5800-045 RY 2020 TRI-MEweb Application User Survey

OMB Control Number: 2010-0042

Approval Expiration Date: 3/31/21

RY 2020 TRI-MEweb Application User Survey

Burden Statement: This collection of information is approved by OMB under the Paperwork Reduction Act, 44 U.S.C. 3501 et seq. (OMB Control No. 2010-0042). Responses to this collection of information are voluntary. An agency may not conduct or sponsor, and a person is not required to respond to, a collection of information unless it displays a currently valid OMB control number. The public reporting and recordkeeping burden for this collection of information is estimated to be six minutes per response. Send comments on the Agency’s need for this information, the accuracy of the provided burden estimates and any suggested methods for minimizing respondent burden to the Regulatory Support Division Director, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (2821T), 1200 Pennsylvania Ave., NW, Washington, D.C. 20460. Include the OMB control number in any correspondence. Do not send the completed form to this address.

Below are the proposed RY 2020 CDX survey questions to assess accessibility to TRI-MEweb:

Help Resources

• (1) The following resources are available for you to learn how to use TRI-MEweb. Please rank the usefulness of the following TRI-MEweb information resources:

TRI-MEweb Resource Webpage- link to resource

(Options: Very Satisfied, Somewhat Satisfied, Neutral, Somewhat Dissatisfied, Very Dissatisfied, I have not used this material.)

TRI-MEweb GuideMe- link to resource

(Options: Very Satisfied, Somewhat Satisfied, Neutral, Somewhat Dissatisfied, Very Dissatisfied, I have not used this material.)

TRI-MEweb Tutorials- link to resource

(Options: Very Satisfied, Somewhat Satisfied, Neutral, Somewhat Dissatisfied, Very Dissatisfied, I have not used this material.)

On-page TRI-MEweb instructions

(Options: Very Satisfied, Somewhat Satisfied, Neutral, Somewhat Dissatisfied, Very Dissatisfied, I have not used this material.)

Specific Reporting Regulatory Issues

• (2) What resources from within the TRI-MEweb application did you use for technical guidance for reporting to TRI? (Select all that apply)

  • Emission factors

  • Questions and Answers

  • Industry-Specific Guidance

  • Chemical-Specific Guidance

  • EPA Regional Coordinator

  • State TRI Coordinator

  • Central Data Exchange (CDX) Helpdesk- (888) 890-1995

  • TRI Information Center- (800) 424-9346

• (3) When filling out a Form R, was it clear that you are only supposed to enter (1) “0” when reporting for a non-PBT chemical of <= 0.5 pounds, (2) “NA” when an element of the form is inapplicable to your facility, and (3) a blank when an element does not apply to your facility and is not an element you are required to complete?

  • Yes, it is clear when to use “0,” “NA,” or a blank.

  • No, it is unclear when to use “0,” “NA,” or a blank.

Please explain

Data Quality Checks

• (4) Did the Data Quality Alerts on the Error List page in TRI-MEweb (e.g., a large change in quantity of a release type from prior year report when compared with current year report) prompt you to review the information you provided on your reporting form?

  • NA, I have never triggered a Data Quality Alert

  • Yes, I reviewed my form and provided a comment in the provided field.

Please provide additional information here.

• No. Please tell us why.

Please provide additional information here.

• No, but I left a comment in the provided field.

Filing and Submission Process:

(

• (5) If you have used TRI-MEweb in the past, how would you rate the process of preparing and certifying TRI reporting forms?

  • It was far easier to complete the TRI reporting process

  • It was relatively easier to complete the TRI reporting process

  • It was about the same

  • It was a bit more difficult to complete the TRI reporting process

  • It was far more difficult to complete the TRI reporting process

• (6) If you have recently revised or withdrawn a submission, did you find the process of revising or withdrawing forms to be easy to do in TRI-MEweb?

  • Yes, the process to withdraw or revise my forms was easier to do.

Please provide suggestions here.

• No. Please tell us why.

Please provide suggestions here.

• (7) Did you encounter any difficulties in setting your certifying official role so that you can obtain access to certify your pending TRI-MEweb submission? (If so, please select all that apply):

  • Not applicable, I have only the preparer role.

  • Creating a CDX account and adding TRI-MEweb with a Certifying official role.

  • Getting a certifying official’s Electronic Signature Agreement (ESA) created and approved.

  • Remembering the answers to my security challenge questions.

  • Finding and e-signing the TRIFID Signature Agreement in TRI-MEweb.

  • Confirming that a certifying official had certified and submitted my forms.

