I 
109TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION 
H. R. 955 
To amend the Clean Air Act to establish an inventory, registry, and informa-
tion system of United States greenhouse gas emissions to inform the 
public and private sectors concerning, and encourage voluntary reductions 
in, greenhouse gas emissions, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
FEBRUARY 17, 2005 
Mr. OLVER (for himself and Mr. GILCHREST) introduced the following bill; 
which was referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce 
A BILL 
To amend the Clean Air Act to establish an inventory, reg-
istry, and information system of United States green-
house gas emissions to inform the public and private 
sectors concerning, and encourage voluntary reductions 
in, greenhouse gas emissions, and for other purposes. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘National Greenhouse 
Gas Emissions Inventory Act of 2005’’. 
SEC. 2. FINDINGS AND PURPOSE. 
(a) FINDINGS.—Congress finds the following:
(1) Human activities have caused rapid in-
creases in atmospheric concentrations of carbon di-
oxide and other greenhouse gases in the last century. 
(2) According to the Intergovernmental Panel 
on Climate Change and the National Research 
Council— 
(A) the Earth has warmed in the last cen-
tury; and 
(B) the majority of the observed warming 
is attributable to human activities, including 
fossil fuel-generated carbon dioxide emissions. 
(3) Despite the fact that many uncertainties in 
climate science remain, the potential impacts from 
human-induced climate change pose a substantial 
risk that should be managed in a responsible man-
ner. 
(4) To begin to manage climate change risks, 
public and private entities will need a comprehen-
sive, accurate inventory, registry, and information 
system of the sources and quantities of United 
States greenhouse gas emissions. 
(5) Assurances that early action to reduce 
greenhouse gases will not be penalized in any future 
emission reduction program would encourage more
companies and other entities to make investments to 
reduce those emissions. 
(6) The United States has ratified the 
UNFCCC (United Nations Framework Convention 
on Climate Change), which states, in part, ‘‘the Par-
ties to the Convention are to implement policies with 
the aim of returning to their 1990 levels anthropo-
genic emissions of carbon dioxide and other green-
house gases. 
(7) According to the Department of Energy’s 
Energy Information Administration, United States 
anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions increased 
by 13.4 percent between 1990 and 2003. 
(8) Global climate change poses a significant 
threat to national security, the American economy, 
public health and welfare, and the global environ-
ment. 
(b) PURPOSE.—The purpose of this Act is to estab-
lish a mandatory greenhouse gas inventory, registry, and 
information system that— 
(1) is complete, consistent, transparent, and ac-
curate; 
(2) will create accurate data that can be used 
by public and private entities to design efficient and
effective greenhouse gas emission reduction strate-
gies; 
(3) will encourage greenhouse gas emission re-
ductions; and 
(4) will avoid penalizing early action to reduce 
emissions by providing assurances that any future 
emission reduction program— 
(A) will not assign emissions control re-
sponsibility by reference to an entity’s emissions 
during a baseline period; or 
(B) if a baseline period is used will not use 
a period ending later than the first year for 
which emissions reporting is required under this 
Act. 
SEC. 3. GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS. 
The Clean Air Act (42 U.S.C. 1701 et seq.) is amend-
ed by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘TITLE VII—GREENHOUSE GAS 
EMISSIONS 
‘‘Sec. 701. Definitions. 
‘‘Sec. 702. National greenhouse gas emissions information system. 
‘‘Sec. 703. Reporting. 
‘‘Sec. 704. National greenhouse gas emissions inventory. 
‘‘Sec. 705. Regulations. 
‘‘SEC. 701. DEFINITIONS. 
‘‘In this title: 
‘‘(1) 
CARBON
DIOXIDE
EQUIVALENT.—The 
term ‘carbon dioxide equivalent’ means, for each
greenhouse gas, the amount of each such greenhouse 
gas that makes the same contribution to global 
warming as one metric ton of carbon dioxide. 
‘‘(2) DIRECT
EMISSIONS.—The term ‘direct 
emissions’ means greenhouse gas emissions from 
sources that are owned or controlled by the report-
ing entity 
‘‘(3) DOE LISTED PRODUCT.—The term ‘DOE 
listed product’ means a product for which the Sec-
retary of Energy has published a final rule estab-
lishing a standard for energy conservation, energy 
efficiency, maximum energy use, thermal efficiency, 
fuel utilization efficiency, or energy consumption, or 
any similar standard, including standards authorized 
under section 325 of the Energy Policy and Con-
servation Act of 1975 (42 U.S.C. 6295). 
