&EPA
United States
Environmental Protection Agency
Office of Environmental Information (2843)
EPA 260-F-02-002
January 2002
Toxics Release Inventory
- Made Easy (TRI-ME)
Software Overview
TRI-ME is a desktop intelligent
software tool that assists facilities
in determining and completing
their EPCRA Section 313 (TRI)
obligations.
New this year:
TRI-ME allows federal submissions electronically over the
internet using EPA's Central Data Exchange (CDX).
certification letter still required.
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Preparing your
fNTRODUCTION:
The Till Reporting Software CD ROM introduces EPA’s TM reporting software: the Automated TRI Reporting Software (ATRS),
the Toxics Release Inventory - Made Easy (TM-ME) and the TM Assistande Library (TRIAL); installs the software and provides
access to TRI guidance documents.
The TM-ME software helps facilities in determining and completing their Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know
(EPCRA) section 313 (TM) Form Rs and As. TM-ME is an interactive, intelligent, user-friendly software tool that guides
facilities through the TM reporting experience. In contrast, while ATRS allows facilities to complete the Form Rs and As on their
personal computers, it provides much less guidance and assistance. For a complete comparison of TM-ME versus A TRS for
RY2001 (forms due July 2002), please see back panel.
EPA plans to transition from ATRS to TM-ME. For reporting year (RY) 2001 (reports due July 2002), facilities may use either
TM-ME or A TRS.
Let TM-ME help you prepare your Till Form R and A submissions for reporting year 2001. TM-ME can assist you each step of the way:
1. Loading 2000 ATRS data.
2. Determining Thresholds: Do you need to report for one or more chemicals? New to TRI-ME this year - lead as a PBT includes threshold
calculations and reporting forms.
3. Completing the basic facility information.
4. Providing chemical specific information on releases and other waste management.
5. Preparing Submissions: Checking for errors and then preparing the forms in paper, diskette or electronically over the Internet via the Central
Data Exchange (CDX) w/papcr signature certification for submission to EPA.
Step 1. Loading 2000 ATRS Data.
If you used EPA’s ATRS 00 or TRI-ME 2000 software, or its equivalent, you may want to load last year’s TM submission as a starting point in
completing your reporting year 2001 forms. Basic facility information and the chemicals you reported on last year can then be selected from
pick lists.
Step 2. Determining Thresholds: Threshold Portion of Questionnaire.
New to TM reporting? Not sure where to begin? Let TPJ-ME lead the way. The TRJ-ME questionnaire walks you through the analysis to
determine if your facility is required to file TM forms for listed toxic chemicals. TRJ-ME explains and calculates the employee hour require-
ment, the facility Standard Industrial Classification (SIC) Code, and the chemical activity threshold quantities. At each step of the analysis,
you may look at more guidance on a topic by clicking a button at the bottom of the screen which takes you to the TR lAssistance Library
(TRIAL). In addition to such pre-assembled guidance materials on many commonly asked about TM topics, the TRI Assistance Library also
contains the statutes, regulations, and guidance documents in a searchable, indexed format. With TRJ-ME there is almost no need to indepen-
dently acquire all the TM instructions and guidance documents.
At the end of the threshold determinations, you will come to the Chemical Select and Form Select screens: this is where you confirm the
chemicals your facility will be reporting on with TM-ME and whether you will use a Form R report or Form A certification for each chemical.
Are you an Expert User?
If you are an experienced TM reporter, you may wish to begin completing your Forms immediately, without using the threshold determination
portions of the Questionnaire. If so, you can select the “Expert User” option. After collecting your primary SIC code and the TM chemicals or
chemical categories you wish to report on, TM-ME will allow you to complete your Forms. But, even if you are familiar with the TM reporting
requirements, you may want to skim through all the screens in the Questionnaire for one chemical to make sure you have not been overlooking
important information.
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rRI Form R and A submissions for the 2001 reporting year with EPA's TE
Step 3. Completing the Facility Information.
For facilities new to TRI reporting, TRI-ME's Questionnaire guides you through each of the facility-specific data elements on
the Form R/A. As you answer the questions, TRI-ME completes the TRI Form R/A for you. If you are an experienced TRI
• reporter, you may click on the Form tab and directly complete an electronic facsimile of Part I of the Form R/A. And, if you
want more help, you can always go back to the Questionnaire tab, or click on the TRI Assistance Library. The facility-specific
information you enter one time will be duplicated for all the Form R reports and/or Form A certifications.
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How much of this chemical was rpleased as fugitrro or non-point air emissions? Please enter the quantity as
you want to report it on the Form R. If the estimate ie less than 1 .GOO pounds for a non-PBT chemical you
also have the option of entering a range code Range codes cannot he used for PBT chemicals.
In addition, any estimate of 0 pounds or higher requires trial you provide a basis of estimate, using trie
codes provided in the pick list below.
Total £it*i:tian5.1 Quantity:
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RI-ME software
Step 4. Providing Chemical Specific Information.
• Till reports are chemical-specific so you must first use the Select Chemical window to select a chemical. Once you have selected a
7 chemical, you can use the Questionnaire to guide you in completing the release and other waste management information for that
• chemical, or you can open the Form R tab and complete an on screen facsimile of the Form R. If you arc completing a Form A
certification for a chemical, TRI-ME automatically completes Part II of the Form A for you, so there is nothing to do in this step.
At any point you can switch to another chemical by using the Select Chemical window. You may complete an entire Form R for one
chemical and then switch to another chemical, or for example, you may decide to complete the air releases for one chemical and then
switch to another chemical and do the air releases for that chemical.
Remember, TRI-ME is flexible: if you are using the Form R tab to complete chemical release and other waste management informa-
tion, but you need more help, simply switch to the Questionnaire or the TRI Assistance Library.
Step 5. Preparing Submissions: Checking for
Errors and Filing Forms.
After you have completed entering information on your releases and other waste management activities using the direct form entry
r method, you should click on “Submission” at the bottom of the Navigation column. Or, if you have been using the Questionnaire,
TRI-ME automatically takes you to “Submission.” TRI-ME will then check your forms for missing information and critical errors.
Till-ME will also provide you with warnings about potential problems you may want to double check. After you fix any critical
errors, TRI-ME will prepare the official diskette for submission to EPA and the State. Or, new this year, you can submit electroni-
cally over the internet using EPA ’s CDX. If you submit a diskette or over the internet you also must submit a paper certification
letter. But don’t worry, TM-ME prepares this letter for you. If you prefer to submit the forms on paper, TM-ME also prints paper
copies for submission.
You do not have to wait until the end to check for errors. At any time, you can use the Tools menu (Validate Chemical) option, to
check for errors on a particular chemical submission. And don’t forget to use the Reports menu, where you can get handy summary
reports of the data you have entered.
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Toxics Release Inventorj
Installing TW Reporting Software
To install any of the Till Reporting Software, place the CD into your CD-ROM drive. The installation program should start automati-
cally. If the CD does not run automatically, click on Windows “Start,” “Run” and then “Browse.” Browse the CD-ROM drive and click
on the “launch.exe” file. After selecting the launch.exe file, browse through the scre ns, or just click on the “Install” button to open the
installation window. From the “Install” window, select the “Till Software” button to run the installation program for TM-ME, ATRS or
both (Till-ME & ATRS). Follow the prompts to complete the installation. If you have any problems installing the software, call the TRI
Software Support Hotline at 1-877-470-4830.
System Requirements
Please note that in order to run TRI-ME you must have the following minimum system configuration: IBM PC or compatible; Windows
95/98, 2000, XP, ME, NT; Pentium I; 166 megahertz minimum; 32 megabyte RAM minimum; 170 megabytes hard disk space available;
CD-ROM; and optionally a 56k speed modem and Internet account, or a LAN-based Internet account, with Adobe Acrobat Reader to
allow access to certain web-based documents not integrated into Till-ME. If you do not already have Acrobat Reader, it can be down-
loaded from the Till Reporting Software CD or from www.adobe.com.
