ECMPS News

The 2012 Q1 Submission Period is Almost Over

2012-04-25T08:00:00.000-04:00

Although a large percentage of the 2012 Q1 emission submissions have already been received, there are a number that are yet to be submitted. In order to submit emissions files by the reporting deadline of Monday, April 30, 2012, some people will be hustling to prepare their files for submission.

In order to help people who still need to submit their files, we, at technical support, will answer as many questions as we can. However, if you are submitting a technical support request in the last days of the submission period, please understand that you might be arriving late to the technical support queue. And that means that your question may not be answered as fast as you would like. In general, technical support request tickets are answered in a first-come-first-served basis.

If you find yourself in the last minute mode trying to complete your submissions, please consult the information in the FAQ on what do if you are running out of time to submit.

Check SPAN-60 and Inactive Non-Flow Span Records

2012-04-04T14:00:00.000-04:00

In the release of the 2012 Q1 version of the ECMPS Client Tool, a new monitoring plan check related to non-flow span values was added.

The SPAN-60 check verifies that for non-flow span data, the reported Maximum Expected Concentration (MEC) value is less than the Maximum Potential Concentration (MPC).

The SPAN-60 check should only apply to active non-flow span data (records without an end date).

Unfortunately, the check is also verifying span data that are no longer active (records with an end date).

Users who receive a SPAN-60-A error on an inactive span record should contact ECMPS Technical Support. Please include the Monitoring Plan Evaluation Report which shows the error.

The check will be corrected in the next release in order to only verify active span data.

The 2012 Q1 Reporting Period begins April 1

2012-03-29T07:30:00.000-04:00

The 2012 Q1 Reporting period begins on Sunday April 1st. Sources required to report emissions data under the Acid Rain Program (ARP), Clean Air Interstate Rule (CAIR), and the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI) have 30 days to submit their emissions data to the EPA using the ECMPS Client Tool.

During this reporting period, the EPA expects to receive over 3,900 emissions data submissions. Given these large number of files that need to be submitted over the next 30 days, we, at technical support, encourage all sources to start working as soon as possible on the evaluation and submission of their data.

Start Early

We want to encourage sources to start early primarily because, with the large volume of submissions expected, if you have questions, you will get a faster response to your technical support request, the earlier in the month that you submit your request. If you wait until later in the month to begin working with your data and you run into problems that require technical support, your request will be added to a much longer queue than if you had submitted the request earlier in the submission period.

Technical Support Information

Information on getting technical support through the resources on the Web site or by submitting a technical support request has all been consolidated in the Web site's Help section. We would like to highlight that, as necessary, FAQs and Known Issues will continue to be updated throughout the submission period. Hours for technical support are listed on the Contact Us page.

Resubmission Requests

Requests to resubmit QA or emissions data should be made using the Resubmission Request Form.

Keep Up-To-Date

To keep up-to-date with ECMPS News items, we would suggest subscribing to ECMPS News.

You can receive the ECMPS News posts via email by subscribing to ECMPS News or adding the ECMPS News feed to your RSS Reader. To subscribe via email, simply enter your email address in the box provided on the upper right part of the ECMPS News page and click the Subscribe button. To receive the RSS feed, click on the RSS feed, which also located at the bottom of every page on the Web site.

Which Vendor ID Should be Reported?

2012-03-13T07:30:00.004-04:00

Each calendar year, the EPA provides new vendor IDs for the Protocol Gas Verification Program (PGVP). (For example, the 2012 PGVP vendors are listed here.)

The question has been asked as to when sources should start to use the new vendor IDs after they are released at the beginning of the calendar year. The answer is related to when the cylinder was certified.

Sources should report the vendor ID which corresponds to when the cylinder was certified. If the cylinder was certified in 2011, the 2011 vendor ID should be used. If the cylinder was certified in 2012, the 2012 vendor ID should be used.

AMPD: New Data and Maps Website

2012-03-12T07:30:00.003-04:00

Later this week, the Clean Air Markets Division (CAMD) will launch an updated version of the publicly-accessible Data and Maps website:

On March 17, 2012, EPA's Clean Air Markets Division will be replacing its Data and Maps website with a new, easy to use website called Air Markets Program Data (AMPD). AMPD will provide public access to emissions, allowance, and compliance data collected for power sector air emissions trading programs operated by EPA, including the Acid Rain (ARP) and Clean Air Interstate Rule (CAIR) trading programs. AMPD will provide users with the same tools and functionality that are available in Data and Maps, but will have a redesigned and updated interface that is more user-friendly and intuitive.

