ECMPS 2.0
ESC Spectrum is currently adapting our two Data Acquisition Systems (DAS), StackVision and Prism, to embrace the upcoming reporting file format changes. Currently, ECMPS is able to evaluate XML formatted files generated by either ECMPS or from a DAS used by a CEM system operator.
During ECMPS 2.0 re-engineering’s dedicated beta testing periods, the StackVision and Prism Data Acquisition Systems are being updated to allow them to generate quality assurance and certification files, along with hourly emission files, both in the existing XML format and the new JSON format files. The intent is to generate both types of files and evaluate them separately, using their respective evaluation tools. The goal behind this comparison is to make sure ECMPS 2.0 can evaluate the JSON file and determine that it is evaluated to the same degree as an XML file in ECMPS.
The ESC Spectrum team has been preparing our software and support team to accommodate the ECMPS 2.0 changes since the announcement of the project.
Our regulatory and reporting experts have been meeting with ECMPS representatives and attending EPA webinars that provide critical information to DAS vendors on their progress and timelines.
Please note: (2/22/2024) In their February 6th webinar, the EPA addressed the delay and confirmed that the release of ECMPS 2.0 (including MATS) is now postponed to an unspecified date. Updated reporting instructions require MATS facilities to submit compliance reports using the XML format starting in the first quarter of 2024. However, the EPA never published an XML schema, so it is not clear how to report the data in that format, as the regulation mandates. Currently, ESC Spectrum does not have enough information from the EPA with regard to schemas to generate proper XML or JSON files. However, we have reached out to many of you and believe that there are effective ways of meeting compliance. We are here to help and encourage you to contact us for assistance.
Due to lack of information from EPA and customer discussions, we do not intend to make “ad-hoc” changes to our software at this time. StackVision Version 7.4 BETA was released on 2/12/204 and is now available for download. The StackVision 7.4 General release will be available on 3/13/2024. The Prism 1.9 release will be available on 3/19/2024.
Fall 2023 User Group Updates
At the Fall User Group in Austin, TX, ESC Spectrum provided updates on the impact of the ECMPS 2.0 project on StackVision and Prism development. You can access the slides in the Customer Community here.
About the ECMPS 2.0 Re-Engineering Project
The Clean Air Markets Division (CAMD) is engaged in replacing its existing evaluation tool, the Emission Collection and Monitoring Plan System (ECMPS), with an updated web-based program. Access the ECMPS Re-Engineering website here, and the Beta Reporting instructions here.
Watch the ECMPS 2.0 2.0 Re-Engineering Project webinar recording hosted by Senior Regulatory Specialist Jon Konings.
Register for our Preparing for MATS in ECMPS 2.0: An Engineering Perspective webinar hosted by Principal Engineer Brian Perlov.
Key Changes for Reporters
The regulatory data reporting requirements (for non-MATS) and structure are not changing as part of this reengineering; however, the reporting format is changing from the current XML format to a JSON file format. The reason behind this change is to reduce file sizes and increase efficiency for data loading purposes, which becomes more important when using a web-based reporting platform.
The ECMPS 2.0 platform allows for functionality that’s a hybrid of the prior shared and stand-alone desktop versions. The EPA specifically asks beta users to evaluate the beta to ensure it meets their workflow needs and to provide feedback to the EPA.
ECMPS 2.0 and the CAMD Business System (CBS) are transitioning to CDX user management. This will provide consistent login and profile management processes across EPA applications (e.g., ECMPS, GHG Reporting Program, CEDRI) and enhanced security.
Facilities using CEMS for MATS (Mercury and Air Toxics Standard) compliance reporting (such as PM, HCl, HF, sorbent traps, etc.) will need to begin reporting Quality Assurance activities. These include Cylinder Gas Audits (CGAs), Absolute Correlation Audits (ACAs), and Sample Volume Audits (SVAs) electronically, to name a few. In addition, compliance reports will be included in the quarterly Quality Assurance (QA) electronic files for the first time, listing the appropriate 30- or 90-day averages, plus other supporting records.
