California AB 32 GHG Support

In December 2007, the California Air Resources Board (ARB) promulgated AB 32 regulations requiring organizations to measure, calculate, report, and verify their greenhouse gas emissions if they are in selected industry sectors (cement, electricity transactions, refineries, cogeneration, and hydrogen plants) or are a general stationary combustion (GSC) source generating greater than or equal to 25,000 metric tons of CO2 per year. GSC facilities may include but are not limited to natural gas transmission, gas producers, food and beverage processing, paperboard and building products manufacturing, steel mills and foundries, colleges and universities, mineral processes, and glass container manufacturing. Starting 2009, operators of the facilities subject to mandatory reporting must submit its 2008 GHG inventory by April 1 or June 1 (June 1 for all facilities in 2009) and continue submitting the annual emissions data until the facility’s emissions drop below the prescribed thresholds for three consecutive years.

Mandatory reporting is intended to provide information that will assist ARB in development and implementation of strategies to restore GHG emissions to 1990 levels by the year 2020. Third party GHG verification is being required under the AB 32 regulation to ensure the reported emissions are accurate and independently verifiable. Mandatory third party verification is necessary as reported GHG data can have a direct effect on any future Cap-and-Trade Program. Verification is optional for all sources for the 2008 GHG inventory and required for all sources for the 2009 GHG inventory. The frequency of required third-party verification services is annual or triennial. Verification opinions are due to ARB six months after the submission of the GHG emission reports (October 1 or December 1, December 1 for all facilities in 2009).

Founded in 1974, Trinity Consultants is a nationwide environmental firm recognized as the leading air quality and climate change focused service provider.  As a recognized leader in industrial air quality issues, Trinity’s AB 32 GHG Verification Service Group is uniquely qualified to support our clients for the AB 32 verification services by identifying and verifying entity boundaries, emissions sources, emissions factors, electricity transactions, data reviews, measurements, and calculations to minimize any uncertainty in the GHG emissions data reported to ARB.  Trinity’s AB-32 GHG Verification Group is an ARB-accredited verification body with several accredited lead and sector specific verifiers.  Our AB 32 GHG Verification Services are conducted exclusively by ARB-certified Trinity verifiers, who have significant operational, emission calculations, and verification experience.  Our verifiers understand the reporting and calculations requirements and have in depth air quality experience with the myriad complex industries, including power/utility, refining, cement, hydrogen, electricity transactions, and other industries potentially affected by AB-32.  This experience allows Trinity to verify more than just the system through which data is gathered, but to provide in depth technical review of the emissions calculations and data gathered so as to minimize uncertainty in the emissions reported to ARB.

Trinity's Accredited AB 32 GHG Verifiers

For assistance, contact Vineet Masuraha in our Irvine, California office at (949) 296-4100 or vmasuraha@trinityconsultants.com