The 2012 Q1 Release of the Client Tool is Now Available

2012-03-07T14:45:00.000-05:00

The 2012 Quarter 1 Release of the Client Tool is now available.

For details about what was included in this release, consult the Release Notes.

In order to use the Client Tool, you must be a Designated Representative, Alternate Designated Representative, or an ECMPS agent for a Representative. In addition, you must have a CAMD Business System (CBS) user name, current CBS password, and have completed a CROMERR Subscriber Agreement Form.

All current users of the Client Tool will be prompted to upgrade to this latest version the next time that each user logs in to the EPA Host System. For more information about the Update Service which updates the Client Tool, watch the Update Service tutorial.

All new users of the Client Tool should download and install the 2012 Q1 version of the Client Tool. Users are urged to follow all instructions on the Web site and to consult the Installation Guide for step-by-step instructions on how to install the Client Tool.

In order to insure that all technical support questions are tracked and answered, EPA has requested that all technical support questions, including installation questions, be submitted to ECMPS Technical Support.

The 2012 Q1 Software Update is scheduled to be released on March 7, 2012

2012-02-22T07:30:00.001-05:00

As usual, an ECMPS Client Tool update is scheduled to occur in the month prior to a reporting month. The 2012 Q1 software update is scheduled to be released on March 7, 2012. At that time, the latest version of the Client Tool--the 2012 Q1 version--will be made available.

In order to complete the deployment of the latest version of the Client Tool, the EPA Host System will be unavailable from Friday, March 2nd until Wednesday, March 7th when the new version is released. During that time, users will only be able to use the Client Tool "offline".

Following the release of the software on March 7th, users will be able to upgrade their Client Tool to the latest version in preparation for the April 2012 reporting period.

The 2011 Q4 Reporting Period is Almost Over

2012-01-25T21:30:00.003-05:00

Although a large percentage of the 2011 Q4 emission submissions have been received, there are a number that are outstanding. That means that some people will be hustling to complete their submissions before the end of the reporting period which is Monday, January 30, 2012.

At technical support, we will answer as many questions as we can. However, if you are submitting a technical support request in the last days of the submission period, please understand that you might be arriving late to the technical support queue. And that means that your question may not be answered as fast as you would like. In general, technical support request tickets are answered in a first-come-first-served basis.

If you find yourself in the last minute mode trying to complete your submissions, please consult the information in the FAQ on what do if you are running out of time to submit.

The 2012 PGVP Vendor IDs Have Been Released

2012-01-23T07:30:00.001-05:00

The 2012 PGVP Vendor ID information has been posted on the EPA web site. The 2011 PGVP Vendor ID information is still available.

Sources should report Vendor IDs as the guidance document indicates. Specifically, if the cylinder was ordered in 2011, a 2011 Vendor ID should be used for reporting the data to the EPA. If the cylinder was ordered in 2012, a 2012 Vendor ID should be used for reporting the data to the EPA.

Please contact Technical Support if you have any questions related to which vendor ID should be used for reporting purposes.

The EPA Host System Connection Problems have been Resolved

2012-01-18T08:30:00.001-05:00

The EPA Host Connection problems which were reported yesterday have been resolved.

Around 3:30 p.m. EST on January 17, 2012, AT&T rebooted a firewall. Rebooting the firewall resolved the connection drops which were causing ECMPS users problems when they were attempting to update the Client Tool or submit data to the EPA Host System.

If you have any questions about the connection problems, please contact ECMPS Technical Support.

EPA Host System Connection Problems

2012-01-17T13:00:00.003-05:00

Beginning on Saturday, January 14, 2012, the EPA Host System has been experiencing problems in which the connection is dropped between the ECMPS Client Tool and the EPA Host System.

The dropping of the connection has resulted in a number of submissions failing because it has occurred while users were submitting data to the EPA Host System. Not all submissions have failed, and the problem has not prevented some successful submissions from occurring.