LME plants are required to report for emissions and QA. In April 2023, the EPA announced that ECMPS 2.0 will not support LME file creation. They stated, “ECMPS 2.0 will no longer include the ability to prepare LME emissions files. Affected LME users will need to explore other options outside ECMPS for preparing their quarterly emissions files.”
Contact ESC Spectrum’s Reporting Team for assistance with LME reporting.
ECMPS 2.0 Timeline
ECMPS 2.0 Beta Testing begins and is scheduled to extend to December 31, 2022.
December 2021CAMD announces an extension to the ECMPS 2.0 Beta Testing period. It is extended through December 31, 2023.
May 2022CAMD releases updated reporting instructions for the three types of files (Monitoring Plan, Quality Assurance and Certification, and Emission data) submitted using the ECMPS tool. These changes reflect the switch from the XML to JSON file format.
Read MoreDecember 2022An ECMPS conference call covers reporting instruction changes, formatting, PM CEM systems, MATS regulations and instructions, and more.
Read MoreMarch 2023On April 5, the EPA proposes a rule to address findings from the 2020 Residual Risk and Technology Review (RTR) for the Mercury Air Toxic Standards (MATS). This proposed rule reflects the most significant improvements and updates to MATS since EPA first issued these standards in February 2012.
The EPA announces that ECMPS 2.0 will not support LME file creation. They state, “ECMPS 2.0 will no longer include the ability to prepare LME emissions files. Affected LME users will need to explore other options outside ECMPS for preparing their quarterly emissions files.”
Read MoreApril 2023Prism 1.8 release features JSON capability.
August 2023ECMPS 2.0 Beta testing period ends.
December 31, 2023ECMPS 2.0 is delayed. EPA to release an update to ECMPS 1.0 to support MATS reporting changes that became effective on 1/1/2024.
January 2024Stackvision 7.4 and Prism 1.9 release
Q1 2024Your Feedback Needed
We’re moving quickly to make changes to our software to ensure you comply with the EPA’s ECMPS 2.0 requirements by the deadline. We would like to hear your feedback on some of the new modules we’ve developed so far. Please contact us with any questions or comments.
Known ECMPS 2.0 Issues
During the testing process, the ESC Spectrum Team has discovered the following issues and reporting them to the EPA. We do not know the current status of these issues, but will update as we learn more.
| Issue | Description | Affected | Date Submitted | Status | Comment |
| “Log In Errors Error authenticating user” | When trying to log in as per usual, ECMPS 2.0 returns an error | General | 07/25/2023 | CLOSED | Login error was caused by expired CDX password |
| “HTTP 500 Error” | Import of Emissions files with “hourlyOperatingData” returns HTTP 500 Error | Emissions | 06/14/2023 | OPEN | error only occurred when importing Emmisions files with “hourlyOperatingData” |
| “[UNITSTACKCONFIG-FATAL-A] The value : XX-XX for unitId must be match the RegEx: [A-z0-9 -*#]{1,6}” | Export and Import of Monitoring Plan returns errors | Monitoring Plan | 06/13/2023 | UNKNOWN | When attempting to import a monitoring plan, which was exported from ECMPS 2.0, multiple errors are returned. |
| “The value for [defaultPurposeCode] for [Monitor Default] is invalid” | Export and then Importing the same Monitoring Plan returns errors | Monitoring Plan | 06/13/2023 | UNKNOWN | When attempting to import a monitoring plan, which was exported from ECMPS 2.0, multiple errors are returned. |
| “[CAPAC-5-B] – You reported a [beginDate] of [1991-03-30], which is outside the range of acceptable values for this date for [Unit Capacity]” | Export and then import of that Monitoring Plan returns error | Monitoring Plan | 07/19/2023 | UNKNOWN | |
| “.[COMPON-12-B] – You reported the value [PM], which is not in the list of valid values, in the field [componentTypeCode] for [Component].” | Export and then import of that Monitoring Plan returns error | Monitoring Plan | 06/06/2023 | OPEN | The issue was reproduced with both the Trimble and Belews Monitoring Plans, which both include a “PM” component code. |
