The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Tuesday published a final rule that would allow oil and natural gas companies to use best available monitoring methods (BAMM) for reporting greenhouse gas emissions for the remainder of the year.

BAMM methods would include current supplier data, existing monitoring methods used by a facility, engineering calculations, and/or company records, according to the the final rule published in the Federal Register.

The final rule takes effect Sept. 30. Finalizing this rule by Sept. 30 enables owners and operators to automatically use BAMM through the end of the year, without the need to request approval from the EPA administrator, the agency said. The rule would cover several emission sources, including well-related emissions and leak detection and measurement emissions. Companies wishing to use BAMM beyond the current year must inform the EPA by Dec. 31.

The EPA also is expanding the list of the types of emissions sources for which owners and operators are not required to submit a request to the EPA administrator to use BAMM during the current year, and is extending the deadline for companies to use BAMM beyond 2011.

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