The connection being dropped has also affected users who are attempting to update the Client Tool to the latest version. It has caused errors to occur during the update.

ECMPS Support is working with the technical personnel who support the EPA Host System in order to correct this problem. As soon as the problem has been corrected, a news item will be posted to indicate that the problem has been resolved.

If you do not need to submit or update the Client Tool immediately, it might be advisable to wait until this problem has been resolved before submitting or updating in order to reduce the number of submission or update problems which you might encounter.

If you attempt to submit to the EPA Host System before this problem has been resolved, please be aware that your submissions might fail. If that occurs, the submissions will need to be reattempted in the future.

If you encounter a submission problem which indicates that the unit is locked, you will need to contact ECMPS Technical Support in order to have the locked unit problem resolved.

ECMPS Technical Support Closed on Martin Luther King, Jr. Day--January 16, 2012

2012-01-13T14:00:00.003-05:00

The ECMPS Technical Support Help Desk will be closed on Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, Monday, January 16th. Technical support will be available again on Tuesday, January 17th.

To receive the fastest reply to your questions, we recommend sending your questions via email rather than using the telephone.

The ECMPS Technical Support Help Desk will also be closed on the following upcoming holidays:

Memorial Day - Monday, May 28, 2012
Independence Day - Wednesday, July 4, 2012
Labor Day - Monday, September 3, 2012
Veterans' Day - Monday, November 12, 2012

You can view the full technical support holiday schedule here.

2011 Q4 Submission Windows will be opened Today

2012-01-03T10:30:00.003-05:00

There was a problem with the automatic job which opens the submission "windows" for the 2011 Q4 reporting period. These windows enable sources to submit the 2011 Q4 emissions data. The job should have opened the submission windows in time for sources to begin submitting 2011 Q4 emissions data on January 1, 2012.

The automatic job will be re-run today. As the job is run, sources will receive email notification that submission access for 2011 Q4 data is now available. In addition, after access has been granted, the next time sources log in to the EPA Host System via the Client Tool, the submission access will be synchronized to sources' Client Tools. Following that synchronization, sources will be able to submit 2011 Q4 emissions data to the EPA Host System.

Note, this problem only affects sources' ability to submit 2011 Q4 emissions data. Submission access for monitoring plan, QA, certification, and event data are not affected by this automatic job. Sources should be able to submit monitoring plan data, QA, certification, and event data according to the normal submission access policies.

The 2011 Q4 Reporting Period begins January 1

2011-12-30T15:00:00.002-05:00

The 2011 Q4 Reporting period begins on Sunday January 1st. Sources required to report emissions data under the Acid Rain Program (ARP), Clean Air Interstate Rule (CAIR), and the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI) have 30 days to submit their emissions data to the EPA using the ECMPS Client Tool.

During this reporting period, the EPA expects to receive over 3,900 emissions data submissions. Given these large number of files that need to be submitted over the next 30 days, we, at technical support, encourage all sources to start working as soon as possible on the evaluation and submission of their data.

Start Early

We want to encourage sources to start early primarily because, with the large volume of submissions expected, if you have questions, you will get a faster response to your technical support request, the earlier in the month that you submit your request. If you wait until later in the month to begin working with your data and you run into problems that require technical support, your request will be added to a much longer queue than if you had submitted the request earlier in the submission period.

Technical Support Information

Information on getting technical support through the resources on the Web site or by submitting a technical support request has all been consolidated in the Web site's Help section. We would like to highlight that, as necessary, FAQs and Known Issues will continue to be updated throughout the submission period. Hours for technical support are listed on the Contact Us page.

Resubmission Requests

Requests to resubmit QA or emissions data should be made using the Resubmission Request Form.

Keep Up-To-Date

To keep up-to-date with ECMPS News items, we would suggest subscribing to ECMPS News.

You can receive the ECMPS News posts via email by subscribing to ECMPS News or adding the ECMPS News feed to your RSS Reader. To subscribe via email, simply enter your email address in the box provided on the upper right part of the ECMPS News page and click the Subscribe button. To receive the RSS feed, click on the RSS feed, which also located at the bottom of every page on the Web site.