| “[IMPORT-13-B] – The Client Tool database does not contain UnitStackPipeID [EU-3A]. This file was not imported.” | Error when importing QA/QC files to ECMPS 2.0 where their XML equivalent import into ECMPS 1.0 with no issue | QA/QC | 06/08/2023 | OPEN | When attempting to import a QA Certification file into ECMPS 2.0, we are facing errors which state that the Client Tool database does not contain the UnitStackPipeID of interest. When we try to import those exact same records from the ECMPS 2.0 site’s historical records, the same error is returned. |
| “.[COMPON-12-B] – You reported the value [PM], which is not in the list of valid values, in the field [componentTypeCode] for [Component].” | Export and then import of that Monitoring Plan returns error | Monitoring Plan | 06/06/2023 | UNKNOWN | |
| instance.weeklyTestSummaryData.weeklySystemIntegrityData is not of a type(s) array | data as an “object” type – not “array” type | Emissions | 05/26/2023 | UNKNOWN | According to the JSON Emissions schema size, as was downloaded from the ECMPS 2.0 website on 05/25/2023, this node should be of type “object”. The JSON Emissions file submitted to ECMPS 2.0 represents that data as an “object” type – not “array” type. ECMPS 2.0 returns an error message indicating the expected type is an “array” |
| emissons.schema.json and qa-certification.schema.json possible formatting discrepancies | various formatting issues in JSON | MP, Emissions, QA/QC | 04/27/2023 | UNKNOWN |
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| [RATA-130-A] – The run for [RATA Run] was less than five minutes. Each run must be at least five minutes in duration. | It appears that the ECMPS 2.0 system is finding the following error when the attached “FAIL…” JSON is imported into ECMPS 2.0 | QA/QC | 05/15/2023 | UNKNOWN |
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| Evals never complete and hang on “In Queue” | When evaluating files, the status hangs on “In Queue” | Affect MP, Emission and QA/QC | 07/20/2023 | UNKNOWN |
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ECMPS Newsletters
Hello!
Please see below for an update regarding the MATS reporting for first quarter of 2024.
Due to ongoing complexities and the delayed deployment of ECMPS 2.0, EPA will release an update to ECMPS 1.0 to support the MATS reporting changes (FR-2020-09-09) that became effective January 1, 2024. The specific changes are as follows:
• The MATS Data Submission Module (previously referred to as the MATS PDF Submit Module) will be modified to allow the submission of XML and JSON file types.
• The report type description “Semi-annual Compliance Report” will be changed to “Quarterly Compliance Report”.
Affected MATS sources should use these additional file types and reporting flexibility to submit their MATS data beginning with the first quarter 2024 emissions reporting period.
Hello!
On November 1, 2023, EPA released a number of long-awaited updates to the ECMPS 2.0 Beta. There is still more work to be done: please read below for key details and resources, and be on the lookout for an invite to a webinar and QA to be held November 15, 2023, at 1 PM EST.
Subscribe to the Newsletter!
The November newsletter contains details about the November 1st ECMPS 2.0 Beta updates.
Key Updates
What do I need to do in CBS test and CDX test so I can log in and see my facilities?
• You should have a valid CDX test account (use the same email address used in the production systems). Log into CBS test prior to ECMPS beta to ensure your facility responsibility list is properly transferred. If you are a user (e.g., a stack tester) who historically has not had preparer or submitter roles you will not have access to facility data. There are two options for such users:
1. have a facility representative log in to CBS test (with a CDX test account) and designate you as an agent, or
2. send an email to beta support and request access. Note that support staff has limited time to respond to these requests so please be patient.
• The primary purpose of CDX test and CBS test is to allow users to become familiar with the new CDX authentication and preparer/submitter roles and how they interact with ECMPS Beta. As such, the CBS test application is not a fully functional application and does not contain allowance functionality, etc.
