&EPA	e-Manifest
Office of Resource Conservation and Recovery | www.EPA.Gov/e-MANiFEST | December 2020
e-Manifest Fact Sheet: Emergency Response and Cleanup
On June 30, 2018, EPA launched a national system for tracking hazardous waste shipments electronically. This system,
known as "e-Manifest," modernizes the nation's hazardous waste tracking process while saving valuable time, resources,
and dollars for industry and states. EPA established e-Manifest per the Hazardous Waste Electronic Manifest
Establishment Act, which Congress enacted into law on October 5, 2012. e-Manifest is a multi-faceted program that
includes system development; regulation and policy; implementation and communication; and consultation with the e-
Manifest federal advisory committee.
What Personnel Need to Know
•	Emergency response and cleanup personnel may be the
signatory on manifests (as the generator) or have
contractual agreements where the contractor signs "on
behalf of" the generator.
•	This Fact Sheet provides general information on e-
Manifest; implementation of actual response is based
on cleanup authorities applicable to the site.
•	With the launch of EPA's e-Manifest system in June 2018,
emergency response and cleanup personnel (or their
contractors) have the option of creating and signing
manifests electronically.
•	Receiving facilities must submit the top copy of paper
manifests to EPA and pay a user fee for each manifest;
the receiving facility could charge this user fee back to
the generator.
•	Current user fees can be found on EPA's site
(https://www.epa.gov/e-manifest).
•	States no longer receive top copies of completed paper
manifests (and instead access the final copies via e-
Manifest); however, some states may continue to collect
generator copies of paper manifests.
•	EPA encourages emergency response and cleanup
personnel to use fully electronic manifests.
•	Electronic manifests are available to personnel only if
the site has access to the internet and both the
transporter and receiving facility also use electronic
manifests. (Generators should work with these entities
to ensure electronic manifests can be used.)
•	If electronic manifests are not an option, personnel
should initiate a paper manifest. Personnel can confirm
that the receiving facility will submit the completed
paper manifest electronically to EPA (e.g., by uploading
an image or "data plus image" in the e-Manifest
system).
As generators, personnel may create e-Manifest
accounts. With an e-Manifest account, responders and
contractors, with site permissions, are able to view
manifests and participate in the electronic data
corrections process supported by e-Manifest.
An e-Manifest account allows for transporters, brokers,
or other entities to prepare manifests for the generator.
Generators may use electronic manifests and the e-
Manifest system to meet applicable RCRA
recordkeeping requirements. (Note that other
recordkeeping requirements under specific cleanup
authorities still apply.)
If an e-Manifest account is not established, personnel
must work with their receiving facilities to obtain paper
copies of completed manifests per any applicable
recordkeeping requirements. The e-Manifest system
only supplies electronic copies of completed manifests
to registered generators with e-Manifest accounts.
The 6-copy paper hazardous waste manifest form (EPA
form 8700-22) was replaced with a new 5-copy form.
Personnel may use existing inventories of the old form.
e-Manifest does not issue Certificates of
Destruction/Disposal and does not otherwise impact
current processes related to these.
EPA's e-Manifest system only collects hazardous waste
manifest forms and continuation sheets (EPA form
8700-22/22A). Other documentation (e.g., bills of
lading, waste profiles, Land Disposal Restriction
notifications, lab pack sheets) should not be submitted
and are not entered into the e-Manifest system.

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•	Department of Transportation regulations require the
transporter to have a hard copy shipping document
while the shipment is in transit. If using/signing
electronic manifest(s), this means the transporter needs
to print a copy of the signed electronic manifest(s) to
carry on the truck during transit.
•	e-Manifest is accessible from portable devices (e.g.,
smart phone, tablet).
What Personnel Need to Do	
•	To create and sign electronic manifests, personnel must
register as an Industry User for e-Manifest, obtain an
EPA Identification Number (EPA ID) for the site if one is
not already assigned, and designate a Site Manager.
•	Personnel can register for access to multiple sites.
Conversely, sites can have multiple personnel with Site
Manager access or other permissions.
•	Personnel will normally enter the EPA ID issued for the
site in the Generator ID Number field of the manifest.
¦	The EPA ID can be a provisional or emergency EPA ID,
as appropriate. Personnel should check with their
authorized state or Region for information on how to
obtain emergency or provisional ID numbers.
¦	In exceptional cases where time is of the essence and
it is necessary to conduct immediate waste removal,
EPA or state officials can waive the EPA ID
requirement for generators and transporters
responding to spills or discharge incidents.
•	Site Managers have permission to view, create, and
electronically sign manifests in e-Manifest and grant
permissions for others to prepare and sign manifests
(i.e., contractors). See the Site Manager Fact Sheet
for information: https://www.epa.gov/e-manifest/fact-
sheets-e-manifest-stakeholders.
•	Reach out to EPA Regional e-Manifest points of contact
for assistance.
•	Working through the appropriate contractor (e.g.,
Transportation & Disposal coordinator), coordinate with
the receiving facility to select one of the following three
manifest options:
•	Paper (Generator, transporter, and receiving facility all
sign on paper.)
•	Hybrid (Manifest is created electronically in e-
Manifest. A hard copy is then printed from the system
and signed by the generator and initial transporter on
paper. The signed hard copy is left with the generator,
while the remainder of the manifest shipment is
executed electronically. The manifest is signed
electronically by the initial transporter, and other
subsequent transporters, and the receiving facility.)
• Electronic (Created in e-Manifest and electronically
signed by all entities listed on the manifest.)
•	Incorporate into contract language a requirement that
contractors adhere to all e-Manifest program
requirements and include a requirement that
contractors who sign manifests as the generator must
use fully electronic manifests, if feasible. Expect that
receiving facilities may charge user fees back to the
generator.
Scope of e-Manifest	
e-Manifest affects any waste that must be shipped on a
manifest according to either federal or state law, including:
•	Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) federal
hazardous waste,
•	Regulated PCB waste shipped on a manifest, and
•	State-regulated hazardous waste (if manifest is required
by origination or destination state).
•	Very Small Quantity Generator waste (if manifest
required by state).
Obtain/Update EPA ID Number
Personnel acting as a generator may submit EPA form 8700-
12 ("Site Identification Form") to obtain an EPA ID number
from their EPA Region or state. The form can be found on
RCRAInfo Web at https://rcrainfo.epa.gov/rcrainfoweb and,
in some states, can be submitted electronically. Emergency
EPA IDs can be requested via the state or EPA Region.
Personnel who already have an EPA ID number need to
ensure previously submitted information (e.g., contact
information) is up-to-date.
Register with e-Manifest
e-Manifest is linked to EPA's existing RCRA Information
System (RCRAInfo). e-Manifest registration and instructions
are available at: www.epa.gov/e-Manifest. Responders can
register with e-Manifest at any point.
Federal Links
•	For information on how to register for e-Manifest and
to view frequently asked questions on e-Manifest, go to
http://www.epa.gov/e-manifest
•	To subscribe to the general program Listserv, send a
blank message to: eManifest-subscribe(a>lists.epa.gov
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
EPA 530-F-20-021

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