Reporting Month Prep: Avoid Errors in ECMPS

What Is ECMPS?

The Emissions Collection and Monitoring Plan System (ECMPS) is a desktop tool that sources must use to submit monitoring plans, QA data, and emissions data to the EPA to comply with the Acid Rain Program (ARP), Cross-State Air Pollution Rule (CSAPR), and the Mercury and Air Toxics Standards (MATS).

Please Note: This article discuss submitting data to ECMPS 1.0. ECMPS 2.0 Re-Engineering efforts are still ongoing and postponed until 2025 as of right now (June 2024). Learn more about the latest updates with the ECMPS 2.0 Tool, including key changes and updates.

 What Does ECMPS 1.0 Do?

• Import XML files for evaluation and submission
• Create and edit Monitoring Plans
• Create and edit QA and Certification data
• View imported emissions data
• Create emissions data files for LME units
• Export data in XML format

• Applies EPA checks to data
• Submits all data to the EPA host system
• Provides immediate feedback 
• Interfaces with CAMD’s Business System
• Provides data for CAMPD

How Does ECMPS Work?

The ECMPS Client Tool has been designed to allow local data storage and processing. This requires interaction with the EPA’s Host System. Logging in to the EPA Host System through the Client Tool will synchronize the data contained in the two systems. This ensures that the data in the local client tool database matches the official data stored in the EPA Host System.

How Do I Load Data?

• Previously Submitted: Automatically loaded during installation of Client Tool
• New Data: Imported XML files will be generated by the Data Acquisition System
• New Data: Manually entered through Client Tool (MP and QA only)

Regarding previously submitted data, it is important to note that all historical data are stored in the EPA Host System; you do not need all of the data in your Client Tool database. Retrieving historical data is not recommended; the only exception is resubmitting a QA Test.

How Can I Avoid Errors When Submitting Data?

According to ESC Spectrum's Reporting Team, making good evaluation criteria selections is essential to achieve an ECMPS evaluation result of "No Errors." This can prevent several ECMPS errors, such as:

• TEST-22-B: Reminder to evaluate the monitoring plan
• HOURGEN-9-B: Reminder to evaluate the QA file

Proper data types should be selected for evaluation in the ECMPS Evaluate Tab to avoid these errors. Recommendations for evaluating EDR files include:

Check all the boxes next to:

• “Monitoring Plan”
• “QA Tests”
• “QA Cert Events”
• “Test Extensions/Exemptions”
• “Emissions”

Be sure to Select:

• “Complete History” under QA Tests
• “Date Range” under QA Cert Events with a start date of one year in the past

Finally: Choose “Force Re-Evaluation of all Selected Items” in the lower area of the screen

Afraid that making all these selections will slow down the evaluation process? Have no fear. ECMPS will automatically skip over any data types that do not apply to a particular unit. For example, if there were no QA Cert Events in the past year, ECMPS will immediately move from evaluating QA tests to testing extensions and exemptions. If there are no test extensions or exemptions to reporting, ECMPS will automatically begin evaluating the emissions file.

Making the recommended selections when evaluating EDR files in ECMPS is simple. It can avoid frustrating errors and save time in busy reporting months. 

How Can Our Reporting Team Help?

Are you still unclear about how to properly submit data without errors? Our ESC Spectrum Reporting experts are standing by to help. Our Reporting Engineers can remotely access your data, generate an EDR, clean data, troubleshoot errors and prepare files for submission to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) through the Emissions Control Monitoring Plan System (ECMPS). 

Reporting services team members enter all applicable quarterly and annual Quality Assurance (QA) and Quarterly Certification (QC) Test data in StackVision, our industry-leading Data Acquisition System for Part 75 reporting requirements.