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TRI Reporting Forms Modification Rule (Proposed)
Each year, nearly 23,000 facilities report to EPA under the Toxics Release Inventory (TRI) Program. The proposed rule seeks comment on eliminating certain information from the reports, simplifying other reporting data, and in some cases, reducing duplicate data collection efforts. The options being proposed reduce the cost of compiling and submitting TRI reports, while maintaining the quality and practical utility of the TRI data.
Over the next year, we anticipate proposing two rules to simplify TRI reporting requirements; this is the first.
TRI Reporting Forms Modification Proposed Rule -- Federal Register Notice (Text) (PDF, 112KB)
(1674 Federal Register / Vol. 70, No. 6 / Monday, January 10, 2005)
- What, specifically, does the proposal do?
- If facilities no longer report locational information and facility identification information, won’t EPA and the public be losing valuable data on facilities that may release or manage toxic chemicals?
- If this is first of two rules that EPA is proposing on TRI, what is the other one about?
- How much time and resources could data reporters save if this proposal is finalized?
- How did EPA develop today’s proposed rule?
- Will the proposed rule affect human health or the environment?
- Will the proposed rule limit public access to information regarding toxic chemical releases and other waste management activities?
- How can I get more background on EPA’s TRI Program and the proposed rule?
Q: What, specifically, does the proposal do?
A: If adopted, the proposal would eliminate some redundant or seldom-used data elements and modify other reporting requirements on the TRI reporting forms.
Specifically, we are proposing to no longer require TRI facilities to report locational information (latitude and longitude data) and several facility identifiers (regulatory assigned identification codes for each facility). Instead, the data would be obtained from existing EPA databases and made available to TRI data users. The proposal also:
- includes several minor reporting changes related to waste management activities,
- requests comment on a form change which would simplify the reporting of pollution prevention activities, and
- improves public access to information about source reduction and pollution control activities undertaken by some facilities.
Q: If facilities no longer report locational information and facility identification information, won’t EPA and the public be losing valuable data on facilities that may release or manage toxic chemicals?
A: No. We are proposing to obtain this information from another EPA database called the Facility Registry System (http://www.epa.gov/enviro/html/facility.html). It will be accessible on our Web site (http://www.epa.gov/triexplorer).
Q: If this is first of two rules that EPA is proposing on TRI, what is the other one about?
A: The second rule proposal (August 2005) will identify options for further reducing TRI reporting requirements.
Q: How much time and resources could data reporters save if this proposal is finalized?
A: Nationally, the total annual time savings for this proposal is estimated to be 45,000 hours (about one-percent of the current total time). The total annual cost savings of this proposal is estimated to be $1.85 million.
Q: How did EPA develop today’s proposed rule?
A: We collected suggestions from stakeholders in meetings and on-line between November 2002 and March 2004.
Q: Will the proposed rule affect human health or the environment?
A: No. We will get some of the same information from other sources, and the remainder has no effect on human health or the environment.
Q: Will the proposed rule limit public access to information regarding toxic chemical releases and other waste management activities?
A: No. You can still find this information several ways:
- on our Web site (http://www.epa.gov/tri),
- by calling an EPA representative, or
- by contacting the Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know hotline (toll-free) 1-800-424-9346 or (toll-free) TDD: 1-800-553-7672.
Q: How can I get more background on EPA’s TRI Program and the proposed rule?
A: This information is available:
- on our Web site (http://www.epa.gov/tri),
- by calling an EPA representative (listed at http://epa.gov/tri/contacts.htm), or
- by contacting the Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know hotline (toll-free) 1-800-424-9346 or (toll-free) TDD: 1-800-553-7672.