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e-Manifest

System Development of the Hazardous Waste Electronic Manifest System (e-Manifest)

e-Manifest will serve as a national electronic manifest system that will facilitate the electronic transmission of the uniform manifest form. This will allow for more effective and convenient utility of manifests.

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How will e-Manifest work?

The e-Manifest system is being built as a module component of the existing Resource Conservation and Recovery Act Information System (RCRAInfo). Once available in June 2018, e-Manifest will provide the stakeholders listed below with the following functions:

  • Generators and transporters of waste shipped on a manifest: Generators and transporters will be able to create, edit, and sign manifests and will be able to retrieve copies and status information on manifests. Transporters can also locate manifests created by generators that indicate they are the intended transporter.
  • Receiving facilities: Facilities receiving waste shipped on a manifest will be able to sign manifests when the waste is received, submit the manifests to EPA, make corrections to submitted manifests, and retrieve copies of manifests submitted within the past three years.
  • States and Tribes: State and tribal government users will be able to retrieve copies and status information on any manifests associated with entities in their state.
  • General Public: e-Manifest data will be accessible to the general public through the system’s public-facing website.

EPA is committed to ensuring that the e-Manifest system must meet its users’ needs. To accomplish this, we are conducting user-centered design and development utilizing agile software development methodologies. This approach embodies continuous improvement through pilots and testing, using iterative processes, and regular engagement with users and stakeholders throughout the process. EPA will continue to provide ongoing opportunities for input until a full scale system is complete and fully tested by all entities. To learn about opportunities to participate in e-Manifest user testing please click on the following link: “How to Participate: Testing the e-Manifest System (e-Manifest).”

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e-Manifest Schedule and Milestones

EPA anticipates that the e-Manifest system will be operational in June 2018 (see Figure below for the system development milestones).

e-Manifest Schedule and Milestones

June 2017: e-Manifest Release 1.0 - Completed

Release 1.0 of e-Manifest was completed on June 30, 2017, as scheduled, and incorporated input from extensive and early user testing of the system. Key features of Release 1.0 include the ability:

  • To upload manifests, including images (generators and receiving facilities)
  • To sign manifests electronically (receiving facilities)
  • To retrieve data by manifest number
  • To sign manifests "in bulk"

December 2017: e-Manifest User Fee Final Rule - Completed

EPA developed a rulemaking that finalized the agency’s methodology for determining and revising e-Manifest-related user fees, created a process for publishing the fee schedules to the user community, and announced the date on which the e-Manifest system will become available for use. In developing the final rulemaking, the agency considered public comments as part of its proposed rule (published on July 26, 2016), as well as recommendations from the e-Manifest Advisory Board’s January meeting and associated public comments.

Winter 2017/18: e-Manifest Release 2.0- Completed

The EPA expects to complete e-Manifest Release 2.0 in the winter of 2017/18. This version will also incorporate input from extensive and early user testing of the system. Release 2.0 will include the following key features:

  • Ability to save, update and retrieve a manifest via website and through a system-to-system interface
  • Generators, transporters, and receiving facilities have the ability to sign manifests electronically
  • Additional electronic signature options for industry users
  • State user functionality in the web application
  • Allowing for regulated for polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) waste manifests

June 2018: e-Manifest System Launch - Completed

EPA officially launched the e-Manifest system on June 30, 2018. On this date, receiving facilities began submitting copies, whether electronic or paper, of the manifest to EPA and incurred user fees. The e-Manifest requirements became immediately effective in all states on the system launch date.

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