‘‘(4) EMISSIONS.—The term ‘emissions’ in-
cludes any of the following: 
‘‘(A) Stationary combustion source emis-
sions, which are emitted as a result of combus-
tion of fuels in stationary equipment such as 
boilers, furnaces, burners, turbines, heaters, in-
cinerators, engines, flares, and other similar 
sources.
‘‘(B) Process emissions, which consist of 
emissions from chemical or physical processes 
other than combustion. 
‘‘(C) Fugitive emissions, which consist of 
intentional and unintentional emissions from 
equipment leaks such as joints, seals, packing, 
and gaskets, or from piles, pits, cooling towers, 
and other similar sources. 
‘‘(D) Mobile source emissions, which are 
emitted as a result of combustion of fuels in 
transportation equipment such as automobiles, 
trucks, trains, airplanes, and vessels. 
‘‘(5) ENTITY.—The term ‘entity’ means a per-
son (including a firm, a corporation, an association, 
a partnership, a Federal, state, or local govern-
mental agency or any other public or private entity) 
located in or operating in the United States. 
‘‘(6) FACILITY.—The term ‘facility’ means all 
sources located on any one or more of contiguous or 
adjacent property or properties under common own-
ership or control of the same entity. 
‘‘(7) GREENHOUSE GAS.—The term ‘greenhouse 
gas’ means— 
‘‘(A) carbon dioxide; 
‘‘(B) methane;
‘‘(C) nitrous oxide; 
‘‘(D) hydrofluorocarbons; 
‘‘(E) perfluorocarbons; 
‘‘(F) sulfur hexafluoride; and 
‘‘(G) any other chemical or physical sub-
stance not controlled under title VI of this Act 
which is emitted into the air and which the Ad-
ministrator determines, by rule, may reasonably 
be anticipated to cause or contribute to global 
warming. 
‘‘(8) GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS.—The term 
‘greenhouse gas emissions’ means emissions of a 
greenhouse gas from any source located in the 
United States. 
‘‘(9) GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS RECORD.— 
The term ‘greenhouse gas emissions record’ means 
all of the greenhouse gas reports submitted by an 
entity under this title, including any adjustments to 
such data under section 703(c). 
‘‘(10) GREENHOUSE GAS REPORT.—The term 
‘greenhouse gas report’ means an annual list of— 
‘‘(A) the direct greenhouse gas emissions 
of a reporting entity, 
‘‘(B) the indirect greenhouse gas emissions 
of a reporting entity,
‘‘(C) greenhouse gas emissions from prod-
ucts manufactured or imported by the reporting 
entity, 
‘‘(D) emissions of greenhouse gases manu-
factured or imported by the reporting entity, 
and 
‘‘(E) greenhouse gas emissions from the 
combustion of fossil fuels distributed by the re-
porting entity 
and the sources of those emissions. 
‘‘(11) INDIRECT EMISSIONS.—The term ‘indi-
rect emissions’ means greenhouse gas emissions— 
‘‘(A) associated with the production of 
electricity, heat, or steam acquired or purchased 
by the reporting entity, and 
‘‘(B) that are the consequence of activities 
of reporting entity but are emitted by sources 
owned or controlled by an entity other than the 
reporting entity. 
‘‘(12) NATIONAL GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS 
INFORMATION SYSTEM.—The term ‘national green-
house gas emissions information system’ means the 
information system established under section 702(a). 
‘‘(13) NATIONAL GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS 
INVENTORY.—The term ‘national greenhouse gas
emissions inventory’ means the national inventory of 
greenhouse gas emissions established under section 
704. 
‘‘(14) 
PROJECT
REDUCTION.—The 
term 
‘project reduction’ means— 
‘‘(A) a greenhouse gas emission reduction 
achieved by carrying out a greenhouse gas 
emission reduction project in the United States, 
provided that the emissions reduction did not 
occur at a source included in the greenhouse 
gas report of any reporting entity; and 
‘‘(B) sequestration achieved by carrying 
out a sequestration project in the United 
States, provided that the sequestration did not 
occur at a site included in the greenhouse gas 
report of any reporting entity. 
‘‘(15) REPORTING ENTITY.—The term ‘report-
ing entity’ means an entity that reports to the Ad-
ministrator under section 703. 
