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Helpful Hints for Completing EPA's Methyl Bromide Reporting Forms
Overview
This "helpful hints" guide for completing EPA’s Methyl Bromide reporting forms provides insights to common errors made by reporting entities when filling out reporting forms. It also highlights notable revisions made to some reporting forms. This quick reference serves to clarify EPA’s intentions related to data collection and improve data quality.
There are 11 Methyl Bromide reporting forms available for use from EPA.
- Methyl Bromide Producer Quarterly Report
- Methyl Bromide Importer Quarterly Report
- Methyl Bromide Exporter Quarterly Report
- Notification of Methyl Bromide Transfers
- Distributor of QPS Methyl Bromide Quarterly Report
- Certification of Order/Purchase of QPS Methyl Bromide Report
- Certification of Order/Purchase of Critical Use Methyl Bromide Report
- Sales of Critical Use Methyl Bromide to End Users Report
- Pre-2005 Methyl Bromide Stocks Report
- Methyl Bromide 2nd Party Destruction Annual Report
- Methyl Bromide 2nd Party Transformation Annual Report
Click on the link(s) for the form you are interested in. If you are not sure what form(s) pertains to your company, please refer to What Forms Should I Complete? If you need further assistance, please contact:
Staci Gatica
Stratospheric Protection Division
United States Environmental Protection Agency
(202) 343-9469
gatica.staci@epa.gov
Hints for Completing the "Methyl Bromide Producer Quarterly Report"
Purpose: This form is used to capture all U.S. production of Methyl Bromide for all purposes.
Reporting Frequency: Quarterly
Common Errors:
- Companies should report production totals to EPA for every quarter. If an entity has zero production for a given quarter, the entity should still provide EPA with a production report indicating zero production. If a company fails to report for a quarter, EPA is unable to determine whether that is an indication of zero production or if an entity’s report was not received.
- In "Section 2.2: Company Production Data", the Second Party Transformation column (column B) refers to an amount of methyl bromide that was produced for second party transformation. Only the actual producer of methyl bromide should use this form to report. This form should not be used by an entity transforming methyl bromide that it did NOT produce. There is a new form, the "Methyl Bromide Second Party Transformation Report," available for entities reporting transformation of methyl bromide that they did not produce.
- Likewise, the Second Party Destruction column (column D) of the same section refers to amounts of methyl bromide that were produced for second party destruction. Only the actual producer of the methyl bromide being destroyed should complete this reporting form. This form should not be used by an entity destroying methyl bromide that it did NOT produce. There is a new form, the "Methyl Bromide Second Party Destruction Report," available for entities reporting destruction of methyl bromide that they did not produce.
Notable Changes:
- Stocks data is no longer collected in the 4 th quarter Producer Report. There is a NEW report, "Pre-2005 Methyl Bromide Stocks Report," that captures data on stocks.
Hints for Completing the "Methyl Bromide Importer Quarterly Report"
Purpose: This form is used to capture information related to all imports of methyl bromide into the United States and how the methyl bromide will be used.
Reporting Frequency: Quarterly
Common Errors:
- Companies should report import totals to EPA for every quarter. If an entity has zero imports for a given quarter, the entity should still provide EPA with an importer report indicating zero imports. If a company fails to report for a quarter, EPA is unable to determine whether that is an indication of zero imports or whether an entity’s report was not received.
- Please note in Section 3.2 (Column H of "Company Import Data") that, for EPA reporting purposes, "Gross Imports" does not include ‘Heels’ or ‘Used’ methyl bromide.
Notable Changes:
- Stocks data is no longer collected in the 4th quarter Importer Report. There is a NEW report, "Pre-2005 Methyl Bromide Stocks Report," that captures data on stocks.
Hints for Completing the "Methyl Bromide Exporter Quarter Report"
Purpose: This form is used to capture information about methyl bromide exports.
Reporting Frequency: Quarterly
Common Errors:
- In Section 2.2 (Transaction Records), please note that "% of Methyl Bromide that is used, recycled, or reclaimed" refers to the amount of methyl bromide exported in that particular transaction that was previously used and subsequently recovered for reuse.
Hints for Completing the "Notification of Methyl Bromide Transfers Report"
Purpose: This form is used to capture trades of pre-plant/post-harvest methyl bromide critical use allowances, critical stock allowances, and Article 5 production allowances.
Reporting Frequency: A form should be sent by the transferor to EPA for every transfer request. This may happen more than once, or not at all, in any particular quarter.
Common Errors: None
Hints for Completing the "Distributor of QPS MeBr Quarterly Report"
Purpose: This form is used to collect data on distribution of QPS methyl bromide.
Reporting Frequency: Quarterly
Common Errors: None
Notable Form Revisions: None
Hints for Completing the "Certification of Order/Purchase of QPS Methyl Bromide Report"
Purpose: This form is used to certify that QPS purchasers will be using the methyl bromide for only QPS purposes.
Reporting Frequency: For Every Purchase of QPS Methyl Bromide
Common Errors: Unknown (Since EPA does not collect the form)
Notable Form Revisions: None
Hints for Completing the "Certification of Order/Purchase of Critical Use Methyl Bromide Report"
Purpose: Prior to delivery, purchasers of critical use methyl bromide must provide certification to the supplier that the product will be used only for specifically approved critical uses. This form is provided for sellers and purchasers to use as certification. This form is provided to the company from whom the critical use methyl bromide is being purchased. It is not provided to EPA.
