EPA Creates Chemical Data Reporting National Review

The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has published the first Chemical Data Reporting (CDR) National Review, a web-based, interactive report with comprehensive analysis of data submitted to the agency during the 2020 CDR reporting cycle.

The National Review increases public awareness of chemicals being manufactured in communities and helps EPA and stakeholders including citizens and communities, other regulatory agencies, industry, researchers, and nongovernmental organizations evaluate and understand information including the types, quantities, and uses of chemicals produced domestically or imported into the US.

The 2020 CDR National Review summarizes the most recent reporting cycle data (2020), covering activities from 2016 to 2019, and provides trend data for reporting over the past decade. This interactive report shows that more than 7.2 trillion pounds of chemicals were manufactured or imported at 5,238 sites in the US that reported to EPA for the 2020 CDR reporting cycle.

“Through the first 2020 CDR National Review, EPA is using new, creative ways to share information with the public, so that it can be easily understood and used by people to make important decisions in their communities,” said Assistant Administrator for the Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention Michal Freedhoff. “Using an innovative approach to make our work more accessible furthers EPA’s mission to advance the public’s right to know about chemicals being manufactured or imported into their communities. This Review demonstrates EPA’s commitment to data integrity and transparency.”

2020 CDR National Review 

Manufacturers and importers of certain chemicals listed on the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) Chemical Substance Inventory are required to report data to the EPA every four years if they meet certain annual thresholds, generally a minimum production or import volume of 25,000 pounds of a chemical at any single site.

The CDR database is the most comprehensive source of basic screening-level, exposure-related information available to EPA on chemicals, and is used by the agency to screen and prioritize chemicals for further review and assess exposure to chemicals. EPA carried out extensive data quality control efforts to ensure that the information correctly reflects what was submitted and that data claimed as confidential business information (CBI) is not disclosed or ascertainable from aggregations.

In addition to summarizing the most recent reporting cycle, the 2020 CDR National Review provides an interactive trend analysis of the data reported over the past decade (for CDR reporting cycle 2012, 2016, and 2020). To make this data more accessible to the public, the Review includes data visualization and accessibility tools including an interactive map of CDR sites and community characteristics, maps displaying CDR reporting sites by state, and figures with production volume and site trends. It also has informational charts and figures to increase understanding of CDR data elements, more extensive analyses of chemical use information and trends highlighting key findings. Previous CDR publications only included raw data collected with minimal analysis or context. 

The 2020 CDR National Review website also includes an interactive map that incorporates data from EJScreen, EPA’s environmental justice mapping and screening tool. The map shows the locations of the industrial sites that reported 2020 CDR data along with demographic information of the communities in which the sites are located. EPA is hosting a public webinar on April 18, 2023, highlighting the findings and trends from the 2020 CDR National Review and explaining the new interactive features of the National Review website. Click here to register for the webinar.

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Of the more than 8,000 chemicals reported for the 2020 CDR reporting cycle, about 54% were manufactured domestically and 46% were imported, representing a 10% increase in chemicals imported from 2016 to 2020. Overall, sites reported domestic manufacture or import of more than 7.2 trillion lb of chemicals during 2019 driven by two industry sectors: petroleum and coal products manufacturing (64%) and chemical manufacturing (14%).

Additionally, the chemical manufacturing sector reported the most (84%) chemicals and represents nearly half (43%) of all sites. More than a third (38%) of the 2020 CDR reporting sites are located in six states: Texas, Ohio, Pennsylvania, California, Georgia, and Illinois.

The Review also includes information and analysis to provide insight and inform EPA’s Agency priorities regarding certain types of chemicals, including poly- and perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) and chemicals that have undergone or are undergoing risk evaluation under TSCA. Analysis of the reported CDR information by chemical groups shows that 180 PFAS were reported by 57 sites for a total production volume (PV) of about 678 million pounds.

Of the total 37 TSCA Risk Evaluation Chemicals by CASRN, 33 were reported in the 2020 reporting cycle, and 34 chemicals were reported in both the 2012 and 2016 reporting cycles. 254 sites reported information for 33 TSCA risk evaluation chemicals for a total PV of about 38 billion pounds in the 2020 reporting cycle.

The number of sites that manufactured and/or imported TSCA Risk Evaluation Chemicals has increased by 40%, while the manufactured and imported volumes have generally remained consistent over the past 10 years.

Additionally, the review includes analysis of use information, for which 73% of reports submitted contain industrial processing and use information and 40% contain consumer and/or commercial use information.