‘‘(16) SEQUESTRATION.—The term ‘sequestra-
tion’ means the capture, long-term separation, isola-
tion, or removal of greenhouse gases from the at-
mosphere, including through a biological or geologic 
method such as reforestation or an underground res-
ervoir.
‘‘(17) SOURCE.—The term ‘source’ means any 
building, structure, installation, unit, point, oper-
ation, vehicle, land area, or other item that emits or 
may emit a greenhouse gas. 
‘‘(18) VERIFICATION.—The term ‘verification’ 
means the objective and independent assessment of 
whether a greenhouse gas report submitted by a re-
porting entity accurately reflects the greenhouse gas 
impact of the reporting entity. 
‘‘SEC. 702. NATIONAL GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS INFOR-
MATION SYSTEM. 
‘‘(a) ESTABLISHMENT.—In consultation with the 
Secretary of Commerce, the Secretary of Agriculture, the 
Secretary of Energy, States, the private sector, and non-
governmental organizations concerned with establishing 
standards for reporting of greenhouse gas emissions, the 
Administrator shall establish and administer a national 
greenhouse gas emissions information system to collect in-
formation reported under section 703(a), including a na-
tional greenhouse gas reduction registry to collect infor-
mation reported under section 703(a)(7). 
‘‘(b) SUBMISSION
TO CONGRESS
OF DRAFT DE-
SIGN.—Not later than 180 days after the date of enact-
ment of this title, the Administrator shall submit to Con-
gress a draft design of the national greenhouse gas emis-
sions information system. 
‘‘(c) AVAILABILITY OF DATA TO THE PUBLIC.—The 
Administrator shall publish all information in the national 
greenhouse gas emissions information system through the 
website of the Environmental Protection Agency, except 
in any case in which publishing the information would dis-
close information vital to national security. Emission data, 
including data relating to project reductions, shall have 
the same meaning as in section 114 of title I of this Act 
and regulations promulgated thereunder prior to the date 
of enactment of this title. 
‘‘(d) RELATIONSHIP TO OTHER GREENHOUSE GAS 
DATABASES.—To the extent practicable, the Adminis-
trator shall ensure coordination between the national 
greenhouse gas emissions information system and existing 
and developing Federal and State greenhouse gas data-
bases and registries. Nothing in this title shall alter any 
existing requirements for reporting of greenhouse gas 
emissions data or other data relevant to calculating such 
emissions. 
‘‘(e) INTEGRATION WITH OTHER ENVIRONMENTAL 
INFORMATION.—To the extent practicable, the Adminis-
trator shall integrate information in the national green-
house gas emissions information system with other envi-
ronmental information managed by the Administrator. 
‘‘SEC. 703. REPORTING. 
‘‘(a) MANDATORY REPORTING OF GREENHOUSE GAS 
EMISSIONS.— 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—Not later than April 30 of 
each year after the date of enactment of this title, 
in accordance with this paragraph and the regula-
tions promulgated under section 705, each entity 
that exceeds the threshold for reporting in para-
graph (2) shall submit to the Administrator, for in-
clusion in the national greenhouse gas emissions in-
formation system, the greenhouse gas report of the 
entity with respect to the preceding calendar year. 
Once an entity has exceeded the threshold for re-
porting, it shall continue to submit reports for sub-
sequent years. 
‘‘(2) THRESHOLD
FOR
REPORTING.—(A) An 
entity shall submit a report under paragraph (1) for 
greenhouse gas emissions if in the relevant calendar 
year— 
‘‘(i) one of the following exceeds 10,000 
metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent: 
‘‘(I) The total direct emissions of the 
entity.
‘‘(II) The total indirect emissions of 
the reporting entity. 
‘‘(III) The total emissions from the 
combustion of fossil fuels distributed by 
the entity. 
‘‘(IV) The total quantity of green-
house gases manufactured or imported by 
the reporting entity, or 
‘‘(ii) the entity either— 
‘‘(I) is a major industrial manufac-
turer or importer of motor vehicles, or 
‘‘(II) manufactures or imports DOE 
listed products. 
‘‘(B) Farms shall not be required to submit re-
ports under this section. 
‘‘(C) An entity that owns more than 250,000 
acres of timberland shall report on the carbon stock 
of such land as provided in paragraph (4)(E) of this 
subsection. 
The Administrator may adjust the 10,000 metric ton 
threshold set forth in this paragraph to a higher threshold 
if the Administrator determines that the reports under 
this paragraph at such higher threshold will include at 
least 90 percent of greenhouse gas emissions. 
