CERS NextGen Project
Business Bulletin Newsletter
June 2025 Edition
A Word from the CERS NextGen Leadership Team
Greetings CERS Business Users –
The California Environmental Reporting System (CERS) has been in use for many years and has served us well. However, the technology underpinning our existing CERS platform is nearing end-of-life, necessitating a comprehensive technological upgrade.
To address this challenge, the California Environmental Protection Agency (CalEPA) has been working on a new system development project called CERS Next Generation (NextGen). The new system will transition our existing CERS users to a cloud-based solution that provides a modern user interface and streamlines operations, aligning with the overarching goals of the Unified Program.
The CERS NextGen Project Team and I are committed to providing transparent communication to keep you engaged and informed and will be collaborating with you to prepare for the transition to the next generation of CERS in 2027.
Jason Boetzer,
CERS NextGen Project Sponsor
Deputy Secretary for Emergency Response & Local Programs – Unified Program
Save the Date
Business Townhall Meeting
Join us to learn about the CERS NextGen Project. This meeting is open to all stakeholders. We will provide a project update, timeline, and project staff to take your questions.
Thursday June 26, 2025
1:00pm to 3:00pm
CERS NextGen
Business Townhall Meeting
Thursday, June 26, 2025, 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m.
Learn more about the CERS NextGen Project
CERS NextGen Project Timeline
The CERS NextGen project officially started in 2024 and will be completed in two phases.
- Phase 1 – Full “Submittal” to “Acceptance” workflow for Underground Storage Tanks (USTs)
- Phase 2 – All remaining programs and functionality
Businesses are not required to transition to CERS NextGen until after Phase 2 completion in January 2027. In the meantime, we will continue presenting Townhall meetings and publishing newsletters targeted separately for CUPAs and businesses.
Future newsletters will expand on the exciting new features of CERS as these two phases progress. Townhall meetings and other forums are a great opportunity to ask questions and learn more about preparing for CERS NextGen. Please be sure to keep your CERS contact information current so we can share important information with you.
Changes are Coming with CERS NextGen
Some great improvements are coming as we transition to the next generation of CERS. These enhancements are designed to increase usability, ensure data accuracy, and address many of the known issues in the current system.
Below, we highlight a few of these new features. We will expand on these topics in future editions of this newsletter.
New Features:
Hazardous Materials Inventory in CERS NextGen
Reporting an accurate Hazardous Materials Inventory (HMI) is an important component of compliance. This article highlights software changes in NextGen and explains how businesses can prepare.
CERS Nextgen will implement automated quality control checks and enforce stricter adherence to data entry requirements. This should help improve data quality and reporting expectations state-wide. Legal reporting requirements will not be updated as a part of this project. Reporting requirements are established through rules, regulations, and local ordinances.
Your current CERS 3 Chemical Inventory data cannot be migrated
to the next generation of CERS as a draft – it will be moved as read-only.
Inventory data from the existing CERS system was analyzed to determine if it could be migrated to the next generation of CERS. Unfortunately, there are too many inconsistencies and blank data fields to enable a direct data transfer.
As a result, all HMI data must be re-entered when the new CERS system becomes available in January 2027, and will be due on established HMBP submittal due dates.
What Tools will be available to assist with data entry?
The next generation of CERS supports HMI reporting with features including:
- Chemical Library – The top 500 chemicals from the current CERS database, updated with chemical name, common name, CAS number, Federal hazard categories, and fire code classifications (as applicable).
- Validation rules – For chemicals and mixtures, the system will automatically validate the CAS number and chemical name against a trusted CAS database. Hazardous wastes do not have CAS numbers; however, the system will include Hazardous Waste Codes to assist with data entry.
- Mandatory fields – The system will prevent submission unless all mandatory data fields are populated and validated.
- Spreadsheet upload of HMI data – The system will continue to provide a template to download and populate, to help facilitate data entry in the new system. Details on this will be made available in 2026 during Phase 2 of the project.
How can businesses prepare?
Businesses should continue to complete HMI submittals in alignment with current rules and regulations. Common data problems to check for include:
- CAS number is required for all chemicals
- Mixture components must be completed for hazardous mixture components
- Mixtures should not have a chemical name
- Federal Hazard Categories are required
CERS NextGen
Flyer for Businesses
Download the flyer in both
English and Spanish
How Can Businesses Stay Informed?
Businesses can find updates in upcoming Business Townhall meetings, newsletters, and website postings. Please email your CERS NextGen questions to the Project Team at: