DEQ Climate Change and Greenhouse Gas Regulations 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which sector is the largest contributor to greenhouse gas emissions in the United States according to EPA data?
- Agriculture
- Industry
- Transportation (Correct answer)
- Electricity generation
Correct answer: Transportation
Transportation is currently the largest source of GHG emissions in the US, accounting for approximately 28% of total emissions, surpassing electricity generation.
Question 2: What is a 'cap-and-trade' system in the context of greenhouse gas regulation?
- A rule capping the number of new industrial facilities per year
- A market-based system where a limit on total emissions is set and allowances can be bought and sold (Correct answer)
- A requirement that all facilities trade in old equipment for newer, cleaner models
- A federal program capping state environmental agency budgets
Correct answer: A market-based system where a limit on total emissions is set and allowances can be bought and sold
Cap-and-trade sets an overall emissions limit (cap), issues tradable allowances up to that limit, and lets facilities buy or sell surplus allowances.
Question 3: Which international agreement established legally binding emission reduction targets for developed countries and is a key reference in state DEQ climate programs?
- Montreal Protocol
- Basel Convention
- Kyoto Protocol (Correct answer)
- Rotterdam Convention
Correct answer: Kyoto Protocol
The Kyoto Protocol (1997) was the first international agreement establishing binding GHG reduction targets for developed (Annex I) countries.
Question 4: Under what authority can a state DEQ require facilities to conduct a Best Available Control Technology (BACT) analysis for greenhouse gases?
- RCRA Subtitle C hazardous waste provisions
- Clean Water Act Section 404
- Clean Air Act Prevention of Significant Deterioration program (Correct answer)
- Safe Drinking Water Act primacy rules
Correct answer: Clean Air Act Prevention of Significant Deterioration program
The Clean Air Act's PSD program requires BACT analysis for regulated pollutants, including GHGs, when a new major source or modification triggers PSD review.
Question 5: What is the approximate 100-year Global Warming Potential (GWP) of methane (CH4) compared to CO2?
- 1 (same as CO2)
- About 28-36 times that of CO2 (Correct answer)
- About 100 times that of CO2
- About 300 times that of CO2
Correct answer: About 28-36 times that of CO2
Methane has a 100-year GWP of approximately 28-36, meaning it traps that many times more heat than CO2 over a century on a mass basis.
Question 6: Which EPA program specifically regulates methane emissions from oil and gas operations, a key focus area for many state DEQs?
- New Source Performance Standards (NSPS) Subpart OOOOa (Correct answer)
- National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants (NESHAP) Subpart W
- Tier 4 Mobile Source Standards
- Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS)
Correct answer: New Source Performance Standards (NSPS) Subpart OOOOa
EPA's NSPS Subpart OOOOa (and its updates) set methane and VOC emission standards for new, modified, and reconstructed oil and natural gas sources.
Question 7: When a DEQ requires facilities to submit a Climate Action Plan, what is typically the primary goal of such a plan?
- To document the facility's history of permit violations
- To outline specific strategies and timelines for reducing GHG emissions (Correct answer)
- To register the facility for renewable energy credits
- To report the facility's water withdrawal quantities
Correct answer: To outline specific strategies and timelines for reducing GHG emissions
A Climate Action Plan identifies emission sources and commits to measurable reduction strategies and schedules to achieve climate-related environmental goals.
DEQ Climate Change and Greenhouse Gas Regulations 2
Which sector is the largest contributor to greenhouse gas emissions in the United States according to EPA data?