• 4 steps to reporting
• Reporting exemptions
• Reporting FAQ
• Business FAQ

4 Steps to Reporting

Reporting to the Environmental Reporting and Disclosure Bylaw (Municipal Code Chapter 423)

The following steps are provided as a guide to help you report:

Step 1: Determine if the Bylaw applies to your facility.

The Bylaw applies to certain facilities located in Toronto, which includes the former cities of Toronto, Etobicoke, East York, York, North York and Scarborough.

• Consult our Guide to Reporting (PDF) for additional descriptions of the bylaw and information on estimating chemical usage and release.
• If you own or operate more than one facility in the City of Toronto, you must review each facility and report separately on affected facilities.
• Certain types of facilities and sources within a facility are exempt from reporting.

Step 2: Determine if you need to report in a given year.

Reporting requirements are being phased in over the next three years, based on the type of business. This means that the type of business or facility you operate determines when you will be required to begin reporting. The first reporting deadline is June 30, 2011.

Phase 1 facilities

First Reporting Deadline: Report 2010 data by June 30, 2011

*NAICS = North American Industry Classification System

Phase 2 facilities

First Reporting Deadline: Report 2011 data by June 30, 2012

*NAICS = North American Industry Classification System

Phase 3 Facilities

First Reporting Deadline: Report 2012 data by June 30, 2013

*NAICS = North American Industry Classification System

The Bylaw requires annual reporting if you meet Bylaw requirements. The amounts or types of chemicals your facility uses or releases may change from year to year. Because of this, you should review your reporting requirements each year to determine whether or not you need to report.

• Estimate the amounts of priority substances your facility used or released in the previous year, and compare them to Environmental Reporting and Disclosure Bylaw requirements and the reporting thresholds in Schedule A of the bylaw. Consult our Guide to Reporting (PDF) for help.
• The City provides optional ChemTRAC Calculators, that you may wish to use to help identify and estimate priority substances for common sectors and industrial processes.

Note: Whether or not your facility is required to report to the Bylaw, you can voluntarily submit information on your environmental programs activities.

Step 3: Prepare your data for reporting

• Make sure you have considered all activities and sources within your facility that may be using or releasing the priority substances.
• When reporting metals, you are required to report metals and their compounds. When determining whether or not you use a metal, do not simply search for the associated CAS numbers listed in Schedule A of the bylaw because individual metal compounds also have their specific CAS numbers.
• Before you use the online reporting system, ensure that you have the following information ready:
  • quantities of priority substances for the previous year, in kilograms, and the method you used to estimate or measure these quantities;
  • up-to-date information on your facility name, address, number of employees and contact person,
  • your North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) code that best describes the type of facility for which you are reporting. Check your NAICS code.
  • information on your facility’s environmental goals, programs or achievements, should you choose to submit that data to the City; and
  • Your First Time Access Code for new users or Registration ID for facilities already in the system. Call 311 if you did not receive a First Time Access Code from the City by mail.
• Keep your records that describe how you estimated your priority substance amounts, whether or not you are required to report. The City may request this information for bylaw enforcement purposes.

Step 4: Submit your data online by June 30th each year

If you are reporting data under the Bylaw, the ChemTRAC Online Reporting System allows you to:

• submit required data on priority substances; and
• provide voluntary information on your facility’s environmental activities.

If you do not report data under the Bylaw, you can use the system to:

• identify yourself as a non-reporter; and/or
• provide voluntary information on your facility’s environmental activities.

For more information read our Frequently Asked Questions about Reporting.

Ready to report?

Go to ChemTRAC Online Reporting

Last updated on January 2012