What is in the ECMPS Beta test environment?
• The most recent updates allow users to export, import, evaluate and submit all three file types–Monitoring plan, Quality Assurance, and Emissions data. All historical monitoring plan and quality assurance data and 2022 Q1 through 2023 Q2 emissions data has been loaded into ECMPS beta. The emissions submissions windows for 2023 Q2 are set to open and will reopen each night.
• We published a spreadsheet with release notes and a list of known issues that can be found at the following link: ECMPS v2.0.89 Release Notes and Known Issues. Along with the list of known issues linked above, the following are some release notes to accompany them with temporary suggestions.
o The link to Evaluation Report (from the application or email) goes to a document that changes when you evaluate or revert data sets in the workspace. If you want to save a version of a report, you will need to download the file.
o The link in the submission confirmation email for the CDX Submission History directs you to the wrong environment. To view your submission history for ECMPS beta, log into CDX test and click the Submission History tab.
o To view data after importing or evaluating an emissions file in the workspace, unselect and reselect the reporting period from the dropdown within the emissions module and click the apply filter button to be able to view the data.
o If you encounter problems evaluating an emissions or QA file, you may need to export, re-import, and evaluate a monitoring plan file before evaluating the emissions or QA file.
o If you encounter any issues not listed in the known issues spreadsheet or in this notes section, please send an email to ecmps-beta@camdsupport.com describing the issue with details about the module it occurred in (MP, QA, EM, evaluation, submission), a link to the page you encountered the issue, the steps to reproduce the issue, and any screenshots or files needed to demonstrate the issue.
DAHS Vendors should use the schemas found below for current validation testing:
• Access XML Schemas here
• The JSON schemas can be found here
Note that the monitoring plan schema contains the improperly named “groupID” element for Unit Default Data. This will be corrected in a future release to “groupId” to be consistent with other ID elements.
What’s the status of the additional MATS and GNP reporting elements?
• Please review the ECMPS 2.0 Reengineering page for the current status of the reporting instructions and schema updates. DAHS vendors testing schema validation should use the schemas listed above until notified.
Note: Help desk tickets where fixes are addressed by the latest release will be closed. If you experience the same or new bugs, please send an email to: ecmps-beta@camdsupport.com
Subscribe to the ECMPS Newsletter for up-to-date information
Have Questions About ECMPS 2.0? Contact Us
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ECMPS Blog Posts
Advantages of In-House Reporting for Air Emissions Compliance
This article discusses the crucial role of in-house reporting in streamlining air emissions compliance for industrial operations. It highlights the complex regulatory landscape governed by regulations such as 40 CFR Part 60, Part 63, and Part 75. With the expertise of ESC Spectrum’s reporting team, facilities can ensure timely, efficient, and customized compliance solutions, mitigating risks, and maintaining data integrity while navigating regulatory changes seamlessly.
2023 Regulatory Snapshot: Key Changes Unveiled
Dive into the 2023 key regulatory updates for ECMPS 2.0, MATS Residual Risk and Technology Review, Low Mass Emissions (LME), and more. Stay ahead of the curve as we guide you through each topic and equip you with the tools to navigate 2024.
Mastering Air Compliance: Best Practices for Your Data Acquisition System
In the intricate landscape of environmental regulations, industries face the ongoing challenge of remaining compliant. Read this blog post for a comprehensive guide on how to navigate the complexities of these regulations with confidence, starting with your Data Acquisition System.
ECMPS 2.0 Re-Engineering: Current Status and Recent Updates
Following Chris Worley’s (EPA) Fall 2023 User Group Presentation, we have compiled the most relevant information for an update on the status of the ECMPS 2.0 Re-Engineering Project.
ECMPS 2.0 Re-Engineering: Key Takeaways
In this article, we outline all of the latest updates with the ECMPS 2.0 tool for submitting monitoring plans, QA data, and emissions data.
Resubmitting Data to ECMPS
While resubmitting data can seem intimidating, it does happen from time to time. This article covers helpful tips for such a process.