SAN FRANCISCO (3/19/2009) - Toxic delivers into the environment from facilities operating in Nevada increased two percent in 2007 when compared to 2006, according to the latest data accessible from the E.P.A..
The data comes from the EPA's Toxics Release Inventory, commonly referred to as TRI. It's one of the EPA's biggest publicly accessible databases, arming communities with valuable information on in excess of 650 toxic chemicals released by various industries. The chemical information in the inventory is calculated by industrial facilities and reported to the EPA, as required by law.
"The Toxic Release Inventory plan arms communities with powerful information," said Laura Yoshii, acting E.P.A. administrator for the Pacific Southwest region. "The inventory is a tremendous tool to help protect public health and the environment. Safe communities depend on well-informed citizens."
Total delivers include toxic chemicals discharged by facilities to air, water, land, and underground, and the amount transferred off-site for disposal. Regulatory controls apply to many of the reported releases. Reporting facilities must comply with environmental requirements set by local, state and federal agencies.
Data from 2007 in Nevada shows:
• On-site land delivers increased 3.4 million pounds, a two percent increase.
• Air delivers decreased 7.8 percent
• Water delivers decreased 192,000 pounds from 2006, a 99.9 percent change. The decrease was due almost entirely to one gold mine, Newmont-Lone Tree Mine, which reported a 191,000 pound decrease.
• Mercury delivers increased 41 percent.
• Nevada's off-site releases, made up of transfers and disposals, nearly doubled in 2007 -- an increase of in excess of a million pounds. The biggest increase was reported by 21st Century Environmental Management, Inc., a hazardous waste treatment and disposal facility, at 1.2 million pounds.
• Metal mining facilities account for 96 percent of Nevada's chemical releases. Mining land delivers and off-site disposal drove Nevada's 4.5 million pound increase.
Yearly Toxic Release Inventory reporting began in 1987. The inventory provides information on Yearly toxic chemical delivers reported by certain industrial and federal facilities. The TRI does not include data on toxic emissions from cars or trucks, nor from the majority of non-industrial sources, such as agriculture.
In 2000, TRI expanded to include persistent bioaccumulative and toxic chemicals, or PBTs, at ranges from 0.1 grams to 100 pounds. PBT pollutants are toxic chemicals that remain in the environment and food chain, posing risks to human health and ecosystems.
The top facilities in Nevada for chemicals delivers (reported in pounds) are:
Facility Name City 2007 Delivers
one Barrick Goldstrike Mines Incorporated Elko 47,930,024
two Newmont Mining Corp-Twin Creeks Mine Golconda 46,863,508
three Ruby Hill Mine Eureka 33,053,693
four Newmont Mining Corp-Carlin South Area Carlin 27,617,289
five Newmont Mining Corp-Lone Tree Mine Valmy 16,624,201
six Robinson Nevada Mining Co Ruth 14,796,794
seven Newmont Mining Corp-Copper Canyon Facility Battle Mountain 11,953,099
eight US Ecology Nevada Incorporated Beatty 3,437,368
nine Cortez Gold Mines Crescent Valley 3,059,160
ten Smoky Valley Common Operation Round Mountain 2,440,231
TRI explorer
TRI Explorer is a tool that you can use to see the Toxics Release Inventory (TRI) data. It allows you to look at data by state, county, or zip code; by chemical; by industry. It provides maps that you can click on to find TRI facilities, chemicals and industries in a particular area.
Some findings of interest at the countrywide level:
There was a five percent decrease in total disposal or other Delivers into the environment nationwide from 2006 to 2007.
• Lead showed a less than one percent increase (3.5 million pounds) from 2006-2007.
• Mercury Delivers increased by 38 percent (1.9 million pounds).
• On-site land Delivers are down six percent (113 million pounds) since 2006.
Region nine TRI home: http://www.epa.gov/region09/toxic/tri/index.html
For Nevada highlights on the web please visit: http://www.epa.gov/region09/toxic/tri/report/07/tri-nv.html
The following web sites also provide city, Co. and facility information on TRI: http://www.epa.gov/triexplorer/ and http://www.epa.gov/enviro. State fact sheets are accessible at: http://www.epa.gov/triexplorer/statefactsheet.htm.
