SAN FRANCISCO (3/19/2009) - Toxic delivers into the environment from facilities operating in Arizona decreased 9 percent in 2007 when compared to 2006, according to the latest data accessible from the E.P.A.. The decline in reported toxic chemicals released into the environment in Arizona was primarily due to a decrease in on-site land delivers from mining facilities.
The data comes from the EPA's Toxics Release Inventory, commonly referred to as TRI. It's one of 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 Arizona shows:
• Overall on-site land delivers decreased by eight percent, decreasing in excess of seven million pounds.
• Air delivers decreased by 13 percent, down 591 thousand pounds.
• Water delivers increased 638 pounds, up 17 percent from 2006 data.
Yearly data 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 and 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. In Arizona, in excess of 19 million pounds of total on-site and off-site delivers of PBT chemicals were reported -- an increase of 22 percent from the previous reporting year. The overall increase of PBT delivers in the state was driven by an increase in lead and lead compounds releases.
The top facilities in Arizona for total on-site and off-site delivers of all chemicals (reported in pounds) are:
Facility Name City Total Delivers
one Freeport-Mcmoran Miami, Inc Claypool 37,167,504
two Asarco Llc Ray Complex/Hayden Smelter & Concentrator Hayden 21,182,975
three Freeport-Mcmoran Morenci, Inc Morenci 8,096,460
four Asarco Llc Mission Complex Sahuarita 4,040,432
five Tucson Electric Power Co Springerville Generation Station Springerville 3,553,540
six Freeport-Mcmoran Bagdad Inc Bagdad 2,065,004
seven Freeport-Mcmoran Sierrita Inc Green Valley 2,029,531
eight Cholla Power Plant Joseph City 1,899,675
nine Coronado Generating Station St Johns 1,133,850
ten Asarco Llc Ray Mine Operations Kearny 1,068,253
TRI explorer
TRI Explorer is a database 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; and 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.
• PBTs make up twelve percent of total Delivers and have increased by one percentage point from 2006-2007. Lead drives overall PBT statistics with 98 percent of total Delivers for 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
Region nine TRI Arizona: http://www.epa.gov/region09/toxic/tri/report/07/tri-az.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.
