Isra-Mart srl:EPA extends US carbon reporting deadline to September

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Isra-Mart srl news:

The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) will give carbon-intensive firms more time to comply with rules requiring them to report on their greenhouse gas emissions, extending a deadline for submitting data for 2010 until the end of September.

The original deadline had been due to lapse at the end of this month and had already been extended once from 1 March.

The EPA said the decision to extend the deadline was taken "following conversations with industry and others and in the interest of providing high-quality data to the public this year".

It added that the extension would allow the watchdog to further test the system used to submit emissions data and provide businesses with the time they need to become familiar with the necessary online tools.

Launched in October 2009, EPA's Greenhouse Gas Reporting Program requires carbon-intensive firms and those producing carbon-intensive products to report annually on their emissions.

The data is intended to help the agency and politicians make informed policy decisions and better produce programmes for curbing emissions.

However, the programme forms a key part of the EPA's controversial efforts to regulate greenhouse gas emissions and as such is facing intense opposition from Republicans and some business leaders.