TRI Training | Reporting Requirements | Report Submission | 2011 Report
What is TRI?
The Toxics Release Inventory (TRI) is a public database of annually reported toxic chemical releases and management from certain manufacturing or processing facilities. The TRI was established under Title III, Section 313, of the Federal Superfund Amendments and Reauthorization Act (SARA), which is also known as the Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act of 1986 (EPCRA). The TRI program was established to provide information to the public about the presence and release of toxic and hazardous chemicals in communities. From its inception, the TRI program has been expanding and evolving. As part of the Pollution Prevention Act of 1990, TRI was expanded and facilities must also report additional waste management and pollution prevention activities. In 1995, two hundred and eighty six chemicals and chemical categories were added to the reporting requirement. In 1998, seven new industry sectors were added to those facilities required to report, and in 2011 sixteen new chemicals were added to the reporting requirements. This addition of new sectors led to an increase in overall reporting. Currently the reportable TRI chemical list contains over 600 chemicals and chemical categories.
Certain manufacturing or processing facilities that produce, process, or otherwise use a TRI chemical in excess of a certain threshold level must report TRI information to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and to the state in which the facility is located. Since the inception of the program, DEQ has received and compiled TRI data from facilities in Virginia and published the information in an annual TRI report. Data for all reporting years are available to the public from the DEQ's SARA Title III office. EPA Toxics Release Inventory Information
TRI Training
Basic concepts online training module
TRI-MEweb New Internet Reporting Application
EPA released the TRI-MEweb, a new Internet-based reporting application, to facilities in states participating in the TRI State Exchange. Reporting software and guidance are available at:
EPA TRI-MEweb Software and Guidance
TRI-ME Tutorials
EPA has developed tutorials and guidance for the TRI-ME reporting application. The tutorials and other guidance are available at EPA TRI Reporting Materials and Guidance. The purpose of the tutorials is to assist facilities with using TRI-ME and submitting forms via the Central Data Exchange (CDX) for the Reporting Year. Each tutorial is approximately four minutes long and includes audio and video to assist users.
How Can I View the Tutorials?
To view the TRI-ME Tutorials, you will need the following:
Once you access the TRI-ME Tutorial webpage, simply click on the tutorial icon to begin. A “loading” screen will be shown as the tutorial is loading. Depending on the speed of your internet access, the tutorial could begin in seconds or it could take minutes. Once the main page appears, you will have access to several topics.
Can I Use the Tutorials for My TRI Workshops?
The TRI-ME Tutorials will be helpful in educating facilities about TRI-ME and CDX. The use of the tutorials is encouraged for the TRI Workshops. However, some workshop classrooms will not be equipped with Internet access. Virginia is one of 18 states that are participating in the on-line, simultaneous submission of TRI data to both EPA and the state. Facilities submitting their current reporting year data using the TRI-ME software over the Internet via EPA's Central Data Exchange, or CDX, can have the submission simultaneously sent to EPA and to Virginia. The only provision is the facility must have submitted TRI information in a previous year and have a TRI Facility Identification Number, or TRIFID. This simultaneous submission eliminates the need for duplicate reporting and paper copies. Your facility can make one on-line submission rather than two paper or disk submissions. This should reduce the reporting burden on facilities, and help minimize any differences between EPA's Public Data Release and the Virginia TRI Report.
Recent TRI Programmatic Activities
TRI Reporting Requirements
A Virginia facility meeting all three of the following criteria must file a TRI report to US EPA and Virginia Emergency Response Council (VERC):
- The facility has ten or more full-time employees (a combined total for all employees of 20,000 hours or more for the year);
- The facility's primary business is within the specified North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) codes. The industry sectors include metal mining, coal mining, paper and allied products, chemicals and allied products, petroleum terminals and bulk stations, and others. The complete list of covered industry groups is included in Appendix E of the Virginia TRI report; and
- The facility manufactured, processed, or otherwise used a reportable toxic chemical in quantities greater than the established threshold in the course of a calendar year. The annual thresholds for non-PBT chemicals are 25,000 pounds for manufacturing, 25,000 pounds for processing, and 10,000 pounds for "otherwise use" of a TRI chemical. For Persistent Bioaccumulative Toxin (PBT) chemicals, the thresholds are lower. For example, dioxin and dioxin-like compounds have a threshold of 0.1 grams, and lead and lead compounds have a threshold of 100 pounds. For PBT chemicals, these lower reporting thresholds apply whether the chemical is manufactured, processed, or otherwise used.
Federal facilities are also required to comply with EPCRA and the Pollution Prevention Act (PPA) of 1990, in accordance with Executive Order 13148. That Executive Order requires all federal facilities that manufacture, process, or otherwise use any listed EPCRA Section 313 chemical above the reporting threshold to submit a TRI report.
The Virginia TRI program is the same as the federal requirements, and uses the same reporting forms. Additionally the Virginia TRI program does not assess a reporting fee.
TRI Report Submission
The Toxics Release Inventory report is submitted annually by July 1, for the preceding calendar year. This annual report is made to both the U.S. EPA Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Reporting Center, and to the Virginia Emergency Response Council. Each chemical being reported requires its own individual Form R. (If a facility qualifies for and uses the simplified Form A, multiple chemicals may be reported on one form).
For submissions to Virginia, DEQ strongly recommends using EPA's Automated TRI Reporting Software TRI-Made Easy (TRI-ME) and submitting the information electronically on-line via CDX. For other submittals via disk or by hard copy, an original signature is required; for hard copies an original signature must be made on each form. With disk submittals, one cover letter containing the certification statement (Form R, page 1, section 3) and an original signature is sufficient for each facility. Check the TRI reporting forms and instructions for specifics concerning submittals to EPA. For more information on submitting TRI reports contact Ashby Scott at (804) 698-4467.
Voluntary revisions to a TRI Form can be submitted anytime, and need to be submitted to both EPA and the state. However, please note that the last day for revision submittal, for inclusion in the USEPA data release, is July 31. The last day of submittal to VERC for inclusion in the Virginia TRI report is Dec. 15. These deadlines are for subsequent data and report compilation only and DO NOT release a facility's responsibility to submit a revised TRI report to USEPA or VERC upon discovery of errors, regardless of time lapsed.
Federal U.S. EPA submittal -
Regular Mail:
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Attention TRI Reporting Center
PO Box 10163
Fairfax, VA 22038
For hand/courier delivery or certified mail:
TRI Reporting Center
c/o CGI Federal Inc.
12601 Fair Lakes Circle
Fairfax, VA 22033
State submittal -
Regular Mail:
Virginia Emergency Response Council
c/o Virginia Department of Environmental Quality
SARA Title III Program
PO Box 1105
Richmond, Virginia 23218
For hand/courier delivery or certified mail:
Virginia Emergency Response Council
c/o Department of Environmental Quality
SARA Title III Program
629 East Main Street
Richmond, Virginia 23219
804-698-4467