New Climate Change Title Being Developed
Ag title would add carbon credits to Senate legislation.
Compiled by staff
Published: Nov 3, 2009
A new agriculture and forestry title being developed for the Senate's climate change bill would establish a program to create credits for carbon emission reductions. The expected additions would be much like the House-approved bill in that it would make the Agriculture Department the lead agency. The draft, being written by Senator Debbie Stabenow, D-Mich., calls for the EPA administrator and the agriculture secretary within one year of enactment of the bill to establish a program to govern the creation of credits from emission reductions from uncapped domestic sources and sinks.
The proposal also calls on EPA and USDA to jointly protect the integrity of the program, prioritize rulemaking for activities that present the fewest technical challenges and greatest certainty of net atmospheric benefits, and make sure requirements between the two agencies are consistent.
It also says the EPA administrator, in consultation with the agriculture secretary, shall establish a registry for use in recording approved credits. But, USDA would have the job of creating a list of eligible methodologies that can be used to reduce emissions, approving petitions and verifying emission reductions under practices going back to January 1, 2001.
The draft text also makes a strong statement about lifecycle greenhouse gas emissions associated with the production and use of biofuels, bioproducts and bioenergy. The text says they are significantly lower than the emissions associated with the production and use of fossil fuels.
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Tagged: EPA, usda, SURE, biofuels, bioenergy
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