The Chemical Data Reporting (CDR) rule requires manufacturers (including importers) to report data to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) every four years. The 2024 submission period will begin June 1, 2024, and end September 30, 2024. On May 16, 2024, EPA announced the creation of CDR GuideME, a new resource portal, and improvements to the reporting tool to make the reporting process easier.

Data that must be reported include information concerning the manufacturing, processing, and use of such chemicals, unless exempt from this requirement under the CDR rule. The reporting requirements cover chemicals listed on the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) Chemical Substance Inventory if manufactured (including imported) above an applicable regulatory threshold. For the 2024 submission period, manufacturers (including importers) are subject to the reporting requirements based on manufacturing (including importing) activities conducted during the calendar years 2020-2023.

According to EPA, CDR GuideME is part of its effort to develop “a user-friendly, single location for all CDR guidance documents and other training materials, including the reporting instructions, fact sheets, and selected EPA responses to industry inquiries.” EPA notes that CDR GuideME users “can also search across all CDR questions and answers to quickly find topics of interest.”

The CDR rule requires all companies to report data electronically using e-CDRweb through EPA’s Central Data Exchange (CDX) system. EPA states that it has updated the CDX tool by:

• Incorporating 2024 CDR reporting codes that can be used and the years covered by the reporting period;
• Providing an updated spreadsheet for uploading chemical information in bulk (available in the resources section of the reporting tool); and
• Improving the functionality to copy substantiations of confidential business information (CBI) claims between chemicals and for accessing and saving a copy of submitted records.

The CDR website has updated guidance on submitting information to the CDR database, as well as information about prior CDR reporting cycles. EPA notes that stakeholders must register with CDX and be approved by EPA before they can begin submitting forms.