Chapter NR 437

NR 437.05(2)(b) (b) For VER projects for which there are no prior emissions, the baseline shall be determined as the emission limits or performance standards required by law, if applicable. If there are no applicable emission limits or performance standards, the baseline shall be determined as the industry or activity average emission or emission rate. Any person using an alternative baseline under this subsection shall submit documentation to the department describing how the baseline was determined.

NR 437.05(2)(c) (c) For VERs that result from actions taken to comply with a law and that result in emissions which are lower than those required by law, the baseline shall be the standard baseline as described in sub. (1) or the emission limits required by law, whichever is less.

NR 437.05(3) (3) Baseline for carbon sequestration. For carbon sequestration projects, the baseline shall be determined as the amount of carbon, quantified in terms of carbon dioxide equivalents, stored in the carbon sequestration project area at the beginning of the project.

NR 437.05(4) (4) No baseline. When no quantification protocol is available to determine a baseline, the action may be registered without determining a baseline.

NR 437.05 History History: CR 02-012: cr. Register October 2002 No. 562, eff. 11-1-02.

NR 437.06 NR 437.06 Quantifying and registering voluntary emission reductions and quantifying baselines.

NR 437.06(1) (1) VERs and baselines shall be quantified on either a mass or a rate basis, or both. Mass-based VERs shall be quantified and registered as total tons or pounds per year. Rate-based VERs shall be quantified and registered as tons or pounds per unit of input or output.

NR 437.06(2) (2) Greenhouse gas VERs and baselines shall be quantified in terms of carbon dioxide equivalents.

NR 437.06(3) (3) Ozone precursor VERs and baselines may be quantified for the 5-month ozone season as defined in s. NR 400.02 (117), in terms of tons or pounds per day averaged over the ozone season, or they may be quantified on a calendar year basis, as tons per year.

NR 437.06(4) (4) VERs and baselines shall be quantified on a calendar year basis. VERs shall be registered on a calendar year basis.

NR 437.06(5) (5) VERs and baselines may be quantified on a project basis, facility basis or, for persons who own or operate multiple facilities within Wisconsin, a statewide basis. VERs may be registered on a project basis, facility basis or, for persons who own or operate multiple facilities within Wisconsin, on a statewide basis.

NR 437.06(6) (6) VERs that result from projects to collect, store and dispose of mercury-containing products may be registered in terms of pounds of mercury collected, stored and disposed. The emission reduction resulting from the collection, storage and disposal of mercury-containing products need not be registered.

NR 437.06 History History: CR 02-012: cr. Register October 2002 No. 562, eff. 11-1-02.

NR 437.07 NR 437.07 Registration procedure.

NR 437.07(1) (1) Initial registration. Any person seeking to register VERs shall complete the registration forms and submit them to the department.

NR 437.07 Note Note: Registration forms may be obtained from: Voluntary Emission Reduction Registry, Wisconsin DNR, PO Box 7921, Madison WI 53707, or they may be downloaded from the voluntary emission reduction registry web page on the department’s web site, which may be accessed at http://www.dnr.state.wi.us.

NR 437.07(2) (2) Required information for initial registration. The initial registration form shall include the following information:

NR 437.07(2)(a) (a) General information:

NR 437.07(2)(a)1. 1. The name, address and telephone number of the applicant.

NR 437.07(2)(a)2. 2. The location of the emission source, emission reduction project, renewable energy project or carbon sequestration project.

NR 437.07(2)(a)3. 3. The name, title, telephone number, fax number and e-mail address, if available, of the contact for general and technical information about the registration.

NR 437.07(2)(a)4. 4. If applicable, the appropriate 4 digit standard industrial classification code of the business or activity seeking to register VERs as specified in the Standard Industrial Classification Manual, 1987, incorporated by reference in s. NR 484.05 (1), and a brief description characterizing the nature of the business or other activity of the applicant.

NR 437.07(2)(a)5. 5. If the source reports air contaminant emissions under ch. NR 438, the 9-digit facility identification number used in those reports.

NR 437.07(2)(a)6. 6. If the VER is made at a facility which has an air pollution control permit, the air pollution control permit identification number or numbers.

NR 437.07(2)(a)7. 7. For VERs that have been verified by a third party, the name and address of the person performing the verification and a brief description of the verification procedure.

