EPA plans to eliminate greenhouse gas reporting requirements for thousands of U.S. industrial facilities

Environmental Protection Agency is planning to eliminate long-standing requirements for polluters to collect and report their emissions of the heat-trapping gases that cause climate change.

The Greenhouse Gas Reporting Program documents the amount of carbon dioxide, methane and other climate-warming gases emitted by individual facilities.

The move would affect thousands of industrial facilities across the country, including oil refineries, power plants and coal mines.

Meeting held with program staff members raised further questions about the fate of future data collection.

Political appointee Abigale Tardif instructed staff to draft a rule that would eliminate reporting requirements for 40 of the 41 sectors required to submit data.

Some climate advocates say industry stands to benefit from the elimination of emissions reporting requirements.