEQA greenhouse gas (GHG) thresholds for monitoring and reporting, along with the CWCCG structure and communications.
by Kris Flaig, City of Los Angeles
First published by SCAP.
Climate Change (CC) continues to dominate the “air-scape” with the Governor signing Executive Order S-21-09, which requires the Air Resources Board (ARB) to adopt regulation by July 31, 2010, “consistent with the 33% renewable energy target” by 2020. The California Wastewater Climate Change Group (CWCCG) if forging ahead on CC issues, striving to monitor and influence 13 priority project areas of more than 70 Scoping Plan Measures for which the ARB seeks to adopt regulations.
By Wendy Wert
LABS Director
CWEA Chair, Training Coordination
On September 24, 2009 the American Academy of Environmental Engineers (AAEE) hosted a dinner and networking seminar at Loyola Marymount University (LMU). Participants were enlightened, inspired, and entertained. The “Sustainable Wastewater Operations” topic drew attendees from a broad spectrum of the environmental profession, including: professors, researchers, managers, practitioners, technicians, advocates, manufacturers, vendors and students. The evening began with a stimulating networking session on the breezeway of LMU’s University Center. Participants then dined in the MacIntosh Room where they engaged in discussions of resource recovery alternatives from individual experiences. In addition to the sponsored students, two LMU engineering classes joined attendees in the Ahmanson Auditorium for the presentation portion of the event.
Speakers Tim Haug, Deputy City Engineer for Los Angeles and Rich Atwater General Manager of the Inland Empire Utilities Agency.
A very, very low water line.
Climate change, drought and endangered fish create a “perfect storm” in California.
Follow this link to read a recent article from KPBS (a public service of San Diego State University), the first installment in their week-long series exploring California’s water supply.
San Diego Faces Water Supply Challenges
