1

July 14 , 2010

MEMORANDUM

TO: Air Docket EPA

- HQ

- OAR

- 2010

- 0133

SUBJECT: Canola

- Based Biodiesel Lifecycle Greenhouse Gas Emissions

This memorandum accompanies information related to the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) analysis of lifecycle gree nhouse gas (GHG) emissions for canola oil biodiesel. As explained in the Notice of Data Availability (N O DA), o ur analysis utilizes several da ta sources and models. To facilitate public review, below is a brief description of the informational

materials w hich accompany this memorandum under the same docket number.

1. Lifecycle Analysis Inputs and Assumptions This document lists EPA’s key modeling inputs and assumptions, including citations for supporting data.

2. Canola

- Based Biodiesel Lifecycle Analys is Results This spreadsheet integrate s results from all stages of the fuel life cycle to calculate canola

- based

biodiesel lifecycle GH G emissions. The lifecycle GHG reductions are calculated as percent emissions reductions compared to a 2005 petroleum base line , in this case diesel fuel

.

3. Lifecycle Analysis Impact Calculations

This spreadsheet calculate s GHG emissions per unit of canola

- based biodiesel. The spreadsheet integrate s results from of each stage of the renewable fuel lifecycle (e.g., feedstoc k production, domestic and international agricultural emissions, fuel transport and distribution). The only piece of the lifecycle analysis not calculated in this spreadsheet is the emissions from

international land use change. The results from the impac t calculation spreadsheet a re used in the results spreadsheet, which compare s the lifecycle GHG emissions of canola

- based biodiesel with the 2005 petroleum baseline

.

4. Domestic Agricultural Projections from the Forest and Agricultural Sector Optimizatio n Model (FASOM) This spreadsheet includes raw results from t he FASOM model. FASOM results a re used to estimate lifecycle greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions produced by the domestic agricultura l sector.

5. GHG Factors from the Forest and Agricultural Sector Optimization Model (FASOM) This spreadsheet includes results from t he FASOM model converted into the format needed to calculate domestic agricultural sector and land use change GHG calculations. These results a re input into the impact calculation spreadsh eet to convert the resul ts to GHG emissions estimates

associated with canola biodiesel.2

6. International Agricultural Projections from the Food and Agricultural Policy Research Institute Center for Agricultural and Rural Development ( FAPRI

- CARD ) Mod el This spreadsheet includes raw results from t he FAPRI

- CARD model for a canola oil biodiesel

scenario. FAPRI

- CARD results a re used to estimate lifecycle greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions produced by the international agricultura l sector.

7

. Calculation of Canola Biodiesel International Agricultural Impacts from the Food and Agricultural Policy Research Institute Center for Agricultural and Rural Development ( FAPRI

- CARD ) Model This spreadsheet includes EPA’s calculations to convert the raw FAPRI

- CARD model results

data into differences between scenarios to determine biofuel

- in duced GHG emissions impacts in the international agricultural sector associated with canola oil biodiesel production

.

8 . Stochastic International Land Use Change Model Results

This Exc el

- based model is used to perform EPA’ s stochastic analysis of international land use change GHG emissions impacts induced by canola

- based biodiesel. The results from this model are input into the results spreadsheet to calculate a 95% confidence range fo r lifecycle GHG

emissions.

9

. Foreign Agricultural Chemical Impact Calculations

This spreadsheet include s data about agricultural fertilizer inputs in foreign countries . I t is used to project lifecycle greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions produced by addition al crop production in foreign countries. Specifically emissions associated with :

Fertilizer, pesticide and herbicide use per hectare of foreign crop production; Nitrous oxide emissions per metric ton of foreign fertilizer application;

Upstream emissions from fertilizer production are calculated separately in the impact calculation spreadsheet.

10

. Foreign Agricultural Energy Use Calculations

This spreadsheet include s data about agricultural energy use in foreign countries . I t is used to project lifecy cle greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions produced by additional crop production in foreign countries. Specifically emissions associated with :

E nergy use per hect are of foreign crop production

11

. Foreign Agricultural Rice Methane Calculations

This spreadshee t include s data about rice methane emissions in foreign countries . I t is used to project lifecycle greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions produced by additional crop production in foreign countries. Specifically emissions associated with :

Methane emissions per hectare of foreign rice production