December 21, 2011

The WCI today releases updated Final Essential Requirements for Mandatory Reporting  for use in Canadian Partner jurisdictions “the Canadian ERs.” This is the second update to the WCI Essential Requirements, which were originally published on July 16, 2009 and first amended in the Canadian ERs published on December 17, 2010.  

This update is designed to be adopted by Canadian jurisdictions for 2012 calendar year emissions, due to be reported in 2013. Where no amendments to specific quantification methods are made in this package, the December 17, 2010 Canadian ERs remain in effect. The following updates have been made:

1. WCI.020 (General Stationary Combustion)
   1. Biomass emission factor revisions
   2. Carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous oxide equation improvements
   3. Refinement to sampling, analysis and measurement procedures; and
   4. References to test standards updated
2. WCI.040 (Electricity Generation), WCI.090 (Cement Manufacturing), WCI.210 (Pulp and Paper Manufacturing), WCI.160 (Lead Production), and WCI.240 (Zinc Production) –
   1. Minor clarifications made in each method
   2. Clarification made on where to report black liquor emissions
3. WCI.350 (Natural Gas Transmission and Distribution) and WCI.360 (Petroleum and Natural Gas Systems)
   1. Clarified and updated application of different quantification methods and information to be reported
   2. Simplified equations to basic units
   3. Split reporting for pneumatic devices and extended phase-in period for metering
   4. Updated and harmonized acid gas removal venting or incineration methods
   5. Deleted incorrect well venting for liquids unloading equation and clarified application of method
   6. Updated equations for gas well venting during well completions and workovers
   7. Clarified by adding method for well testing venting and flaring where very little hydrocarbon liquids are produced
   8. Incorporated EPA methods for centrifugal compressors and expanded method to include dry seal venting
   9. Allowed application of emission factor approach for small oil and gas compressors
   10. Removed limitation on choice of storage tank methods
   11. Corrected equipment references for application of leak detection and population count methods
   12. Clarified application of population count method and extended phase-in for specific measurements
   13. Further incorporated known field gas compositions into various methods
   14. Clarified reporting of third-party line hits and transmission storage tanks
   15. Updated emission factor tables and added manufacturer bleed rate tables

Updates were made for the following reasons:

1. Stakeholder comments/issues provided to jurisdictions during the first and second years of mandatory reporting were compiled and evaluated by the Reporting Committee and incorporated where appropriate.
2. On November 30, 2010 the U.S. EPA published Subpart W, covering oil and gas sources. In the December 2010 Canadian ERs, the WCI evaluated and incorporated a subset of the Subpart W oil and gas quantification methods. In order to harmonize the methods, the WCI Partners directed the Reporting Committee to develop for publication in 2011 amended Canadian ERs that are further harmonized with the EPA rule and also meet the demands of a cap and trade program, while simplifying reporting as much as possible. This package incorporates the Canadian version of the updates to meet the WCI Partner direction.

Revisions to Subpart W that were published on December 2, 2011 have not been reviewed in detail and will be subject to further review by the WCI. During this process, further stakeholder comment on the WCI.350 and WCI.360 quantification methods will likely be sought.