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Frequently Asked Questions
2012 Chemical Data Reporting

General CDR Questions


1. Purpose of CDR

1.1 What is the difference between IUR and CDR?
CDR is the new name for IUR. As part of the IUR Modifications final rule, EPA changed the name of the regulation from the Inventory Update Reporting (IUR) Rule to Chemical Data Reporting (CDR) Rule. The reader should note that wherever IUR is used to refer to the 40 CFR 711 regulations or to future CDR submission periods, IUR and CDR are synonymous.


1.2 Is the purpose of CDR to make additions or deletions to the list of substances included on the TSCA Chemical Substance Inventory?
No. The purpose of CDR is to collect recent information on the manufacture (including importation); processing; and industrial, commercial, and consumer uses of certain chemical substances currently on the TSCA Inventory. Additions to the TSCA Inventory are made through EPA's New Chemicals Program (See 40 CFR part 720).


1.3 What is the difference between the CDR rule and the Toxic Release Inventory (TRI) rule?
The CDR rule, promulgated under the authority of section 8(a) of TSCA, requires chemical substance manufacturers (including importers) to report manufacturing data and industrial, commercial, and consumer processing and use information for a portion of the substances on the TSCA Inventory. The TRI rule focuses on chemical substances specified under the Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act (EPCRA). Under the TRI rule, regulated facilities must report information on the releases and other waste management of EPCRA Section 313-listed chemical substances.

2. 2012 Submisison Period

2.1 When is reporting required for 2012 Chemical Data Reporting?
The 2012 submission period, during which 2011 manufacturing, processing and use and 2010 production volume information will be reported, is scheduled to occur from February 1, 2012 to June 30, 2012.


2.2 What is the reporting frequency for the 2012 submission period and beyond?
The reporting frequency, which was every five years for the 2006 IUR, is now every four years. After the 2012 CDR submission period, the next submission period will be in 2016.

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3. Guidance and Training

3.1 What types of reporting assistance are available?
In addition to these frequently asked questions, reporting assistance is available within the e-CDRweb reporting tool and in various documents and training modules on the Resources page of the CDR website.


3.2 Is EPA providing training for CDR reporting?
EPA provided two webinar training opportunities in fall 2011. On September 23, 2011, EPA held a webinar to review the e-CDRweb reporting tool and collected feedback from stakeholders who tested the e-CDRweb reporting tool. On November 16, 2011, EPA held another webinar to review the CDR reporting requirements and process. Information about these webinars is available on the “About Submissions” webpage of EPA’s CDR website.

The e-CDRweb reporting tool contains embedded assistance for reporting. To access e-CDRweb, you must first register with the Agency’s Central Data Exchange (CDX). Read the CDX User Registration Guide, including instructions for obtaining e-CDRweb. In addition, EPA has made available two web-based training webinars that guide the user in completing and submitting the web-based electronic Form U. These documents and webinars, along with other useful information, can be found on the About Submissions page of the CDR website.

The Resources page of the CDR website contains a variety of information sources. Seven training modules provide an easy-to-follow overview of the reporting requirements for 2012, recent changes to requirements, information to prepare for 2016 reporting, and other special topics. The EPA guidance document, Instructions for 2012 Chemical Data Reporting (Instructions for Reporting) (163 pp., 4.7 mb.) About PDF), contains answers to most questions concerning reporting under the rule. The purpose of the Instructions for Reporting document is to help the regulated community comply with the requirements of the CDR rule. In addition to the Instructions for Reporting, the Examples and Case Studies for 2012 Chemical Data Reporting document presents sample reporting scenarios and examples to help you with the reporting requirements. These documents are not a substitute for the CDR regulations found at 40 CFR 711.

If you need additional reporting assistance, you may contact the TSCA Hotline at (202)564-1404 or send an email to eCDRweb@epa.gov.


3.3 I know that EPA has provided both on-line and in person training opportunities and guidance materials to facilitate the electronic reporting, but our company is especially concerned we will not be able to upload our data to the e-CDRweb. Will EPA provide a schema for this purpose?
Yes, EPA provided final XML schema for both primary and joint submissions, allowing companies to ensure their internal systems will be able to directly upload data to the e-CDRweb. The final schema, based on the August 2011 final CDR rule, is available on the “About Submissions” page of the CDR website.

 

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