  • Confirming that EPA received my submitted Form R/A.

  • Other reasons.

Please provide other difficulties or add details to a difficulty you have already selected.

• (8) How would you rank your difficulty in starting, preparing, and certifying your TRI forms using TRI-MEweb?

(Options: Easy, Occasionally difficult, Somewhat difficult, Regularly Difficult, Extremely difficult)

Please explain

• (9) How intuitive do you find the process TRI-MEweb uses to prepare, validate, certify, and submit TRI reporting forms? Are you aware which step of the process you are at for a Form R or A Certification Statement when you use TRI-MEweb?

• Yes, I know where I am in the error correction procedures, designation of a certifying official to my forms, certification, and submission process in TRI-MEweb.

Please explain what helped your navigation through TRI-MEweb.

• No, I do not know where I am in the error correction procedures, designation of a certifying official to my forms, certification, and submission process in TRI-MEweb.

Please explain what impaired your navigation through TRI-MEweb.

• (10) One of the enhancements made with the TRI-MEweb application is with improved form error checking. How intuitive do you find the process TRI-MEweb uses to validate and check your TRI reporting form(s) for errors? Was it easy to identify and correct any errors you may have had within your form(s)?

• Yes, I found it very easy to use. I was able to quickly identify and correct errors within my TRI reporting form(s).

• No, I struggled to validate my form(s). I had issues with passing the error check process and getting to where I was able to submit/certify my TRI reporting form(s).

Please explain what impaired your effort to correct your form errors through TRI-MEweb.

• (12) One of the enhancements made with the TRI-MEweb application is the ability to gain a facility Access Key (seven-digit alphanumeric code) from within the application via email, rather than from contacting the CDX Helpdesk. If your TRI reporting required you to gain access to a new TRIFID, how much easier did you find the process to create a new facility account?

• It was much easier to add a facility in the new version of TRI-MEweb

• :It was about the same

• I had difficulties to obtain my assigned Access Key or to create a new TRIFID for my facility reporting for first time to TRI

Please explain what impaired your effort to obtain an Access Key or create a new facility account in TRI-MEweb.

• (12) Some of the enhancements made inTRI-MEweb are with a number of improved online help features, including the more than 40 tutorials, the GuideMe regulatory assistance tool, and a helpdesk online chat service. If you used any of these help-related features, which did you use and how beneficial did you find them to be? (Select all that apply)

  • I used the tutorials feature to learn how to use TRI-MEweb

  • I used the GuideMe regulatory assistance

  • I used the helpdesk online chat service

  • I did not use any of the help features

My evaluation of the selected help features is:

• I found the help features I used to be very helpful

• I found the help features I used to be somewhat helpful

• I found the help features I used to not be very helpful

• (13 ) One of the enhancements made to RI-MEweb is the ability to verify your identity via Short Message Service (SMS) authentication when signing agreements and certifying TRI reporting forms. If you utilized this new feature, did you find it to be a helpful addition to TRI-MEweb?

  • Yes, I used the feature. I like having SMS authentication as an alternative method in the event that I may forget my security answers.

  • No, I did not use the feature. I did not feel the need for it.

  • No, I did not use the feature. I was not aware that it existed.

• (14) Based on your experience with TRI-MEweb, what features could we add that would make the TRI reporting process better for you?

Please describe the feature you would like to see to improve the TRI-MEweb reporting process.

Miscellaneous

• (15) Did you use the Threshold Screening Tool to determine if you needed to report a TRI chemical to EPA?

  • Yes, I did use this tool before using TRI-MEweb to determine if I met the three reporting TRI thresholds.

  • Yes, I did use this tool, but I did not find it useful.

  • No, I did not use this tool.

  • I was not aware there was a tool I could use to determine if my facility needed to report a TRI chemical to EPA.

  • 

    Please provide other reasons here.

    Other

• In your opinion, what aspect of the TRI-MEweb application did you find to be the most beneficial during the reporting process?

  • Creating/adding a facility account

  • Starting a new chemical form

  • Adding a POTW or off-site transfer location in Section 6.1 and 6.2

  • Entering data/calculating values in Section 8

  • Using the video tutorials to learn how to use TRI-MEweb

  • Checking for errors

  • Assigning a certifying official to my passed forms

  • Certifying my forms

  • Getting confirmation of my TRI forms are received by EPA

• (16) Would you be interested in participating in any Beta Testing efforts in the future in order to better improve the application for users?

  • Yes, I would be interested. You may contact me in the future via my listed CDX email address.

  • No, I would not be interested.

EPA Form Number: 5800-045