(1) General requirements. An offset project operator or authorized project designee must obtain the services of an ecology-accredited verification body for the purposes of verifying its offset project data reports.
(2) Schedule for verification of nonsequestration offset projects.
(a) The verification of GHG emission reductions for nonsequestration offset projects that achieve greater than or equal to 25,000 metric tons of GHG emission reductions must be performed on a reporting period basis and cover the reporting period for which the most recent offset project data report was submitted unless otherwise specified in the applicable compliance offset protocol.
(b) For reporting periods in which an offset project data report for a nonsequestration offset project shows that the offset project achieved fewer than 25,000 metric tons of GHG emission reductions in a reporting period, the offset project operator or authorized project designee may choose to perform verification that covers two consecutive reporting periods, even if the offset project produced greater than or equal to 25,000 metric tons of GHG emission reductions for the subsequent reporting period.
(c) If an offset project data report shows the offset project achieved zero GHG emission reductions, the offset project operator or authorized project designee may defer verification until the offset project produces an offset project data report that no longer shows the offset project achieved zero GHG emission reductions.
(3) Schedule for verification of sequestration offset projects.
(a) An initial verification of GHG emission reductions and GHG removal enhancements for all sequestration offset projects must be performed following the first reporting period and cover one reporting period.
(b) After the first reporting period, verification must be conducted at least once every six years and may cover up to six reporting periods for which offset project data reports were submitted.
(c) After an initial verification with a positive offset verification statement, reforestation offset projects and urban forest offset projects that meet the requirements of the applicable compliance offset protocol may defer the second verification for 12 years, but verification of offset project data reports must be performed at least once every six years thereafter.
(d) For offset projects that do not renew their crediting period, verification must still be conducted at least once every six years for the remainder of the project life. However, after a successful full offset verification of an offset project data report indicating that actual on-site carbon stocks (in MT CO2e) are at least 10 percent greater than the actual on-site carbon stocks reported in the final offset project data report of the final crediting period that received a positive offset verification statement, the next full offset verification service may be deferred for 12 years.
(e) An offset project that has deferred verification for 12 years must resume conducting a full verification at least once every six years if it receives an adverse offset verification statement.
(4) Timing for submittal of offset verification statements to ecology or an offset project registry.
(a) The verification body must issue one offset verification statement for each offset project data report that it verifies for the offset project operator or authorized project designee.
(b) Any offset verification statement must be received by ecology or an offset project registry, as applicable, within 11 months after the conclusion of the reporting period for which offset verification services were performed, except for reporting periods for which verification is deferred in accordance with subsection (3) of this section. If the offset verification statement is not submitted to ecology or an offset project registry by this verification deadline, the GHG emission reductions and GHG removal enhancements quantified and reported in the offset project data report are not eligible to be issued ecology offset credits or registry offset credits.
