The Most Common TRI Reporting Problems (and How To Fix Them)

Understanding what goes wrong in TRI Reporting... and how RMA helps companies get it right (the first time).

If you’re like most environmental managers, you’re probably staring down your Toxic Release Inventory, or TRI Reporting and wondering… did we get everything right this time? Did we get everything last time? How much longer can we keep this up before we get in trouble?

We get it. Every year, we work with companies who feel that same mix of anxiety and uncertainty. You’ve got data in ten different spreadsheets, a handful of people touching the process, and the EPA’s guidance sitting open in six browser tabs.

If that sounds familiar, you’re not alone, and you don’t have to go it alone either. At RMA, we’ve spent decades helping companies clean up, correct, and confidently submit their TRI reports before they turn into violations. In this post, we’re walking through what usually goes wrong (and how to avoid it).

And if you'd like to skip these problems entirely and skip all the headaches, contact us here to talk to a TRI expert about your next report!

Table of Contents:

• Data & Documentation Problems in TRI Reporting
• People & Expertise Problems: When the TRI Person Leaves
• Regulatory & Compliance Problems: Thresholds, Releases, and Recordkeeping
• Technology & Process Problems: When TRI-MEweb Feels Like a Nightmare
• Reputation & Communication Problems: When TRI Data Goes Public
• How to Get TRI Reporting Right
• Additional TRI Reporting Information

Data & Documentation Problems in TRI Reporting

Let’s start with the most common issue we see: bad data.

Purchasing records don’t line up with production logs. Waste vendors provide partial data. Someone adds a new chemical mid-year, and it never makes it into your totals. By June, everyone’s scrambling to piece together numbers that “seem close enough.”

That’s a problem because TRI reporting is only as good as your data. If your usage records aren’t consistent, documented, and traceable, your submission might not hold up under EPA review.

• Underreporting = potential fines
• Overreporting = unnecessary scrutiny
• No documentation = serious risk during audits

Our first step is always a deep data cleanup and reconciliation. We cross-check purchasing, production, and waste records, verify emissions factors, and make sure every calculation has a clear, defendable trail. We’ll even help you push back on vendors who aren’t providing the right info-or adjust assumptions the right way when they can’t.

Our goal is simple: leave you with numbers you can stand behind, backed by airtight documentation.

People & Expertise Problems: When the TRI Person Leaves

Here’s another one we see all the time: the person who used to handle TRI reporting left last year, and now nobody else really knows the process.

Sometimes, nobody owns it. It’s spread across departments-purchasing has some info, operations has some, EHS has the rest-and everyone assumes someone else is taking care of it. Other times, the team is overwhelmed by dense EPA language and unsure how to apply it to real operations.

That’s when mistakes happen. We’ve seen facilities rush to submit and end up copying last year’s numbers “just to get it done.” The scary part? Those errors often go unnoticed for years… until a public review or audit exposes them.

At RMA, we step in as your on-call TRI experts. We get to know your site, your people, and your processes. We walk through the requirements in plain English, bridge departmental gaps, and help your team stay aligned. Whether we’re running the show or supporting your internal team, you’ll know your TRI is handled by people who know exactly what they’re doing.

Regulatory & Compliance Problems: Thresholds, Releases, and Recordkeeping

Even experienced teams struggle with the gray areas of TRI. Thresholds vary by chemical. Definitions of “release” vs. “transfer” can be confusing. And corporate vs. site-level reporting? That’s a classic headache.

When reports are incorrect, it’s not just fines you’re risking, it’s also your reputation with regulators. One bad submission can put your facility on watchlists or trigger follow-up inspections.

We take a proactive, risk-aware approach:

• We verify your threshold determinations and release pathways.
• We clarify gray areas and confirm which facilities need to file.
• We help you correctly document every step, including recordkeeping requirements (minimum three years, often more).

And if this is your first time filing-or your first time realizing you should have filed-we’ll walk you through the EPA’s Audit Policy, which can reduce or even eliminate penalties for self-disclosure. We also coordinate with legal counsel when needed to make sure you’re fully protected.

Technology & Process Problems: When TRI-MEweb Feels Like a Nightmare

If your team dreads logging into TRI-MEweb, you’re not alone. Forgotten passwords, outdated templates, and last-minute data entry marathons are a recipe for mistakes.

TRI reporting shouldn’t be a once-a-year scramble, it should be part of a consistent, annual process. That means clean data flows, shared systems, and repeatable workflows.

We help companies build systems that actually work:

• Early access and setup in TRI-MEweb
• Consolidated data from multiple sources
• Shared folders and templates
• Internal sign-off processes to prevent last-minute chaos

The result is a calm, repeatable reporting season where your team spends less time reacting and more time feeling confident.

Reputation & Communication Problems: When TRI Data Goes Public

Here’s the part no one likes to talk about: your TRI data is public. Once submitted, anyone from regulators to reporters to your next-door neighbor, can see it.

Even if your data is accurate, seeing your facility’s name next to “toxic chemical releases” can raise eyebrows. Some companies start second-guessing their data-not because it’s wrong, but because they worry about how it will look.

We help clients navigate that reality by:

• Making sure their reports are accurate, defensible, and contextualized
• Helping them understand how their data will appear to the public
• Preparing internal messaging or media responses if questions arise

Your TRI report doesn’t just need to be right-it needs to tell the right story. We help you make sure it does.

How to Get TRI Reporting Right

If you’re feeling overwhelmed, behind schedule, or just unsure whether you’re meeting your TRI obligations, take a deep breath. You’re not the first, and you won’t be the last. We’ve seen every data tangle, deadline crunch, and documentation mess you can imagine (and we know how to fix them).

Our process is simple, proven, and built to take the panic out of reporting season. We start by cleaning and reconciling your data, then confirm every chemical threshold and release calculation with your operations team. Once the numbers are locked in, we prepare and submit your report through TRI-MEweb, ensuring every detail lines up with EPA requirements and your documentation is bulletproof.

And your reporting doesn’t end when you click “submit”, we give you everything you need to stay audit-ready, like a complete backup file, clear documentation, and recommendations to make next year’s reporting faster and easier.

So if you’re tired of second-guessing your data or holding your breath until the EPA deadline passes, it’s time to hand this off to experts who live and breathe compliance. Reach out to us today, we’ll help you figure out exactly what you need, get your data in shape, and make sure your next TRI submission is one you can feel good about, no panic required.