tamatoledonews.com- The Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR) has released its third annual greenhouse gas (GHG) inventory to the Governor and General Assembly. Overall, 2009 greenhouse gas emissions decreased 8 percent from those emitted in 2008.

“The overall reduction is most likely due to the economic recession and associated changes in energy use,” said Marnie Stein, author of the report. Overall reported emissions were 56.69 million metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalents (MMtCO2e) in 2009 compared to 61.13 MMtCO2e in 2008.

According to the EPA’s Greenhouse Gas Equivalencies Calculator, total 2009 GHG emissions are equal to the annual GHG emissions from 10.8 million passenger vehicles or the CO2 emissions from the electricity use of 6.9 million homes for one year.

The DNR Greenhouse Gas emissions report is narrow in scope. Ethanol production plants and major sources of emissions that have federally-enforceable operating permits are required to estimate their greenhouse gas emissions from fossil fuel combustion, ethanol fermentation, cement manufacturing, lime manufacturing, ammonia production, nitric acid production, iron and steel production, and soda ash consumption. Reported greenhouse gases include carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, hydrofluorocarbons, perfluorocarbons and sulfur hexafluoride.

The U.S. EPA finalized its Mandatory Reporting of Greenhouse Gases Rule in October 2009. This rule requires reporting of annual GHG emissions in 2010 from fossil fuel suppliers, industrial GHG suppliers, vehicle and engine manufacturers, and facilities that emit 25,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent (mtCO2e) or more per year of GHG emissions. The DNR estimates that approximately 80 to 100 Iowa facilities currently reporting GHG emissions to DNR will be subject to federal reporting starting with calendar year 2010.

The DNR plans to obtain the data collected by the EPA so that duplicate reporting will not be required.