NR 437.07(2)(a)8. 8. A signed and dated statement by a responsible official stating that, to the best of his or her knowledge and belief, the information in the registration form is accurate, all of the requirements of this chapter have been met, and the VERs have not been registered under this chapter by another person.

NR 437.07(2)(b) (b) VER information:

NR 437.07(2)(b)1. 1. A description of the action or actions taken to reduce or avoid emissions or to sequester carbon.

NR 437.07(2)(b)2. 2. The month and year in which the action first began to reduce or avoid emissions or sequester carbon.

NR 437.07(2)(b)3. 3. The quantification protocols and the calculations used to determine the baselines and the VERs.

NR 437.07(2)(b)4. 4. The baseline for each greenhouse gas and air contaminant being registered and for each carbon sequestration project.

NR 437.07(2)(b)5. 5. For each greenhouse gas or air contaminant, the amount or rate, or both, of emissions reduced or avoided for each year in which VERs are being registered.

NR 437.07(2)(b)6. 6. For carbon sequestration, the amount of carbon sequestered, if quantified, for each year in which sequestered carbon is being registered.

NR 437.07(2)(b)7. 7. For projects to collect mercury-containing products, the mass of mercury collected, stored and disposed of for each year in which it is collected, stored and disposed of and a description of the methods used to store and dispose of the mercury collected in the project.

NR 437.07(2)(b)8. 8. The name and address of other public or private registries in which the VER is registered.

NR 437.07(3) (3) Section 1605(b) reporting.

NR 437.07(3)(a) (a) Persons who report their greenhouse gas emission reductions to the federal voluntary reporting of greenhouse gases program, established in section 1605(b) of the energy policy act of 1992 (42 USC 13385(b)), may register any 1605(b) emission reductions which are eligible under s. NR 437.03 by submitting their annual 1605(b) reporting forms to the department, in lieu of submitting the department’s forms.

NR 437.07(3)(b) (b) A registrant may submit the 1605(b) reporting forms to the department before the emission reductions are accepted into the 1605(b) database by the U.S. department of energy.

NR 437.07(4) (4) Registration update. VERs may be registered for each year in which they occur after the initial registration as follows:

NR 437.07(4)(a) (a) If there is no change in the status of the initial registration or, for subsequent years, the status of the previous year’s registration, the registration update shall include:

NR 437.07(4)(a)1. 1. The year for which the VER is being registered.

NR 437.07(4)(a)2. 2. A signed and dated statement by the responsible official stating that the information in the registration update is accurate, to the best of his or her knowledge and belief, and that all of the requirements of this chapter have been met.

NR 437.07(4)(b) (b) If there are changes to any of the information initially submitted under sub. (2) or (3) or, for subsequent years, the information submitted under this subsection for the previous year, the registration update shall include:

NR 437.07(4)(b)1. 1. An explanation of the changes in the initial or previous year’s registration.

NR 437.07(4)(b)2. 2. If applicable, a recalculated baseline or VER or both, with the quantification protocol and the calculations used to make the recalculations.

NR 437.07(4)(b)3. 3. A signed and dated statement by the responsible official stating that the information in the registration update is accurate, to the best of his or her knowledge and belief, and that all of the requirements of this chapter have been met.

NR 437.07(5) (5) Correction of historic data. If new information becomes available for the calculation of previously registered VERs or baselines, registrants may provide the new information and the corrected VER or baseline with a signed statement by the responsible official stating that the corrected VER or baseline is accurate to the best of his or her knowledge and belief.

NR 437.07(6) (6) Department action.

NR 437.07(6)(a) (a) Upon receipt of an initial registration, a registration update or a correction, the department shall determine whether the registration, update or correction contains all of the information required under this section. The department shall notify the registrant of its determination within 90 days after receipt of the registration, update or correction. If the initial registration, registration update or correction is determined to be incomplete, the department shall specify what additional information is required.

NR 437.07(6)(b) (b) The department shall register all VERs for which complete information has been submitted.

NR 437.07(6)(c) (c) The department shall provide source-specific emission reduction registry information on the department’s web site.

NR 437.07 Note Note: The Department’s web site may be accessed at: http:www.dnr.state.wi.us.

NR 437.07 History History: CR 02-012: cr. Register October 2002 No. 562, eff. 11-1-02.