ECMPS Technical Support Help Desk closed for New Year's Day (Observed)

2011-12-30T14:00:00.003-05:00

In observance of Christmas, the ECMPS Technical Support Help Desk will be closed on Monday, January 2nd. Technical support will be available again on Tuesday, January 3rd.

Please note that due to many of the technical support staff being out of the office until January 3, 2012, responses to your questions might take longer than normal. To receive the fastest reply to your questions, we recommend sending your questions via email rather than using the telephone.

The ECMPS Technical Support Help Desk will also be closed on the following upcoming holidays:

Martin Luther King, Jr. Day - Monday, January 16, 2012
Memorial Day - Monday, May 28, 2012
Independence Day - Wednesday, July 4, 2012
Labor Day - Monday, September 3, 2012

You can view the full technical support holiday schedule here.

ECMPS Technical Support Help Desk closed for Christmas (Observed)

2011-12-22T14:00:00.007-05:00

In observance of Christmas, the ECMPS Technical Support Help Desk will be closed on Monday, December 26th. Technical support will be available again on Tuesday, December 27th.

Please note that due to many of the technical support staff being out of the office until January 3, 2012, responses to your questions might take longer than normal. To receive the fastest reply to your questions, we recommend sending your questions via email rather than using the telephone.

The ECMPS Technical Support Help Desk will also be closed on the following upcoming holidays:

New Year's Day (Observed Holiday) - Monday, January 2, 2012
Martin Luther King, Jr. Day - Monday, January 16, 2012
Memorial Day - Monday, May 28, 2012
Independence Day - Wednesday, July 4, 2012

You can view the full technical support holiday schedule here.

The 2011 Q4 Release of the Client Tool is Now Available

2011-12-21T15:30:00.000-05:00

The 2011 Quarter 4 Release of the Client Tool is now available.

For details about what was included in this release, consult the Release Notes.

In order to use the Client Tool, you must be a Designated Representative, Alternate Designated Representative, or an ECMPS agent for a Representative. In addition, you must have a CAMD Business System (CBS) user name, current CBS password, and have completed a CROMERR Subscriber Agreement Form.

All current users of the Client Tool will be prompted to upgrade to this latest version the next time that each user logs in to the EPA Host System. For more information about the Update Service which updates the Client Tool, watch the Update Service tutorial.

All new users of the Client Tool should download and install the 2011 Q2 version of the Client Tool and then perform the update to the 2011 Q4 version. Users are urged to follow all instructions on the Web site and to consult the Installation Guide for step-by-step instructions on how to install the Client Tool.

In order to insure that all technical support questions are tracked and answered, EPA has requested that all technical support questions, including installation questions, be submitted to ECMPS Technical Support.

The 2011 Q4 Software Update is scheduled to be released on December 21, 2011

2011-12-06T07:30:00.003-05:00

As usual, an ECMPS Client Tool update is scheduled to occur in the month prior to a reporting month. The 2011 Q4 software update is scheduled to be released on December 21, 2011. At that time, the latest version of the Client Tool--the 2011 Q4 version--will be made available.

In order to complete the deployment of the latest version of the Client Tool, the EPA Host System will be unavailable from Friday, December 16th until Wednesday, December 21st when the new version is released. During that time, users will only be able to use the Client Tool "offline".

Following the release of the software on December 21st, users will be able to upgrade their Client Tool to the latest version in preparation for the January 2012 reporting period.

ECMPS Technical Support will be closed on Monday, December 26, 2011 and January 2, 2012.

ECMPS Technical Support Help Desk closed for Thanksgiving

2011-11-22T14:00:00.005-05:00

In observance of Thanksgiving Day, the ECMPS Technical Support Help Desk will be closed on Thursday, November 24th and Friday, November 25th. Technical support will be available again on Monday, November 28th.

The ECMPS Technical Support Help Desk will also be closed on the following upcoming holidays:

Christmas (Observed Holiday) - Monday, December 26, 2011
New Year's Day (Observed Holiday) - Monday, January 2, 2012
Martin Luther King, Jr. Day - Monday, January 16, 2012

You can view the full technical support holiday schedule here.

ECMPS Technical Support Help Desk closed on Veterans' Day

2011-11-10T14:00:00.004-05:00

In observance of Veterans' Day, the ECMPS Technical Support Help Desk will be closed on Friday, November 11th. Technical support will be available again on Monday, November 14th.

