Regional Clean Air Incentives Market (RECLAIM) Program
Emissions data from high-emitting businesses in the South Coast Air Basin, under California’s first cap-and-trade program
Daily and quarterly mandatory emissions data from over 300 facilities in the nitrogen oxides market and 33 facilities in the sulfur oxides market, based on 4-ton emissions threshold
Access
South Coast AQMD’s RECLAIM data are available to researchers by request. Researchers should submit the online Public Records Request Form. The form requires detailing the specific records the researcher is seeking, the time period requested, and the facility or address of interest. Only one facility or address can be requested per form, but multiple record requests may be submitted. Documents will not be provided if doing so would infringe upon a copyright, trade secret, or is otherwise legally exempt. If the requested records have been marked confidential by the source of the data, the researchers will be notified and given the option of continuing with the District’s Trade Secret process.
Timeline for Access
Data on all emissions and rolling average prices are updated quarterly, although data on major emission sources are submitted daily by facilities. Researchers can contact RECLAIM staff by phone for more information.
Researchers will be notified within ten days of submission whether their requested information is available or if a longer review period of up to 14 additional days is needed. This notification will also provide an estimated date at which the requested data will be made available. District policy mandates provision of records with minimal delay to the requesting party.
Lag Time
Records are updated daily on major emission sources and quarterly on all emissions and rolling average prices.
Cost
The charge for duplication of records is $0.15/page each after the first ten pages for paper copies (the first ten pages are free). Copied CDs, DVDs, and flash drives are free. Copied Audio Tapes are $5.00 each. Gathered information in CD, DVD or flash drive form typically costs $10 each. If the requested information would require data compilation, extraction, or programming to produce, or would otherwise only be produced at regularly scheduled intervals, additional payment for the cost of constructing the record and the computer services required may be incurred. After a preliminary estimate of the total cost, advance payment may be required. Researchers can request to be notified if the cost will exceed $20.00 when they submit the Public Records Request form.
Linking
Unknown.
Linking to Outside Data Sources
Unknown.
Data Contents
RECLAIM monitors daily and quarterly individual and mass emissions from facilities in their four-county southern California jurisdiction that emit four or more tons per year of either nitrogen oxides or sulfur oxides from permitted equipment. These businesses represent a significant share of the smog-forming emissions from business and industry in the South Coast Air Basin. South Coast AQMD maintains a list of all parties holding credits, which can be bought or sold among the parties to adjust emissions limits. Facilities excluded from participation include dry cleaners, landfill gas operations, and police and public transit facilities. Hospitals, prisons, schools and universities and ski resorts are not required to participate but may opt in.
Partial List of Variables
• Air or other pollution monitoring and emissions data (daily or quarterly)
• All information disclosing the nature, extent, quantity, or degree of air contaminants or other pollution where provision is required
• Permits required to operate and permit applications, compliance cycle information
• Site inspection reports, source test reports, notices of violations, reduction credit certificates, and other test records
Data which constitute trade secrets that are used to calculate emissions data are not public records and are likely exempt from request. Data used to calculate the costs of obtaining emission offsets are also not public records, but the year of offset transaction, amount purchased, and cost of offsets purchased may be available. See the Guidelines for Implementing the California Public Records Act for more examples of available and non-available data.
J-PAL Randomized Evaluations Using this Data Set
Fowlie, Meredith, and Jeffrey Perloff, 2013. "Distributing Pollution Rights in Cap-and-Trade Programs: Are Outcomes Independent of Allocation?" Review of Economics and Statistics, 95(5): 1640-1652