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Title 42, The Public Health and WelfareRelease 119-110

§7651k Monitoring, Reporting, and Recordkeeping Requirements

Title 42 › CHAPTER 85 — AIR POLLUTION PREVENTION AND CONTROL › SUBCHAPTER IV–A — ACID DEPOSITION CONTROL › § 7651k

Last updated Sep 22, 2026|Official source

Summary

Owners and operators must install and run continuous emissions monitoring systems (CEMS) on every affected unit and make sure the data for sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxides, opacity, and volumetric flow are checked for quality. The EPA must issue rules within 18 months after November 15, 1990 that explain CEMS standards, allow alternative monitoring if it matches CEMS in accuracy and timeliness, and set recordkeeping and reporting requirements. If two or more units share one stack, they do not each need a separate monitor, but owners must collect enough information to decide compliance for each unit. All affected units had to have CEMS and follow the EPA rules within 36 months after November 15, 1990, and any unit not in compliance had to meet the rules by January 1, 1995; new utility units must comply when they begin commercial operation. If required monitoring data are missing and the owner cannot give acceptable emissions information, the unit will be treated as uncontrolled for that time, the EPA will calculate emissions for the period, and the owner will owe excess emissions fees and offsets and remain subject to other penalties. It is illegal to operate without following these requirements.

Full Legal Text

Title 42, §7651k

The Public Health and Welfare, Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)Applicability
The owner and operator of any source subject to this subchapter shall be required to install and operate CEMS on each affected unit at the source, and to quality assure the data for sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxides, opacity and volumetric flow at each such unit. The Administrator shall, by regulations issued not later than eighteen months after November 15, 1990, specify the requirements for CEMS, for any alternative monitoring system that is demonstrated as providing information with the same precision, reliability, accessibility, and timeliness as that provided by CEMS, and for recordkeeping and reporting of information from such systems. Such regulations may include limitations or the use of alternative compliance methods by units equipped with an alternative monitoring system as may be necessary to preserve the orderly functioning of the allowance system, and which will ensure the emissions reductions contemplated by this subchapter. Where 2 or more units utilize a single stack, a separate CEMS shall not be required for each unit, and for such units the regulations shall require that the owner or operator collect sufficient information to permit reliable compliance determinations for each such unit.
(b)First phase requirements
Not later than thirty-six months after November 15, 1990, the owner or operator of each affected unit under section 7651c of this title, including, but not limited to, units that become affected units pursuant to subsections (b) and (c) and eligible units under subsection (d), shall install and operate CEMS, quality assure the data, and keep records and reports in accordance with the regulations issued under subsection (a).
(c)Second phase requirements
Not later than January 1, 1995, the owner or operator of each affected unit that has not previously met the requirements of subsections (a) and (b) shall install and operate CEMS, quality assure the data, and keep records and reports in accordance with the regulations issued under subsection (a). Upon commencement of commercial operation of each new utility unit, the unit shall comply with the requirements of subsection (a).
(d)Unavailability of emissions data
If CEMS data or data from an alternative monitoring system approved by the Administrator under subsection (a) is not available for any affected unit during any period of a calendar year in which such data is required under this subchapter, and the owner or operator cannot provide information, satisfactory to the Administrator, on emissions during that period, the Administrator shall deem the unit to be operating in an uncontrolled manner during the entire period for which the data was not available and shall, by regulation which shall be issued not later than eighteen months after November 15, 1990, prescribe means to calculate emissions for that period. The owner or operator shall be liable for excess emissions fees and offsets under section 7651j of this title in accordance with such regulations. Any fee due and payable under this subsection shall not diminish the liability of the unit’s owner or operator for any fine, penalty, fee or assessment against the unit for the same violation under any other section of this chapter.
(e)Prohibition
It shall be unlawful for the owner or operator of any source subject to this subchapter to operate a source without complying with the requirements of this section, and any regulations implementing this section.

Legislative History

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Information Gathering on Greenhouse Gases Contributing to Global Climate Change Pub. L. 101–549, title VIII, § 821, Nov. 15, 1990, 104 Stat. 2699, provided that: “(a) Monitoring.—The Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency shall promulgate

Regulations

within 18 months after the enactment of the Clean Air Act

Amendments

of 1990 [Nov. 15, 1990] to require that all affected sources subject to title V of the Clean Air Act [probably means title IV of the Clean Air Act as added by Pub. L. 101–549, which is classified to section 7651 et seq. of this title] shall also monitor carbon dioxide emissions according to the same timetable as in section 511(b) and (c) [probably means section 412(b) and (c) of the Clean Air Act, which is classified to section 7651k(b) and (c) of this title]. The

Regulations

shall require that such data be reported to the Administrator. The provisions of section 511(e) of title V of the Clean Air Act [probably means section 412(e) of title IV of the Clean Air Act, which is classified to section 7651k(e) of this title] shall apply for purposes of this section in the same manner and to the same extent as such provision applies to the monitoring and data referred to in section 511 [probably means section 412 of the Clean Air Act, which is classified to section 7651k of this title]. “(b) Public Availability of Carbon Dioxide Information.—For each unit required to monitor and provide carbon dioxide data under subsection (a), the Administrator shall compute the unit’s aggregate annual total carbon dioxide emissions, incorporate such data into a computer data base, and make such aggregate annual data available to the public.”

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

42 U.S.C. § 7651k

Title 42, The Public Health and Welfare

Last Updated

Sep 22, 2026

Release point: 119-110