Release Notes for OTAQReg v4.0.8

Release date: August 26, 2022

Important Notice

The functionality described within these release notes will not be effective until 60-days after publication of the final rule “Final 2020-2022 Volume Standards,” and not before the EPA eReg Admin adds biointermediate feedstocks codes and the EPA EMTS Admin adds biointermediate feedstock(s) to the reference code table.

Additional information and instructions related to biointermediate registration and reporting will be provided.

Introduction

Version 4.0.8 of the OTAQ Registration System (OTAQREG) introduces electronic registration functionality for biointermediates producers, as well as functionality for QAP providers to associate with biointermediate producers and for biointermediate producers to identify renewable fuel producers to whom they are selling biointermediate products.

Also included in this release are fixes to several known issues.

Functionality for Industry Users

Biointermediate Producer Electronic Registration

Biointermediate producer companies can register and update their company and facility information (including adding new company business activities, facility business activities, and biointermediate production information).  

EPA will review and activate requests to register new biointermediate companies and pathways.

NOTE: To manage electronic registration for a biointermediate company, the company must be active and there must be a user with the appropriate role in OTAQREG.

Biointermediate Producer Association with Renewable Fuel Producer

A user with a biointermediate producer company can identify the renewable fuel producer (RFP) facility to which the biointermediate producer company is selling product.  Biointermediate company users can select a biointermediate product to associate with an RFP facility.

RCO and Delegated RCO users for the Biointermediate company will sign and approve these product association requests.

Renewable Fuel Producer company users will be able to view biointermediate product associations.

New Biointermediate Feedstocks

New biointermediate feedstocks can be selected in the feedstock drop-down menu when adding a renewable fuel pathway for a facility.

Biointermediate Pathways for QAP Plans

QAP Auditors can add new biointermediate pathways to their companies’ QAP Pathway-specific Plans (PSP) via the QAP Plan app:

• Add an RFP pathway with a biointermediate product as a feedstock.
• Add a "pathway" for the production of a biointermediate by the biointermediate producer.

EPA will review and approve the QAP Pathway-specific Plans.

QAP Provider Association with Renewable Fuel Producers for Quality Assurance of Biointermediate Pathways

QAP Auditors can associate with an RFP company to quality assure a biointermediate production pathway.

A renewable fuel producer’s RCO and Delegated RCO users will add associated facility information, as well as sign and approve these product association requests.

Note: To access this functionality, the QAP auditor must be associated with a QAP company which has an EPA-approved company pathway-specific plan to include an RFP pathway with a biointermediate product as a feedstock.

QAP Provider Association with Biointermediate Producers for Quality Assurance of Biointermediate Pathways

QAP Auditors can associate with a biointermediate producer company to quality assure a biointermediate production pathway.

A biointermediate producer’s RCO and Delegated RCO users can add associated facility information, as well as sign and approve these product association requests.

Note: To access this functionality, the QAP auditor must be associated with a QAP company which has an EPA-approved company pathway-specific plan to include a pathway for a biointermediate product.

QAP Providers Can Review Association History

QAP auditors can view the biointermediate and renewable fuel producer pathways and association history start and end dates.

Addressed a Known Issue to Prevent Creating Multiple Requests of the Same Request Type When the Home Screen Has Not Been Reloaded

Multiple requests of the same request type cannot be created for the same company at the same time.  The system now checks for requests that may have been created since the user last loaded the home screen.

Introduced New Prompt and Interim Business Activity for New Registrants that are Required to Submit Engineering Review Reports or Other Supplemental Documentation to Support Their Ultimate Business Activity (e.g., Biointermediate Producer, Renewable Fuel Producer).

The interim business activity (Initial Registration Submission) will allow companies access to the OTAQREG and DCFUEL program services for secure and timely submission of their registration materials in lieu of physical mail.

Addressed a Known Issue with Duplicate Part 79 Requests in Withdrawn Status

Requests in “Withdrawn” status are now being checked for duplicate Pt. 79 requests.

Addressed a Known Issue with a Data Tables Warning for Part 80 Requests with Multiple Additives Identified for a Facility

Part 80 requests with multiple additives identified in the "Facilities Oxygenates Produced and Imported" section will no longer receive a Data Tables warning message when all the appropriate additives data is populated.

Modified “Manage Attest” Menu Option on the OTAQREG Main Page

In accordance with updated guidance for Attest Auditors (refer to https://www.epa.gov/fuels-registration-reporting-and-compliance-help/how-submit-attest-engagements-reports), the Manage Attest app in OTAQREG is no longer used to submit attest engagement reports.  Accordingly, the menu option on the OTAQREG main page has been adjusted in the company dropdown from "Manage Attest/ER Submissions" to "Manage ER Submissions" and will now link to the ER Web form from the OTAQREG main page.  A new option "Manage Attest Submissions" has been added that links to the updated guidance for Attest Auditors: https://www.epa.gov/fuels-registration-reporting-and-compliance-help/how-submit-attest-engagements-reports.

Functionality for EPA Admin Users

Management Screen for EPA Users to Create or Update Reference Codes

For the user logged in with the EPA Admin role, from the OTAQREG homepage the Admin Options menu is available.  From that menu, the admin user can choose the “Reference Codes” option to navigate to a screen to create and edit Process Codes, Fuel Codes, and Fuel Type Codes.

Management Screen for EPA Users to Create Pathways

For the user logged in with the EPA Admin role, from the OTAQREG homepage the Admin Options menu is available.  From that menu, the admin user can choose the “Pathways” option to navigate to a screen to select the appropriate reference codes to create new fuel pathways.