An owner or operator may petition ecology to use calculation methods other than those specified in WAC 173-441-120, 173-441-122, or 173-441-124 to calculate GHG emissions. The following requirements apply to the submission, review, and approval or denial of a petition:

(1) Petition submittal. An owner or operator must submit a petition that meets the following conditions before ecology may review the petition and issue a determination.

(a) An owner or operator must submit a complete petition no later than 180 calendar days prior to the emissions report deadline established in WAC 173-441-050(2). Such petition must include sufficient information, as described in (b) of this subsection, for ecology to determine whether the proposed alternative calculation method will provide emissions data sufficient to meet the reporting requirements of RCW 70A.15.2200. Ecology will notify the owner or operator within 30 calendar days of receipt of a petition of any additional information ecology requires to approve the proposed calculation methods in the petition. If a petition is under review by ecology at the time an annual emissions report is due under WAC 173-441-050(2), the owner or operator must submit the emissions report using the calculation methods approved under this chapter at the time of submittal of the emissions report.

(b) The petition must include, at a minimum, the following information:

(i) Identifying information as specified in WAC 173-441-060 (9)(b) and 173-441-060 (13)(b)(ii) of the designated representative and any agent submitting a petition;

(ii) Identifying information as specified in WAC 173-441-050 (3)(a) of the facility or facilities where the owner or operator proposes to use the alternative calculation method;

(iii) A clear and complete reference to the subparts or sections in EPA's mandatory greenhouse gas reporting regulation that contain the alternative calculation method and the date that EPA adopted the subparts or sections;

(iv) The source categories that will use the alternative calculation method;

(v) The date that the owner or operator intends to start using the alternative calculation method;

(vi) Any other supporting data or information as requested by ecology as described in subsection (2) of this section; and

(vii) The designated representative must sign and date the petition.

(2) Ecology review of the petition. Ecology must approve the alternative calculation method before the owner or operator may use it to report GHG emissions. Ecology will issue a determination within 60 calendar days of receiving a complete petition. The alternative calculation method must meet the following conditions:

(a) Except as noted in (b) of this subsection, alternative calculation methods for reporters required to report under WAC 173-441-030 must be methods adopted by the United States Environmental Protection Agency in its mandatory greenhouse gas reporting regulation, or otherwise more recent versions of methods adopted in this chapter. The alternative calculation method must be more recent than the method for the given source category adopted by reference in WAC 173-441-120, 173-441-122, or 173-442-124.

(b) For GHG emissions reported voluntarily under WAC 173-441-030 (5), ecology must apply the following criteria when evaluating an alternative calculation method:

(i) If the GHG emissions are covered by a source category adopted by reference in WAC 173-441-120, 173-441-122, or 173-442-124, then the requirements of (a) and (b) of this subsection apply.

(ii) If the GHG emissions are not covered by a source category adopted by reference in WAC 173-441-120, 173-441-122, or 173-441-124, then ecology must consider whether the methods meet the following criteria:

(A) The alternative calculation method is established by a nationally or internationally recognized body in the field of GHG emissions reporting such as:

(I) Ecology;

(II) EPA;

(III) California Air Resources Board;

(IV) The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change;

(B) If an alternative calculation method is not available from sources listed in (b)(ii)(A) of this subsection, then ecology may accept a method from an industry or trade association or devised by the owner or operator if ecology determines the alternative calculation method is consistent with the requirements established under RCW 70A.15.2200.

(c) For all source categories, including those covered in (a) and (b) of this subsection, the alternative calculation method must be consistent in content and scope with the requirements established under RCW 70A.15.2200. In the event that a proposed alternative calculation method does not include all required GHG emissions, the owner or operator must use the calculation methods specified in subsection (3) of this section to calculate those emissions.

(3) Calculating emissions not included in alternative calculation method. An owner or operator must report all source categories of GHG emissions for which reporting is required under RCW 70A.15.2200 and for which calculation methods have been established in WAC 173-441-120, 173-441-122, or 173-441-124. If an approved alternative calculation method does not include calculation methods for all required source categories of emissions, then the owner or operator must use a method described in WAC 173-441-120, 173-441-122, 173-441-124, or approved for the owner or operator by ecology in a separate petition to calculate and report those emissions.

(4) Appeal of determination. An approval or denial issued by ecology in response to a written petition filed under this subsection is a determination appealable to the pollution control hearings board per RCW 43.21B.110 (1)(h).