The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) proposed this change on 12/9/2025, arguing that emissions reports burden businesses while lacking transparency about environmental impact.
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Two of the three coal-fired stacks at the Navajo Generating Station in Page, Arizona, in 2020. Photo: LA Times |
Two of the three coal-fired stacks at the Navajo Generating Station in Page, Arizona, in 2020. Photo: LA Times
Previously, the US required 8,000 polluting facilities across 47 categories to annually inventory and report greenhouse gases. These included oil refineries, chemical plants, and power stations. Oil and natural gas companies faced additional fees for waste disposal.
Under the EPA's proposal, these 8,000 facilities would no longer need to conduct greenhouse gas inventories or reporting. Oil and natural gas companies would only need to report annual waste data starting in 2034, aligning with President Donald Trump's Omnibus Budget Bill and Reconciliation Act (OBBBA).
"The greenhouse gas reporting program is just bureaucratic red tape that doesn't improve air quality," EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin said.
The proposal is currently open for public comment. If approved, Zeldin estimates businesses could save up to 2.4 billion USD.
Since taking office, President Trump has issued numerous executive orders removing barriers to US energy production, particularly fossil fuels. This proposal to eliminate greenhouse gas reporting is the latest move undermining the previous administration's efforts to address the climate crisis.
The Trump administration withdrew the US from the Paris Agreement earlier this year, which requires nations to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and report on their progress. The administration has also taken steps to halt the collection of crucial environmental data at the EPA and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), as well as ending the operation of greenhouse gas monitoring satellites run by NASA.
Besides easing regulations for polluting businesses, the EPA also proposes ending greenhouse gas reporting for carbon capture and storage (CCS) facilities, raising concerns among business leaders in the sector.
"This announcement from the EPA will discourage carbon storage, a field that Administrator Zeldin has publicly supported," said Jessie Stolark, CEO of the Carbon Capture Coalition. He added that the proposal jeopardizes millions of USD in US business investments.
Bao Bao (Reuters)
