1. Employs the equivalent of 10 or more full-time employees,
2. Conducts operations within covered Standard Industrial Classification (SIC) codes, or is a federal facility, and
3. Manufactures or processes more than 25,000 pounds, or otherwise uses more than 10,000 pounds, of the listed toxic chemical during the course of the calendar year.

Facilities within the following industries are currently within covered SIC codes: manufacturing, metal and coal mining, electric generation (coal and oil-fired), wholesale chemical distributors, wholesale bulk petroleum terminals, solvent recovery services, and waste management facilities regulated under RCRA Subtitle C. Only a small fraction of Delaware businesses (70 to 80 facilities annually) report under TRI based on meeting all three criteria listed above. The Delaware EPCRA Reporting Program reviews other information sources within DNREC to identify non-reporting or under-reporting facilities.

Facilities are required to base TRI data on measurements and monitoring data when these are available; however, if such data are not available, reasonable estimates may be based on published emission factors, mass balance calculations, or good engineering judgment. The methods of estimating or calculating data used by different facilities, or even the same facility over time, may vary, and thus the accuracy of the reported quantities may vary as well. The Delaware EPCRA Reporting Program performs cross-checks of the data with other information sources within DNREC to verify its accuracy and contacts facilities concerning apparent discrepancies.

Chemicals are periodically added to or deleted from the list of reportable toxic chemicals as new information about these chemicals becomes available. The list currently includes 576 individual chemicals and 28 chemical categories. A chemical category may include a discreet list of chemicals or may represent any chemical that possesses the category's characteristics.

In lieu of the standard report (Form R), the short form (Form A) may be used by a facility upon meeting certain criteria. After a facility determines that it must report on a given chemical, the facility is eligible to use the Form A for that chemical if:

1. The sum of the annual releases, transfers, and wastes managed on-site (known as the "reportable amount") does not exceed 500 pounds, and
2. The total annual amount of the chemical manufactured, processed, or otherwise used does not exceed 1,000,000 pounds.

The Form A is a two-page report that provides facility information (essentially the same as the Form R) and the identification of the chemical, but no release, transfer, and waste management data.

An important consideration to keep in mind about this data is that TRI does not provide an indication of potential exposure to the reported releases and cannot be used by itself to determine the impact on public health. The chemical's release rate, toxicity, and environmental fate, as well as local meteorology and the proximity of nearby communities to the release must be considered when assessing exposures.

TRI data provided through this site include on-site releases to the air, water, and land, off-site transfers of reported chemicals in waste for recycling, energy recovery, treatment, and disposal, and on-site waste management, including recycling, energy recovery, and treatment. All amounts are in pounds per calendar year. Data is periodically updated as a result of receiving late reports and revisions to previously submitted reports.

Analysis of the TRI data from Delaware facilities is performed and published annually in the Delaware Toxics Release Inventory Report. This report contains tables, charts, and maps that present more than a dozen different analyses, including statewide rankings and trends. This report also provides a more detailed description of the TRI program than is presented here. Copies of this report are available free-of-charge contacting the Delaware EPCRA Reporting Program. Any questions about the TRI program or requests for additional TRI data should be directed to the TRI Coordinator at the same number.