Emissions Increase in 2008 Greenhouse Gas Inventory

The Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR) has released its second annual greenhouse gas inventory to the Governor and General Assembly. Overall, greenhouse gas emissions increased from those emitted in 2007. The emissions data was calculated directly from the quantities of materials combusted and produced at nearly 300 Iowa facilities in 2008.

Total stationary point sources increased greenhouse gas emissions by 2.57 percent despite 40 percent of facilities reporting lower fossil fuel combustion. Additionally, coal combustion increased emissions by 4 percent and accounts for 87 percent of the total major source fossil fuel combustion greenhouse gas emissions reported. Ethanol production at dry mills increased 29 percent and at wet mills it decreased 5 percent.

“The 2008 greenhouse gas inventory is a crucial step in the DNR’s efforts to collect greenhouse gas emission data and address climate change,” said Marnie Stein, author of the report. “This inventory allows us for the first time to analyze trends in greenhouse gas emissions emitted from individual facilities in Iowa.”

The report is a refinement of previous statewide greenhouse gas inventories and includes: fossil fuel combustion at federally-recognized major point sources of air pollution; ethanol fermentation; cement manufacturing, lime manufacturing, ammonia production, nitric acid production, iron and steel production, and soda ash consumption.

Greenhouse gases reported include carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4), and nitrous oxide (N20), sulfur hexafluoride (SF6), perfluorocarbons (PFCs) and hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs).

2008 Greenhouse Gas Emissions from Selected Iowa Source Categories is posted here.

For additional information, contact Marnie Stein at Marnie.Stein@dnr.iowa.gov, or by phone at (515) 281-8468.