Methane Super Emitter Program: Frequently Asked Questions
Data Reporting
-
How do certified third-party notifiers figure out the owner(s)/operator(s) to include in submitted notifications? Will EPA review these attributions before making them publicly available?
When entities apply to become certified third-party notifiers, among other things, they must provide EPA information about their standard operating procedures. This includes their process for identifying and verifying the owner/operator of a site where a super-emitter event occurs and the source of information that will be used to make…
-
What is the Designating Officials Form?
The Designating Officials Form or DRO is an optional way for owners/operators to provide facility and contact information. It is a spreadsheet available through owner/operator EPA Central Data Exchange or CDX accounts and is designed to accommodate bulk uploading of information on facilities. Once you have submitted a DRO, you…
-
What is the process for owners/operators to update facility IDs associated with an account, for example, if there is a corporate ownership change?
We encourage owners and operators to use the optional Designating Officials Form to keep their records in EPA’s databases up to date.
-
May owners/operators designate contractors in EPA’s Central Data Exchange to prepare responses to notifications?
Yes. As in other EPA programs, contractors would need to set up their own accounts in EPA’s Central Data Exchange . However, an official of the owner or operator with the relevant legal authority would need to sign an attestation when submitting the report, as described in the regulatory text…
-
Will the EPA send notifications to owner/operators if, at the time of sending, more than 15 days has passed since the event was detected (e.g., if the certified third-party notifier submits the notification 14 days after detection and the EPA takes 2 days to send to the owner/operator)?
If a third-party notifier submits a notification to the EPA within 15 calendar days of the date of detection of the super-emitter event, the EPA will review for completeness and accuracy, as described in the rule, and if appropriate, the EPA will send the notification to the owner/operator. The EPA…
-
As an owner/operator expecting to receive notifications, can I provide EPA information in advance to facilitate receiving them, and if so, how do I identify the facilities that are within my purview?
We encourage owners and operators to provide facility and contact information via the optional Designating Officials Form, which is available through the dashboard for your EPA Central Data Exchange account.
-
Does each person have to register individually in the Central Data Exchange or CDX for the Methane Super Emitter Program, or can a central person at the organization add users to the organization’s account?
Yes, each person within an organization needs to sign up for their own CDX account. There are two types of accounts: preparer and signatory. Signing up for signatory authority for an organization brings with it the ability to invite and approve additional users to set up accounts associated with that…
-
What happens if I observe a leak from my equipment but have not received a notification?
The Methane Super Emitter program only applies to leaks reported to the EPA by certified third-party notifiers that meet certain criteria. If you have not received a notification from the EPA, you do not have any obligations to conduct investigations or submit a report to the EPA under the Methane…
-
What if the notification the EPA sends goes to contact information for someone who is temporarily away, such as on leave, or that is no longer valid?
We encourage owners and operators to use the Designating Responsible Officials form available in their Central Data Exchange Methane Super Emitter dashboard to keep their records in the EPA’s databases up to date to avoid missing any notifications that the EPA sends. The Designating Officials form has space for both…
-
What if the owner/ operator investigates but can’t find the source of a super-emitter event for which it received a notification from the EPA?
If an owner/operator conducts all applicable investigations for all affected facilities and associated equipment subject to these requirements and is unable to identify the source of the super-emitter event, they would indicate that in the report submitted to the EPA and provide the certifications required under 40 CFR 60.5341b(e)(3).
-
How can owner/operators submit demonstrable error claims, how will EPA reflect the demonstrable error claims and their resolution on public websites, and how can owner/operators request EPA review of its decision?
After receiving a notification from EPA of a super-emitter event, owners and operators claiming a demonstrable error in the notification should use the Owner/Operator Response Form (OMB Control No. 2060-0721) and select “Yes” in response to “Do you assert a demonstrable error in the notification?” Owners and operators making such…