CARB ID CALS5040
Scenic View Dairy Methane Reduction Project
Holland, Michigan
On 30 January 2020, the California Air Resources Board completed an investigation into credits from this livestock methane project. CARB explicitly found that the greenhouse gas reductions represented by the offsets were real, quantified and verified. Its regulatory determination still differed by reporting period.
CARB assessed when methane destruction occurred against the dates of manure nitrogen regulatory noncompliance. Corrected information from Michigan then changed the treatment of Period D. CARB's later issuance record shows the replacement instruments were retired in August 2020.
Two periods, read separately
Reporting Period C | 1 Feb 2016 to 31 Jan 201718,867 of 20,421 credits directed for invalidation
18,867 of 20,421 credits directed for invalidation
CARB linked 18,867 credits to methane destruction during the confirmed noncompliance window, from 1 February 2016 through 1 January 2017.
Learning point: verified reductions and regulatory eligibility are separate questions. A period-level match between activity dates and compliance dates can change the credit outcome.
Source: page 4 and Table 2 on page 6Reporting Period D | 1 Feb 2017 to 31 Jan 201815,697 credits removed from the investigation
15,697 credits removed from the investigation
Michigan corrected its earlier information on 25 November 2019 and confirmed that the project had returned to compliance before Period D began. CARB removed the period from the investigation and lifted its transfer restrictions.
Learning point: an initial block is not a final outcome. The evidence record needs to preserve corrections, their dates and the authority behind them.
Source: Table 1 on page 4 and pages 4 to 6This summary paraphrases the final determination. The official document controls.