Latest Toxic Release Data for Connecticut Show Drop in Pollution Discharges; Multi-year Trend Continues in All New England States Under Community Right-To-Know

For Immediate Release: June 23, 2004; Release # 04-06-25

The most recent data show that delivers of toxic chemicals by industrial sources in all 6 New England states, including Connecticut, continue to decline.

The latest report of the Toxic Release Inventory, released today by EPA, confirms that for Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island and Vermont there has been approximately a 90 percent decline in delivers of in excess of 650 tracked chemicals since 1988. In Connecticut, total delivers have declined by 93.7 percent overall since 1988. Nationally, chemical delivers have declined by approximately 57 percent.

These data, made accessible each year to the public and communities throughout the U.S., covers pollution delivers to air, water and land by power plants, manufacturers and other facilities which employee 10 or more workers and exceed thresholds for TRI chemicals. During 2002, just under 24.9 million pounds of chemicals were released in the 6 New England states, with Connecticut's release figure at approximately 4.4 million pounds. Of Connecticut's releases, 83 percent were emitted to the air during 2002.

"Each of the New England states, including Connecticut, continue to see declining levels of emissions, even as the number of facilities reporting has increased," said Robert W. Varney, Regional Administrator for EPA's New England Office. "It is extremely important for the public to know what chemicals are being released in and near their communities. Careful analysis of this data confirms that over time, the amount of toxic substances released to the air, land and water continue to decline in our states."

The list of chemicals emitted, and facilities required to report, has expanded a number of times since the Toxic Release Inventory was begun in 1988. Comparing delivers in 2002 of only those chemicals and industry sectors reported in 1988 show a decline of 57.4 percent nationwide, and a drop of 93.7 percent in Connecticut.

"We continue to see significant reductions in the levels of toxics released to the environment in Connecticut," said Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection Commissioner Arthur J. Rocque, Jr. "Over the past decade, a tremendous amount of progress has been made in developing cleaner technologies which, complemented by stringent pollution control initiatives, have contributed to cleaner lakes and rivers, improved habitat, and cleaner air for residents of Connecticut to breathe. We will continue to develop and promote initiatives that further our natural resource protection efforts and to build on the environmental gains achieved over the last 10 years."

The current data, for the year 2002, represent the 3rd year that reporting has been required for a group of persistent and bioaccumulative toxins (PBTs) that includes mercury, dioxins, PCBs and polycyclic aromatic compounds. This is the 2nd year that reporting has been required for lead and lead compounds. Persistent and bioaccumulative chemicals do not readily break down in the environment and can build up in living organisms, especially higher in the food chain in fish, wildlife and other animals, and humans. In Connecticut, 9,560 pounds of PBTs were released to the environment of which 31.3 percent were lead or lead compounds (2,988 lbs). In 2002, facilities in Connecticut released 118 pounds of mercury, 5.9 grams of dioxins and 6,387 pounds of polycyclic aromatic compounds.

Today's data includes information on delivers and other wastes in excess of 650 chemicals and chemical categories that companies are required to report under EPA's TRI Program. The data includes toxics released at the company's facility and those transported to disposal facilities off site. All manufacturing companies, as well as coal and oil fired power plants, that produce or use above the threshold limit for any chemical are required to participate. Thresholds range from thousands of pounds to 100 or 10 pounds for PBTs, down to 0.1 grams for dioxin-like compounds.

The top 5 chemicals released to the environment during 2002 in Connecticut were: