Alternative Energy Draft EA - NASA Visitor Center at Wallops Flight ...

Affected Environment
addition to State programs, there is emerging Federal climate change-related legislation such as
EO 13514. In 2007, the U.S. Supreme Court determined that the EPA had the regulatory
authority to include GHGs as pollutants under the CAA. On October 30, 2009, EPA issued a new
rule (Mandatory Reporting of GHGs) that adds substantial additional requirements, such as
measurement, monitoring, and reporting for many industries. Most recently, the EPA released a
statement on December 7, 2009 announcing that the current levels of GHG threaten public health
and the environment, prompting further requests for regulations to reduce GHGs (EPA, 2009).
GHG emissions were calculated for both WFF Mainland/Wallops Island and the Main Base to
estimate NASA’s contribution in calendar year 2008. These emissions resulting from mobile
(government-owned vehicles and rocket launches) and stationary source operations at WFF in
2008 will be referred to as the “baseline” condition for the analysis in this EA.
Table 9 lists the GHG emissions for WFF based on the 2008 Annual Update Forms (NASA,
2009c). Emission factors from the EPA’s AP-42 (EPA, 2009) and Environment Canada’s
National Inventory Report Annex 13 (Environment Canada, 2006) were used in conjunction with
the WFF fuel consumption rates to calculate annual GHG emissions for boilers/heating
equipment and emergency generators. Total baseline CO2e emissions for WFF are 10,206 metric
tonnes per year.
Table 9: Calendar Year 2008 Greenhouse Gas Emissions at WFF by Pollutant
Emissions (metric tonnes per year)
Pollutant WFF Main Base WFF Mainland/Wallops Island
CO2 8,794 1,392
CH4