by Wilma Subra
LEAN Technical Advisor
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Greenhouse Gas Reporting Program released data for the calendar year 2010. The 6 greenhouse gases required to be reported consist of carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, and the fluorinated gases PFC-14, PFC-116 and HFC-23. In the United States, carbon dioxide accounted for 95% of the greenhouse gas emissions, methane accounted for 4% and nitrous oxide and fluorinated gases 1%.
A total of 6,157 sources reported emissions of greenhouse gases for 2010 in the United States. Nine industrial sectors which directly release large quantities of greenhouse gases were required to report their releases of greenhouse gases in millions of metric tons (mmt) of carbon dioxide equivalents:
- Power Plants (2,324 mmt -72.3%)
- Petroleum Refineries (183 mmt-5.7%)
- Chemical Manufacturing (175 mmt-5.4%)
- Other Industrial Facilities (159 mmt-4.9%)
- Landfills (117 mmt-3.6%)
- Metals Manufacturing (99 mmt-3.1%)
- Mineral Production (96 mmt-3.0%)
- Pulp and Paper Manufacturing (46 mmt-1.4%)
- Government and Commerce Facilities (15 mmt-0.5%)
In the United States, 100 facilities each emitted over 7 million metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalents. These 100 facilities consisted of 96 power plants, two iron and steel mills and two petroleum refineries. The Big Cajun 2 coal fired power plant in New Roads, Louisiana was one of the 100 facilities each emitting over 7 million metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalents. In 2010, the Big Cajun 2 coal fired power plant released 12.53 million metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalents.
Major Stationary Sources Emitting Greenhouse Gases in Louisiana;
A total of 265 facilities in Louisiana reported emissions of greenhouses gases in 2010 under the EPA Greenhouse Gas Reporting Program. The industrial sectors reporting greenhouse gas emissions in Louisiana consisted of:
- Power Plants (35 facilities, 50 mmt - 36.8%)
- Chemical Manufacturing (72 facilities, 37 mmt - 27.2%)
- Petroleum Refineries (17 facilities, 31 mmt - 22.8%)
- Other Industrial Facilities (109 facilities, 12 mmt - 8.8%)
- Landfills (23 facilities, 3 mmt - 2.2%)
- Pulp and Paper Manufacturing (9 facilities, 3 mmt - 2.2%)
A total of 86.8% of the releases of greenhouse gases in Louisiana were released by power plants, chemical manufacturing facilities and petroleum refineries.
Of the 265 facilities, 32 facilities reporting in Louisiana each released more than 1 million metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalents of greenhouse gases. The facilities consisted of 11 power plants, 9 petroleum refineries, 9 chemical manufacturing facilities, 2 fertilizer manufacturing facilities, and 1 pulp and paper manufacturing facility.
The 10 largest greenhouse gas emission facilities in Louisiana consisted of 5 coal fired power plants, 2 petroleum refineries, 2 chemical facilities, and 1 nitrogen fertilizer facility.
Big Cajun 2, Coal Fired Power Plant, New Roads
| Carbon Dioxide | 12,435,240 mt |
| Methane | 30,191 mt |
| Nitrous Oxide | 64,825 mt |
Exxon Mobil Baton Rouge Refinery and Chemical Plant, Baton Rouge
| Carbon Dioxide | 6,651,813 mt |
| Methane | 13,161 mt |
| Nitrous Oxide | 17,929 mt |
CF Industries, Nitrogen Fertilizer Manufacturing, Donaldsonville
| Carbon Dioxide | 5,303,146 mt |
| Methane | 855 mt |
| Nitrous Oxide | 1,190,938 mt |
Brame Energy Center, Coal Fired Power Plant, Lena
| Carbon Dioxide | 5,494,338 mt |
| Methane | 1,318 mt |
| Nitrous Oxide | 26,771 mt |
Dolet Hills Power Station, Lignite Coal Fired Power Plant, Mansfield
| Carbon Dioxide | 4,920,685 mt |
| Methane | 1,046 mt |
| Nitrous Oxide | 24,711 mt |
Honeywell International, Chemicals and Refrigerants, Baton Rouge
| Carbon Dioxide | 13,524 mt |
| Methane | 5 mt |
| Nitrous Oxide | 8 mt |
| HFC-23 | 4,744,350 mt |
Bayou Coatings, Pipe Coating, Baton Rouge
| Carbon Dioxide | 4,737,229 mt |
| Methane | 1,876 mt |
| Nitrous Oxide | 2,768 mt |
R. S. Nelson, Coal Fired Power Plant, Westlake
| Carbon Dioxide | 4,664,874 mt |
| Methane | 9,221 mt |
| Nitrous Oxide | 19,573 mt |
Citgo Petroleum Refinery, Sulphur
| Carbon Dioxide | 4,608,460 mt |
| Methane | 15,528 mt |
| Nitrous Oxide | 20,616 mt |
Norco Manufacturing Complex, Petroleum Refinery and Chemical Plant, Norco
| Carbon Dioxide | 3,773,552 mt |
| Methane | 47,617 mt |
| Nitrous Oxide | 29,444 mt |
*The Citgo Petroleum Refinery and the Refinery at the Norco Manufacturing Complex made the EPA 2011 Clean Air Act Watch List