Tifi Software Support
If you have any questions about how to use the ATRS. Till-ME or TRIAL software, please call:
Till Software Support Hotline: 1-877-470-4830
The TRI Software Support Hotline will be staffed on business days between 8am and 7pm ET from April 1, 2002 through July 31, 2002.
The Till Software Support Hotline will provide part time user software support coverage during the following designated dates: January
1, 2002 - March 30, 2002 and August 1, 2002 - September 30, 2002. NOTE: During part time coverage, please leave a message and we
will return your call within 3 business days.
T Reporting Assistance
Integrated into TRJ-ME is the TRlAssistance Library (TRIAL), a searchable, indexed file that contains the statutes, the regulations and
the key Till guidance documents a facility is likely to need for Till reporting. To access TRIAL, click on the TRI Assistance Library tab
in TM-ME and then search the index or table of contents to find information on a particular subject. If you are using the Questionnaire
feature in TM-ME, you will find preselected Till definitions and “More on” guidance from TRIAL that are relevant to the specific
screen you are viewing.
If you want to talk with someone about a Till reporting requirement, please contact the EPCRA Call Center at 1-800-424-9346 or 703-
412-98 10, 9am to 5pm ET. Questions on how to use the TM Reporting Software should be directed to the TM Software Support
Hotline at 1-877-470-4830.
Feedback
This is the second version of TM-ME, an interactive, intelligent, user-friendly software program that assists facilities in determining and
completing their lit! reporting obligations. EPA invites users to provide comments and suggestions, especially on how subsequent
versions of TM-ME can be made easier to use and more helpful. Comments may be submitted by visiting the Till website
(www.epa.gov/tri), sending an email to TRI-ME epa.gov, or faxing your comments to Till at (202) 401-8142.
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-Made Easy (Till-ME)
User Protection
EPA will not hold facilities, which act in good faith, accountable for any reporting errors caused by software malfunctions, programming
errors, or erroneous guidance contained in the TRI-ME software.
Comparison of TM-ME versus A TRS for RY2001:
1. Guides the user through the process of determining whether they must report based on their SIC code and number of employees. Helps
determine the primary SIC code. (TM-ME)
2. Guides facilities through the process of determining whether they exceed the chemical activity thresholds for manufacture, process and
otherwise use for any Till chemicals. (TM-ME)
3. Allows users to access and search the TM Assistance Library (TRiAL) of TRI guidance documents. (TM-ME & ATRS)
4. Intelligently linked to TRIAL. A user is shown particular paragraphs of guidance that might be directly relevant to the section of the Form
R they are working on. (TM-ME)
5. Allows users to load or import their facility information and chemical names from RY1999 or RY2000. (TM-ME & ATRS)
6. Allows users to load or import their facility information and chemical names from years prior to RY1999. (ATRS)
7. Allows users to load or import theft prior year quantitative information on releases and waste transfers (ATRS)
8. Guides facilities in completing the Form R and A by explaining each element of the form through a questionnaire format. (TRI-ME)
9. Allows expert TM users to bypass most of the handholding TM-ME guidance and directly enter the data into the forms. (Not applicable
to ATRS).
10. Allows users to directly enter data into the forms on a computer screen (TM-ME & ATRS)
11. Streamlines the completion of Form R, Part II, Section 7a information on waste treatment methods. (TM-ME)
12. Prevents facilities from making common errors while completing the Form R and A. (TM-ME and ATRS)
13. Checks (validates) the forms to identify critical and potential errors that should be corrected before submitting the forms krrrlv(iKi-
ME & ATRSIsome])
14. Allows users to print their forms on paper or on floppy discs (using the same file format from RY2000). (TM-ME & ATRS).
15. Allows uSers to submit theft forms electronically over the Internet. (TM-ME)
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