Reporting Frequency: For Every Purchase of Critical Use Methyl Bromide
Common Errors: Unknown (Since EPA does not collect the form)
Notable Form Revisions:
- The data collected on the amount of methyl bromide ordered is broken down into the categories: (1) pre-plant critical use, (2) post-harvest critical use, and (3) critical stock allowance methyl bromide. The previous form simply asked for the aggregate amount of critical use methyl bromide bought.
- Section 2 was added to capture specific uses of the critical use (new production) and critical stock allowance (2005 pre-phaseout) methyl bromide purchased. EPA thinks collection of such data by sellers of methyl bromide could help entities report to EPA by easily transferring data collected in this new section to the "Sales of Critical Use Methyl Bromide to End Users Report."
Hints for Completing the "Sales of Critical Use Methyl Bromide to End Users Report"
Purpose: This form is used to capture data on sales of pre-plant and post-harvest critical use methyl bromide and critical stock allowance methyl bromide. It is also used to capture year-end inventory information on newly produced methyl bromide.
Reporting Frequency: Companies are required to report sales information annually, although they may choose to report quarterly.
Common Errors:
- The form should be completed by a company’s central office on behalf of its divisions, one form per company. In the past, EPA has received multiple submissions from one company.
- Section 1.7 requests the company type. Companies may choose more than one type, if applicable.
Notable Changes:
- Previously, the form "Critical Use Methyl Bromide/Third Party Applicator Report" collected both sales data and stocks information. This form NO LONGER EXISTS, and has been replaced by the "Sales of Critical Use Methyl Bromide to End Users Report" and "Pre-2005 Methyl Bromide Stocks Report." As the names imply, the first captures sales data and the other collects information on stocks. Information collected on the two new forms is similar to information collected in the previous form.
- Section 2, Sales Data, has been updated. Section 2.2 collects sales data on only newly produced or imported methyl bromide. Section 2.3 collects data on Critical Stock Allowance sales of pre-2005 phase out methyl bromide.
- Section 2.4A captures the amount (if any) of critical use methyl bromide that was part of the reporting entity's inventory at the beginning of the control period. This quantity represents the amount that was reported as “year-end inventory” for the previous control period. For example, 2005's year-end inventory will become 2006's beginning inventory (and thus, reported in 2.4A of the 2006 report). Please do NOT include any quantities of pre-phase out stocks. Please note that stocks inventory data are captured in the NEW Pre-2005 Methyl Bromide Stocks Report.
- Section 2.4B captures critical use methyl bromide that was bought in the current control period (both new domestic production and imported methyl bromide). Please do NOT include any quantities of pre-phase out stocks. Please note that stocks inventory data are captured in the NEW Pre-2005 Methyl Bromide Stocks Report.
- Section 2.5 captures quantities of critical use methyl bromide that was sold to an entity other than a critical user, such as a distributor or a third party applicator. Critical use methyl bromide sold to critical users is captured in Section 2.2 of this report. Please do NOT include any quantities of pre-phase out stocks. Please note that stocks inventory data are captured in the NEW Pre-2005 Methyl Bromide Stocks Report.
- Section 2.6 captures the current control period's year-end inventory. It is calculated by the following equation: 2.6 = 2.4A + 2.4B – 2.2 – 2.5. Please note that stocks inventory data are captured in the NEW Pre-2005 Methyl Bromide Stocks Report.
Hints for Completing the "Pre-2005 Methyl Bromide Stocks Report"
Purpose: This form is used to capture data related to Pre-2005 Methyl Bromide Stocks.
Reporting Frequency: Companies are required to report sales information annually, although they may choose to report quarterly.
Common Errors:
- Please note that the form should be completed by any company that (A) received a critical stock allowance, (B) bought a critical use allowance, or (C) owns stocks of methyl bromide that were produced or imported prior to January 1, 2005.
- Section 1.7 requests the company type. Companies may choose more than one type, if applicable.
Notable Form Revisions:
- Previously, the form "Critical Use Methyl Bromide/Third Party Applicator Report" collected both sales data and stocks information. This form NO LONGER EXISTS, and has been replaced by the Sales of Critical Use Methyl Bromide to End Users Report and Pre-2005 Methyl Bromide Stocks Report. As the names imply, the first captures sales data and the other collects information on stocks. Information collected on the two new forms is similar to information collected in the previous form.
- Section 2.3 requests information regarding trades of critical stock allowances in addition to the amounts of critical stock allowances expended and unexpended. Section 2.4 requests information on stocks being held, including companies that may be holding stock on the behalf of owners.
Hints for Completing the "Methyl Bromide 2nd Party Destruction Report"
Purpose: The form is used to collect information on methyl bromide that was destroyed by any entity that did not produce the material (a "second" party).
Reporting Frequency: Annually
Common Errors:
- In the past, entities that were only destroying methyl bromide (i.e., they did not produce the product) used the Producer report to provide information on second party destruction. EPA created this form to deter Second Party destroyers (non-producers) from using the Producer Report to submit this information.
Notable Form Revisions: Not Applicable because this is a new form.
Hints to Completing the "Methyl Bromide 2nd Party Transformation Report"
Purpose: The form is used to collect information on methyl bromide that was transformed by any entity that did not produce the material (a "second" party).
Reporting Frequency: Annually
Common Errors:
- In the past, entities that were only transforming methyl bromide (i.e., they did not produce the product) used the Producer report to provide information on second party transformation. EPA created this form to deter Second Party transformers (non-producers) from using the Producer Report to submit this information.
Notable Form Revisions: Not Applicable because this is a new form.