Seeking To Boost Data Quality, EPA Floats TRI 'Parent Company' Definition

摘要

EPA is proposing a rule to define for the first time how facilities should identify their "parent" companies in Toxics Release Inventory (TRI) reports, saying the lack of any such definition has hurt its ability to effectively gather data on the companies behind chemical releases, and to track transfers between facilities with the same parent. The proposal, slated for publication in the Sept. 28 Federal Register, defines "parent company" in TRI reports as "the highest-level company with the largest ownership interest in the TRI facility as of December 31 of the reporting year." EPA writes that codifying a specific definition of the term "would allow EPA to address various corporate ownership scenarios explicitly and reduce the reporting burden caused by regulatory uncertainty," and particularly allow companies to clearly state when their controlling parent is an overseas firm - which can be ambiguous in the current reporting framework.