A client reviewing an environmental compliance report with an environmental consultant

The Components of an Environmental Compliance Report

Environmental compliance reporting can easily be put off or forgotten. Often, site managers just have too much on their plates. However, not taking care of environmental compliance can expose your company to financial liability. It can also endanger staff, or even threaten business continuity.

Below, we explain why compliance is so vital. We also recap several common types of environmental compliance reports. You should be completing these reports regularly. Doing so will protect your company from liability.

We’ll even provide you with a great solution for alleviating your compliance reporting headaches. Let’s get started.

Environmental Compliance Reports Are Vital: Here’s Why

Environmental compliance reports help your company stay out of hot water with the EPA by proving that you are compliant with applicable federal regulations. These reports are also often required by state agencies.

These reports must be submitted on time. If they are late, you may incur hefty fines. The EPA may even force your company to shut down operations.

These reports also help you protect natural resources. You can monitor your facility’s impact on these resources, then identify and address concerns. This work will help you avoid causing long-term damage to your land.

Types of Environmental Compliance Reports

There are many different types of reports. We are going to focus on the most common. The reports that your facility likely needs to complete include the following:

Toxic Release Inventory

Certain businesses must complete a toxic release inventory (TRI) form. Your business will be required to complete this form if it:

  • Has 10 or more employees;
  • Uses or produces a TRI chemical above specified thresholds;
  • Operates in an applicable industry.

The TRI requirements only apply if you meet all three of the above criteria. A few examples of applicable industries include:

  • Electric power generation
  • Mining
  • Manufacturing

This is not a complete list. Review the EPA TRI Program guide to learn more.

Stormwater Pollution Prevention

Sites with industrial stormwater permits must adhere to stormwater pollution prevention guidelines. Permit holders must create a Stormwater Pollution Prevention Plan (SWPPP). Some sites must update their SWPPP annually. Failing to do so can cause the permit to be revoked.

Hazardous Waste

Any company that generates large quantities of hazardous waste must perform regular reporting. These reports must be submitted every year. The report should detail:

  • The nature of the waste.
  • The quantity of the waste produced.
  • The disposition of the waste (disposed on-site, distributed off-site, etc.).

Hazardous waste reports are due by March 1st every year. The reports are submitted directly to the EPA. They may also be submitted to an authorized state organization.

Air Emissions

The EPA requires certain sites to submit regular air emissions reports. This regulation applies to sites that can emit specific air contaminants above EPA thresholds. It applies even if the site did not emit that amount of contaminants in the previous year.

EPA air emissions reports are due every year. State agencies may require companies to submit reports more often.

Why You Should Outsource Environmental Compliance Reporting

Filling out these reports can be difficult. Fortunately, you do not have to juggle these tasks alone. You can outsource these tasks to an experienced firm like RSB Environmental. We can reduce your workload and improve compliance.

If you would like to learn more about the perks of outsourcing to a qualified team of experts, contact our company today. We will provide you with a free consultation. Let’s get started on supporting your environmental compliance reporting needs.