The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recently held a public meeting to announce two plans for reducing the burden of reporting for the Toxic Release Inventory (TRI). The first, scheduled for sometime in December, would propose simple changes to the TRI reporting forms in an effort to streamline the process. The second rulemaking, scheduled for June 2005, would contain a more substantial programmatic change, although EPA has not yet determined the exact nature of the change.

Previously EPA produced a white paper on TRI burden reduction, which outlined five options for programmatic change. The options include exempting more small businesses, raising reporting thresholds for certain facilities or chemicals, allowing more submitters to use the simpler but less informative form, allowing facilities to report "no significant change" rather than actual numerical data, and switching to reporting toxic releases in ranges rather than specific amounts. For more on EPA's white paper read OMB Watch's previous article.

Based on EPA's presentation of the options at the meeting, as well as previous statements by EPA officials, the "no significant change" option appears to be the option EPA is most seriously considering. Unfortunately this option, along with others considered by EPA, will reduce the reporting burden by sacrificing the quantity or quality of information reported. An option to establish a more aggressive electronic reporting program and harness technology to lighten the reporting burden without reducing the information was noticeably absent from EPA's considerations.

EPA also announced that TRI burden reduction would likely be discussed at the TRI National Conference being held in Washington, DC, Feb. 8-10. The annual meeting is open to the public and anyone interested in attending may register online.