‘‘(3) REQUIRED ELEMENTS.—
‘‘(A) SEPARATE REPORTING.—Each green-
house gas report submitted under paragraph 
(1) shall include and separately quantify each 
of the following: 
‘‘(i) All direct emissions of greenhouse 
gases. 
‘‘(ii) All indirect emissions of green-
house gases. 
‘‘(iii) All emissions of greenhouse 
gases from motor vehicles manufactured or 
imported by the entity. 
‘‘(iv) All emissions of greenhouse 
gases from DOE listed products manufac-
tured or imported by the reporting entity. 
‘‘(v) All emissions of greenhouse gases 
from the combustion of fossil fuels distrib-
uted by the entity. 
‘‘(vi) All emissions of greenhouse 
gases manufactured or imported by the re-
porting entity. 
‘‘(B) 
OTHER
REPORTING
REQUIRE-
MENTS.—Each greenhouse gas report under 
paragraph (1)— 
‘‘(i) shall express greenhouse gas 
emissions in metric tons of each such
greenhouse gas and in metric tons of the 
carbon dioxide equivalent of each green-
house gas; 
‘‘(ii) shall be reported on an entity 
wide basis and on a facility wide basis; 
‘‘(iii) shall specify the sources of di-
rect emissions at each facility included in 
the greenhouse gas report; 
‘‘(iv) in the case of a reporting entity 
that owns more than 250,000 acres of 
timberland, shall include estimates, by 
State, of the timber and carbon stocks of 
such land, which estimates shall be up-
dated at least every 5 years; and 
‘‘(v) to the maximum extent prac-
ticable, shall be reported electronically to 
the Administrator in such form as the Ad-
ministrator may require. 
‘‘(4) METHOD OF REPORTING OF ENTITY WIDE 
EMISSIONS, PRODUCTION, OR IMPORTATION.—Under 
paragraph (1)(C), entity wide emissions, production, 
or importation of greenhouse gases shall be reported 
on the bases of financial control and equity share in 
a manner consistent with the financial reporting 
practices of the entity. If ownership or control of a
facility (or portion thereof) whose emissions were in-
cluded in a prior report under this section is trans-
ferred to another entity, then any entity subse-
quently having ownership or control of such facility 
shall submit a greenhouse gas report regarding the 
transferred facility, even if such entity does not oth-
erwise exceed the threshold for reporting under 
paragraph (2). 
‘‘(5) VOLUNTARY
REPORTING
OF
EARLIER 
EMISSIONS.—Any entity may submit to the Adminis-
trator, for inclusion in the national greenhouse gas 
emissions information system, a greenhouse gas re-
port for the entity with respect to one or more years 
prior to 2005, provided that such report substan-
tially meets the data quality requirements for re-
ports required for 2005 and thereafter. 
‘‘(6) VOLUNTARY REPORTING BY OTHER ENTI-
TIES.—Any entity that does not exceed the threshold 
for reporting under paragraph (2) may elect to sub-
mit a greenhouse gas report under paragraph (1). 
Such an entity shall be a reporting entity from that 
time forward. 
‘‘(7) VOLUNTARY REPORTING OF PROJECT RE-
DUCTIONS.—Any entity may voluntarily submit to 
the Administrator, for inclusion in a registry main-
tained within the national greenhouse gas informa-
tion system, a report with respect to the preceding 
calendar year on any project reductions, provided 
that the emissions or sequestrations associated with 
such project reductions are not included in the 
greenhouse gas emissions report submitted to the 
Administrator by any reporting entity. The reporting 
entity shall demonstrate that the project and its re-
ported reductions or sequestrations would not have 
occurred anyway in the business-as-usual case, and 
shall account for any changes in emissions outside 
boundaries of the project. Each report shall provide 
such further information on the emission reduction 
or carbon sequestration project as required by regu-
lations promulgated by the Administrator under sec-
tion 705(e). If the project reductions are associated 
with a farm or forestland owned or operated by an 
entity, the entity shall account for all emissions and 
reductions on all farmland or forestland under own-
ership or control of the entity. 
‘‘(8) VOLUNTARY REPORTING OF OTHER INDI-
RECT PRODUCT EMISSIONS.—Any entity may volun-
tarily submit to the Administrator, for inclusion in 
a registry maintained within the national greenhouse 
gas information system, a report with respect to any