The U.S. Coal Mine Methane Protocol provides guidance to quantify, monitor, and verify GHG emission reductions associated with destroying methane that would have otherwise been vented to the atmosphere from active underground coal and Category III gassy trona mines in the United States and its territories. This protocol was originally adopted by the Reserve Board in October 2009.
- U.S. Coal Mine Methane Protocol Version 1.1 (October 26, 2012)
(This protocol document is a packaged pdf. To view the document, please save the file > Show in Folder > then open the pdf from within the file folder.) - Errata and Clarifications to U.S. Coal Mine Methane Protocol Version 1.1 (March 10, 2014)
- Reserve Presentation on ARB’s Mine Methane Capture Protocol
- Comparison of Reserve U.S. Coal Mine Methane Protocol to ARB Compliance Offset Protocol for Mine Methane Capture Projects (Coming Soon)
Version 1.0 and 1.1 of the U.S. Coal Mine Methane Protocol were approved by the California Air Resources Board (ARB) and credits issued under these versions are eligible to be Early Action Offset Credits. In June 2013, ARB published a notice on its website regarding early action project guidance. The notice may be accessed here: http://www.arb.ca.gov/cc/capandtrade/offsets/offsets.htm
Project Registration Documents
| Document | Description | Required Phase | Privilege |
|---|---|---|---|
| Coal Mine Methane Project Submittal Form | A proposal to undertake a coal mine methane project. | Project Submittal | Public |
| Project System Diagram | Diagrammatic representation of the mine that illustrates how the project is defined and includes the location, quantity and type of boreholes, ventilation shafts, eligible destruction devices and non-qualifying destruction devices within a project’s GHG Assessment Boundary. | Verification | Private |
Protocol Development & Previous Versions
Use the links below to access information about the protocol development process of the U.S. Coal Mine Methane Protocol. Public comments, staff responses to public comments, workgroup participants, and other supporting documents can also be found here.
Click a version of the protocol below to access more information:
- Version 1.1 (October 26, 2012)
- Draft Version 2.0 (August 2011)
- Version 1.0 (October 7, 2009)
Please contact the Reserve with questions or comments.