Chemical Data Reporting National Review

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention wanted to develop the first national review of Chemical Data Reporting information, similar to the Toxics Release Inventory National Analysis. However, CDR data contain complex chemical manufacturing data that reporters commonly claim as confidential business information. EPA needed to ensure that no confidential information was revealed with the analysis of the CDR data while still providing sufficient detail to make it useful to stakeholders. EPA enlisted ERG to help conduct this review. 

To produce a concise review of the past three CDR reporting cycles (2010, 2014, and 2019), we first analyzed the confidential CDR data sets to identify any trends for various industries, uses, and chemicals of interest (e.g., PFAS). Once trends were identified, our team summarized the data into pie charts, bar charts, maps, and tables and ensured that all results were sanitized of any confidential business information. For CDR reporter site locations, ERG was able to confirm that all locations were not confidential and then overlay these locations with demographic indicators in an interactive GIS map. Using the sanitized data and other CDR background information, ERG developed custom graphics of U.S. maps, tables, a reporting flow diagram, and other data visualizations. ERG also developed custom JavaScript interactive data visualizations, including bar charts, pie charts, and search/sort tables. After developing all the graphics, figures, and content, ERG compiled the webpages for EPA review and approval. EPA published the final CDR National Review on its CDR homepage.