How to Report an Error

On this page:

Overview 

As a user of ECHO, you can assist us in maintaining high quality information in our systems. Comments about facility data are normally made by staff at the facility, but the general public can also comment if errors are suspected. Numerous state and local governmental agencies as well as the U.S. EPA are involved in preparing and maintaining the facility-level enforcement and compliance data found on ECHO. These agencies are committed to providing the public with the highest possible quality of information related to each facility's compliance record. To this end, users noticing data errors can send a notification directly from the ECHO website.

We recommend reviewing the known data problems with larger sets of data and state data caveats before reporting a specific error.

How to Report an Error From ECHO Reports 

Detailed Facility Report 

Follow the steps below to report an error. A video tutorial demonstrating how to report a suspected error is available on ECHO Video Tutorials.

Step 1: Initiate error reporting from the Detailed Facility Report (DFR)

An image of the Detailed Facility Report with the Report Data Error button at the top of the page highlighted. Includes description Click Report Data Error to begin the error reporting process.

Step 2: Report a general or specific error with DFR

Note: Please consolidate specific data error submissions into one comment if there are multiple errors in the same table.

An image of the Detailed Facility Report with the Report General Error button at the top of the page highlighted. Includes description Select Report General Error for errors such as facility closed or missing permit.

An image of the Detailed Facility Report with the warning icons throughout the page highlighted. Includes description Select the Report Error warning icon to report a specific data error.

Step 3: Provide contact information

An image of the Error Report - Submitter Information page. Includes descriptions Provide contact information so EPA can follow up if needed. EPA's Notice of Use describes how this information is protected. and Select Next to add comments.

Read EPA's Notice of Use

Step 4: Submit your comment

An image of the Error Report - General Comment or Error page. Includes description Provide relevant information and details with which EPA can review your notification.

Effluent Charts 

See Effluent Charts Help for instructions on how to report a suspected error in an effluent chart or table.

Civil or Criminal Enforcement Case Report 

See the Civil Enforcement Case Report Help or the Criminal Enforcement Case Report Help for instructions on how to report a suspected error on an enforcement case report.

Error Reporting Data Flow 

The error reporting form will ask for the submitter's contact information in order to keep the submitter informed of progress in addressing the report. Please include enough information to allow EPA to identify the data in question. This information is not made available for any other purposes (see Notice of Use).

An image of the Error Report - General Comment or Error page. Includes description Select Submit Comment to report the error you described.

Click on the button labeled “Submit Report” to send the error correction request to EPA. Once the report is submitted, it will be entered into EPA’s Integrated Error Correction Process and routed to the appropriate data steward, as shown below in the Data Error Correction Process diagram.

A flowchart of the error correction process

 

You will receive an immediate acknowledgement of receipt on the webpage and one or more status updates. EPA may ask for additional information or documentation, if it is needed (see Customer Support Standards).

Notification of Successful Error Report to EPA's Integrated Error Correction Process