It’s the beginning of the year, and that means that emissions inventory reporting season in California is in full swing! An emissions inventory (EI) is a report on a facility’s actual emissions to the atmosphere of any regulated air pollutant. Both minor and major sources may be required or requested to submit their emissions inventories for the previous year, i.e., your facility would report the estimated actual emissions from 2025. This includes criteria pollutants, such as particulate matter with aerodynamic diameters of less than 10 and less than 2.5 microns in diameter (PM10 and PM2.5, respectively), oxides of nitrogen (NOX), carbon monoxide (CO), etc. Emissions should be reported for any regulated pollutant at your facility, not just pollutants with limits in the facility’s permit. If your facility’s permit includes limits for any pollutant that is not a regulated air pollutant, this pollutant must be included as part of the emissions inventory as well.
Emission inventory reports are based on a facility’s actual emissions or operational records during the reporting year and form the basis for air quality planning that occurs at the county, state, and national levels. For instance, the inventory data provided in EI reports may be used by the county or state for air quality modeling to demonstrate attainment of the National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) or compliance with your facility’s air quality permit.
Facilities in the Sacramento-Metropolitan Air Quality Management District (SMAQMD) will be required to submit annual reports in the Online Services portal by March 15, 2026.
What is the Online Services Portal?
The Online Services portal is SMAQMD’s web-based environmental permitting and reporting system. The Online Services portal supports electronic submission of Authority to Construct (ATC) applications, Title V permit initial or modification applications, change or transfer of ownership applications, permit cancellation applications, and payment of District fees.
Annual reports for all stationary source permits must be submitted in the Online Services Portal for calendar year 2025.
Tips and Tricks for the Reporting Season
With emission inventory reporting due dates quickly approaching it’s important to remember these key items.
Start early. Alleviate Q1 stress by starting annual reports as soon as possible. The sooner you can identify any gaps in data the more time you will have available to work with your operators to prepare a complete report.
Confirm User Accounts. Ensure active users are current employees and remove access for former employees. Make sure the appropriate roles are assigned. New employees can make new Online Portal accounts and link to the existing facility using the 9-digit account ID and Facility ID.
Prepare your records. Consolidate your records from the prior year and coordinate with the operations or maintenance teams as needed to collect records for reporting year 2025.
Review Stack Information. You will have the opportunity to review and update stack data as needed in the stack data form. Review stack locations, receptor distances, and stack heights prior to your report submittal. If stack information in the Online Services Portal doesn’t align with the data on site, fill out the stack data form to correct it.
Review past submissions for consistency. Confirm submitted report is consistent with past reports and current permit requirements.
Read the reporting instructions carefully. Reports in the Online Services portal may ask for different or new information compared to prior reporting years. You should ensure you are uploading all data as requested in the reporting instructions.
Upload Supporting Documentation. Upload any supporting documentation, including calculations, natural gas fuel invoices, etc. as appropriate for your facility annual reports.
Ask questions before submitting. Although reports may be edited after submittal, this may delay approvals. Asking questions regarding your annual report will help ensure submittal goes smoothly.
Submit by March 15. Reports are submitted once the status lists “Screening Assessment” or “Report Review”
Trinity Can Help
Additional information regarding Annual Reporting and the online services portal may be found on SMAQMD’s website. Our team of local experts at Trinity can help you prepare your emissions inventory to ensure that you are ready to submit before the March 15, 2026 deadline.
We wish you a successful reporting season, and if you would like to discuss your facilities emission inventory reporting, please contact Trinity’s Sacramento office.
