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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.

If your facility is not exempt from the bylaw, you need to:

1. Identify if you use, manufacture, process or release any of the priority substances listed in the bylaw. There are many sources of information that can help you identify the priority substances in your facility. Be sure to check all of them, including:
   • Purchase records
   • Material Safety Data Sheets
   • Raw materials
   • Year-end inventory
   • Certificate of Approval or Environmental Compliance Approval
   • Correspondence with supplier
   • Purchase records
2. Annually track the chemicals in your facility.
3. Determine which (if any) priority substances meet or exceed the reporting thresholds. The priority substances are divided into three groups, A, B and C. The reporting thresholds for each of these groups are different.

The bylaw requires you to report every year for both use and release amounts of all priority substances that meet or exceed the reporting threshold. 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.

Step 3: Prepare your data for reporting

We have many tools, tips and guides to help you prepare for reporting.

• Reporting checklist (PDF)
• ChemTRAC Guide to reporting (PDF)
• Industry specific calculators
• Technical Assistance Visits

Below are some points to get you started.

• Submit a separate report for each facility in Toronto.
• Report both use and release amounts of all priority substances that meet or exceed the reporting thresholds.
• Estimate use and release for all sources and processes in your facility.
• This includes process such as heating by natural gas combustion, welding, equipment cleaning, drilling, grinding, crushing, sanding, and blending.
• Review the exemptions in the bylaw, such as building heating, and do not include these in your calculations.
• The following priority substances are VOCs. Be sure to report them separately and also include them in your VOC estimation:
  • Acetaldehyde
  • Acrolein
  • Benzene
  • 1.3-butadiene
  • Carbon Tetrachloride
  • Chloroform
  • 1,4-Dichlorobenzene
  • 1,2-Dichloroethane
  • Formaldehyde
  • Trichloroethylene
  • Vinyl chloride
  • Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs)
• Make sure you have considered all activities and sources within your facility that may be using or releasing the priority substances.
• When reporting your use data, review the definitions of "Manufacture", "Process" and "Other use" in the Bylaw to enter the use amount of a substance in right category
• 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.
• When reporting Group C substances (NOx, PM2.5, VOCs) as a result of natural gas combustion, you are required to report them as manufactured and released.
• Before you use the online reporting system, ensure that you have the following information ready:
  • quantities of priority substances that were used and released 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?

ChemTRAC Online Reporting

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ChemTRAC Data Map

Industry Information & Tools

Pollution Prevention

Last updated March 2013