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Clean Air Markets

CAMD Business System (CBS) FAQs

CAMD Business System

How do I become a Designated Representative?

The primary Designated Representative (DR) is a person chosen by the owners and operator of a plant to act on their behalf to provide required submissions to the EPA. Although the DR may assign an Alternate Designated Representative (ADR) to act on his or her behalf, the primary DR is ultimately responsible for ensuring that accurate, complete, and timely submissions are made.

You must be recognized as a DR (primary or alternate) or an Agent of a DR in the CAMD database in order to submit data to EPA using CBS or ECMPSEXIT.

To become recognized as a DR, you can use CBS, or you can submit the paper Certificate of Representation. If you use CBS, review the Certificate of Representation section of the help file. The help file can be accessed from any screen in CBS, including the login screen. If you use the paper form, it must be completed in its entirety, as it supersedes any previous submissions. Please read all form instructions carefully.

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How do I assign an Agent?

An Agent is someone authorized to act on behalf of a primary or alternate Designated Representative (DR). DRs can assign Agents using CBS, or you can submit the paper Agent Notice of Delegation. Representatives may remove Agents using either of these methods as well. If you use CBS, review the Agent section of the help file. The help file can be accessed from any screen in CBS, including the login screen. Note that the primary DR is legally responsible for actions taken by his or her Agents, as well as Agents of the alternate DR.

Please note that Agents for a previous plant/account representative will not be automatically assigned to a newly appointed plant/account representative. Each representative must assign his own Agents, authorizing them to perform work on his behalf.

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What are the different types of Agents?

Note that a person may be designated as more than one type of Agent, and a representative may assign more than one person as the same agent type.

  • Source Management – A Source Management Agent has the authority to add or edit facility, unit, owner, operator, or representative information (Certificates of Representation); and provide facility contact information. Source Management Agents have access to all facilities and units of a representative.
  • Compliance – A Compliance Agent has the authority to submit optional allowance deduction information and to run compliance (includes both draft “what if” and official compliance deduction options). Compliance Agents have access to all facilities for a representative.
  • Allowance Trading – An Allowance Trading Agent has the authority to perform allowance transfers using CBS. Allowance Trading Agents have access to all accounts for a representative.
  • General Account Management – A General Account Management Agent has the authority to add or edit account information for existing general accounts (e.g., adding or editing Designated Representatives and binding party information), or they can add a new general account. General Account Management Agents have access to all accounts of a representative. Note that general accounts are NOT associated with specific facilities or units.
  • Retrieve Monitoring Plan, QA, and Emissions Data – A Retrieve Agent has the authority to retrieve monitoring plan, QA, and emissions data from the EPA host system and load it into ECMPSEXIT Retrieve Agents have access to all facilities and units for a representative but CANNOT submit to the EPA host system. ECMPS Retrieve Only Agents DO NOT receive ECMPS feedback.
  • Submit Monitoring Plan Data – This type of Submit Agent has the authority to submit monitoring plan data from ECMPSEXIT to the EPA host system for units for which that responsibility has been assigned. All Submit Agents may also retrieve data from the EPA host system, and will receive ECMPS feedback for the plants/units to which they are assigned.
  • Submit Monitoring Plan and QA Data – This type of Submit Agent has the authority to submit monitoring plan and QA data from ECMPSEXIT to the EPA host system for units for which that responsibility has been assigned. If you assign a person as a Submit Monitoring Plan and QA Data Agent, you do not need to also assign the person as a Submit Monitoring Plan Data Agent. All Submit Agents may also retrieve data from the EPA host system, and will receive ECMPS feedback for the plants/units to which they are assigned.
  • Submit Monitoring Plan, QA and Emissions Data – This type of Submit Agent has the authority to submit monitoring plan, QA and emissions data from ECMPSEXIT to the EPA host system, for units for which that responsibility has been assigned. If you assign a person as a Submit Monitoring Plan, QA, and Emissions Data Agent, you do not need to also assign the person as a Submit Monitoring Plan Data or Submit Monitoring Plan and QA data Agent. All submit agents may also retrieve data from the EPA host system, and will receive ECMPS feedback for the plants/units to which they are assigned.

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How do I register for CBS and ECMPS?

For industry users, steps should be taken in the following order:

  1. Be appointed as either a Designated Representative or an Agent in the CAMD Business System (CBS).
  2. Submit a hard copy Electronic Signature Agreement (ESA).
     

    The ESA provides a wet-ink signature that identifies each CBS/ECMPS user and provides rules with which each user needs to comply to maintain his or her user name and password. You only need to submit the ESA once. EPA must receive the ESA in hard copy.

  3. Obtain a user name and temporary password for CBS/ECMPS.
     

    After CAMD receives and processes your hard copy ESA form, you may obtain a user name and temporary password by calling one of the following:

    • Karen Vansickle:  (202) 343-9220
    • Craig Hillock:  (202) 343-9105

    User names and passwords cannot be sent via email and must be given directly to the recipient. Temporary passwords are valid for 30 days.

  4. Log into CBS and change your temporary password.
     

    After receiving a user name and temporary password, you must log into CBS and change your temporary password. You must NOT share your user name and password with others. Please note that you must change your CBS password every 90 days. You will receive a reminder email 30 days before your password expires. Your user name and password are the same for CBS and ECMPS.

  5. Answer and maintain five challenge questions.
     

    There is a list of 20 questions from which to select. These questions are like  those you might see at a banking website and ask you for information only you should know. You may change your challenge questions and answers at any time, but you must always maintain at least five questions. If you do not complete your challenge questions, you will not be able to submit data using ECMPSExitor CBS . CAMD cannot retrieve your challenge question answers for you.

  6. Providing security information upon the submission of data.
     

    Upon submission of data through CBS or ECMPSExit, you will have to enter your user name, password, and the answer to one randomly chosen challenge question. You will have three chances to enter this information correctly, or you will be locked out of the system(s).

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How do I Reset my CBS/ECMPS Password?

Only industry users can reset their own passwords. EPA State and Local users should call Karen VanSickle at (202) 343-9220, or Craig Hillock at (202) 3243-9105 to request a password reset.

For industry users that want to reset their password:

  1. Go to CBS and click "Forgot Password/Reset Password."
  2. Enter your First and Last Name, CBS User Name, and Email Address.
  3. Answer Challenge Questions.
  4. Request Reset Password Code.
  5. Open your reset password email sent to you and enter the code into CBS. The code will be emailed to you upon request and is valid for 30 minutes. After that time, the code is considered expired and you must request a new code.

If you have any questions or problems with your password reset, please call Karen VanSickle at (202) 343-9220, or Craig Hillock at (202) 343-9105.

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What forms must be received in hard copy?

The only form that must be sent in as a hard copy is the Electronic Signature Agreement Form. CAMD needs this form with a physical signature in order to create a new user account in the CAMD Business System (CBS).

A few of the other forms, such as the Retired Unit Exemption Form, the initial Certificate of Representation Form for a new plant, Acid Rain Program SO2 Allowance Auction Forms, and Acid Rain Permitting Forms cannot be entered in CBS, but can be sent via email.

Generally, in terms of convenience, speed, and ease of use, CAMD recommends using CBS for all applicable form submissions. Our second preference is via email. Please see the Business Center Forms page for a detailed list of what forms are eligible.

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