The ECMPS Technical Support Help Desk will also be closed on the following upcoming holidays:

Thanksgiving Day - Thursday, November 24, 2011
Friday after Thanksgiving Day - Friday, November 25, 2011
Christmas (Observed Holiday) - Monday, December 26, 2011
New Year's Day (Observed Holiday) - Monday, January 2, 2012

You can view the full technical support holiday schedule here.

The 2011 Q3 Reporting Period is Almost Over

2011-10-26T07:30:00.001-04:00

Although a large percentage of the 2011 Q3 emission submissions have been received, there are a number that are outstanding. That means that some people will be hustling to complete their submissions before the end of the reporting period which is Monday, October 31, 2011. (Note, normally the submission period is 30 days. However, because the 30th day falls on a weekend, the last day to submit will actually be October 31st.)

At technical support, we will answer as many questions as we can. However, if you are submitting a technical support request in the last days of the submission period, please understand that you might be arriving late to the queue. And that means that your question may not be answered as fast as you would like. In general, technical support request tickets are answered in a first-come-first-served basis.

If you find yourself in the last minute mode trying to complete your submissions, please consult the information in the FAQ on what do if you are running out of time to submit.

CSAPR Implementation Training Workshop Scheduled for November 10, 2011 in Kansas City

2011-10-18T07:30:00.001-04:00

The U.S. EPA is offering a one day training workshop on implementing the Cross-State Air Pollution Rule (CSAPR) in Kansas City, Missouri on November 10, 2011. Representatives from EPA's Clean Air Market Division (CAMD) and Region 7 will discuss topics on the implementation of the CSAPR.

The topics scheduled to be discussed include emissions monitoring, roles and duties of designated representatives, and allowance true-up.

There is no cost for this workshop. To participate in the training, submit your information using the registration form. If you later have to cancel your registration, please let one of the workshop contacts know.

More information on the training can be found here.

The 2011 Q3 Service Pack has been Released

2011-10-14T13:00:00.002-04:00

The October 14, 2011 Service Pack has been released.

Users who log in to the EPA Host System will be prompted to update to this Service Pack.

Users who must manually update the Client Tool will be able to obtain the additional files from the Shared Database Update page.

The update does not affect the Client Tool database which means that shared database users are not required to update their databases.

The 2011 Q3 Service Pack will be Released on October 14, 2011

2011-10-13T23:30:00.006-04:00

On Friday, October 14, 2011, a required service pack for the 2011 Q3 version of the ECMPS Client Tool will be released. All users of the Client Tool will be required to apply this service pack. Users who connect to the EPA Host System after the service pack is released will be prompted to complete the update. Users who manually apply updates will be able to obtain the necessary update file from the support website.

This service pack is being released in order to deal with two bugs. The first correction will take care of a problem related to the reporting of PGVP data which began on September 26, 2011. Error suppression was applied to all users in order to correct the problem, but this did not adequately handle the bug. The bug will be fully addressed in the October 14, 2011 service pack.

The second bug incorrectly gave an evaluation error if Flow RATA tests did not include PGVP data. The October 14, 2011 service pack will correct this bug.

Reminder on Reporting PGVP and AETB Data

2011-10-03T07:30:00.004-04:00

Data reporting for the Protocol Gas Verification Program (PGVP) began on September 26, 2011.

PGVP data can be reported for days prior to September 26, 2011. However, if any of these data are reported, the entire PGVP related set of data must be included and the data will be subject to the appropriate evaluation checks. In other words, partial PGVP data cannot be reported because partial data will generate errors and any PGVP data reported must pass the evaluation checks.

For example, if the data submitted include a daily calibration record from September 25, 2011 which only includes the cylinder ID and not the upscale gas type code, expiration date, and vendor identifier, the evaluation will generate an error. If only partial PGVP data are available for dates prior to September 26, 2011, it is recommended to not include any of that PGVP data. Of course, PGVP data from September 26, 2011 on will be required to be reported and to be complete.

The Air Emissions Testing Body (AETB) data are not required to be reported until March 27, 2012. AETB data can be reported prior to that time, if desired. However, if any of the AETB data are reported, the data must be complete and will be subject to the appropriate evaluation checks.