ESS' Waste Reporter Downloads Point to Growing Trend
Waste reporting tool experiences record downloads while organizations save time and money meeting EPA biennial reporting requirements
TEMPE, Ariz. - March 28, 2006 - Six years ago, ESS decided to make a big difference in how hazardous waste was tracked and recorded. The company released Waste Reporter, a free new software product that could be downloaded from the company's website and used to help organizations file biennial regulatory reports required by states and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
Back then, online waste reporting was unknown to many organizations. ESS developed the tool to help the EPA simplify and automate a process that was time-consuming and cumbersome.
Many of the original users downloaded the software, filled out their reports and filed them through the mail. Now, however, organizations are using Waste Reporter to import data from other systems, arrange the information in EPA file formats, called"flat" formats, and submit the reports electronically.
The software's adoption rate has been beyond anyone's expectations. Between January 1 and March 15 of this year, there were more than 4,000 downloads of Waste Reporter, from every state except Hawaii.
"This is the most downloads we have experienced since Waste Reporter was introduced," said Robert Johnson, CEO of ESS. "The growth this year has been extraordinary, to the point where we believe we're seeing a new industry trend towards automated filing of the EPA's biennial reports. More people are filing the reports electronically, rather than sending them through the mail."
Mandated by State Agencies
Significant growth in the number of downloads became noticeable in 2003. That year, 56 percent of the 2,550 large quantity waste generators (LOGs) who filed the Biennial Report in California used Waste Reporter. This year, people who are downloading the software range from EH&S staff members to COOs and CFOs.
"Finally, there is a way for us to send waste data electronically to a regulatory agency," said Jim Buehler, an environmental specialist at Aerojet, a major space and defense contractor headquartered in Sacramento, Calif. "The Waste Reporter software has helped Aerojet ensure the accuracy and completeness of the data we submit in our Biennial Reports, and we save time and money in the process."
The use of Waste Reporter is required in several states and recommended in others. The EPA includes a reference to the software in its instructions to filers.
More than 30 percent of electronic filers in Florida use Waste Reporter, said Jack Griffith, Biennial Hazardous Waste Reports Coordinator, Hazardous Waste Management Section, Bureau of Solid and Hazardous Waste, Florida Department of Environmental Protection.
"ESS has been very helpful in getting biennial reporting automation to work for us," Griffith said. "Waste Reporter is much easier to use than trying to build the flat files and format something yourself. The reports are correctly formatted data and are in better shape. We give you a later date to submit since filing electronically saves us work."
Waste Reporter allows organizations to file required biennial reports with state and federal agencies manually or electronically using the EPA electronic format. Users can chose from a fully automated process, a step-by-step interview method or a manual method of reporting. Downloaders have the option of filing electronically or printing out the report and mailing it to the EPA. The software also includes built-in EPA information and helpful instructions.
"As a tool for compliance, Waste Reporter reduces effort and increases efficiency," Johnson said. "And, it is still available free of charge to state agencies and generators of waste."
Comprehensive Waste Management
Waste Reporter is a stand-alone tool available for use by any organization looking to save time and money on biennial reporting. When combined with other software products by ESS, it can become part of a comprehensive waste management solution. ESS offers complete waste management solutions for cradle-to-grave tracking of waste shipments, onsite inventory and disposal – all available in onsite, hosted and on-demand configurations.
ESS is the leading provider of Operational Risk Management software and services for Environmental, Health & Safety (EH&S) and Crisis Management. The company has provided software to more than 17,000 businesses, government agencies and other organizations worldwide. ESS solutions and services are designed to help clients assure business sustainability, drive operational excellence and enhance stakeholder value.
About ESS
ESS is the leading provider of Operational Risk Management software and services for Environmental, Health and Safety (EH&S) and Crisis Management. The company has provided Essential Suite® and Compliance Suite® solutions to more than 17,000 businesses, government agencies and other organizations worldwide.
