Establishment of Electronic Reporting: Electronic Records
ACS symposium series · 2002
EPA is proposing to allow electronic reporting to EPA by permitting the use of electronic document receiving systems to receive electronic documents in satisfaction of certain document submission requirements in EPA's regulations. The proposal also sets forth the conditions under which EPA will allow an electronic record to satisfy federal environmental recordkeeping requirements in EPA's regulations. In addition, under today's proposal, States and tribes will be able to seek EPA approval to accept electronic documents or allow the maintenance of electronic records to satisfy reporting and recordkeeping requirements under authorized or delegated environmental programs that they administer. The proposal includes criteria against which a State's or tribe's electronic document receiving system will be evaluated before EPA can approve changes to the authorized program to allow electronic reporting. Similarly, the proposal includes criteria against which EPA will evaluate a State's or tribe's provisions for electronic recordkeeping. Under today's proposal, electronic document submission or electronic recordkeeping will be totally voluntary; EPA will not require the submission of electronic documents or maintenance of electronic records in lieu of paper documents or records. EPA will only begin to accept direct submission of an electronic document once EPA has provided public notice that its electronic document receiving system is prepared to receive the document in electronic form. Similarly, EPA will only begin to allow electronic records to satisfy a specific EPA recordkeeping requirement once EPA has provided public notice stating that electronic records will satisfy the identified requirement.