Guide to Regulated Facilities in ECHO
There are multiple ways ECHO can be used to search compliance data. By default, ECHO searches focus on larger, more regulated facilities. Each search page allows users to search a more comprehensive group of facilities by electing to search for minor or smaller facilities.
The following tables show the types and approximate numbers of facilities (or "universe" of facilities) that are included in searches when the default options are used.
| CWA Permit Characteristics | Default Permit Status | Default Permit Type | Universe Size |
|---|---|---|---|
| Major | YES | YES | 7,000 |
| Non-Major | YES | YES | 191,000 |
| General Permit Covered Facility | YES | No | 150,000 |
| Inactive Permits (Permit Status = Retired, Terminated) | No | No | 138,000 |
Notes: Universe sizes as of July 2016.
| CAA Facility Type | Default Search Criteria | Universe Size |
|---|---|---|
| CAA Major (Title V) Facilities | YES | 15,000 |
| CAA Synthetic Minor Facilities | YES | 25,400 |
| CAA Federally-Reportable Minor Facilities | YES | 125,000 |
| CAA Emission Classification Unknown | YES | 1,400 |
| CAA Other Facilities | YES | 10 |
| CAA Designation Not Applicable Facilities | YES | 600 |
| CAA Inactive Facilities (all types of permits) | No | 62,000 |
Notes: The table above undercounts CAA minor facilities because states are only required to enter a subset of minor sources in the ICIS-Air system. Note that some states do enter all minor sources on a voluntary basis. Universe sizes as of July 2016.
| RCRA Designation | Default | Active | Universe Size |
|---|---|---|---|
| Any RCRA Treatment, Storage or Disposal Facilities (TSDF) | YES | YES | 2,000 |
| Operating RCRA Treatment, Storage or Disposal Facilities (Operating TSDF) | YES | YES | 700 |
| RCRA Large Quantity Generators (LQG) | YES | YES | 39,000 |
| RCRA Small Quantity Generators (SQG) | YES | YES | 135,000 |
| RCRA Very Small Quantity Generators (VSQG) (1) | YES | YES | 239,000 |
| RCRA Transporters | YES | YES | 13,000 |
| RCRA Facilities Not Represented Elsewhere (Other) | YES | YES | 12,000 |
| RCRA Inactive Permits (all types of permits) | No | No | 428,000 |
Notes: RCRA IDs are assigned to operations involved in generating, transporting or otherwise managing hazardous waste. Universe sizes as of July 2016.
(1) RCRA Very Small Quantity Generators (VSQG) reporting is not mandatory and therefore includes only those sites that have reported such activities. Not all Implementers track VSQG information or are able to enter the requested information in RCRAInfo, therefore the universe of VSQGs may not accurately reflect all VSQGs.
Safe Drinking Water Act
Under SDWA, all public water systems are subject to the same rules and reporting requirements. All active public water systems (about 150,500) are searched by default.