(02/04/14) Arizona, California, Nevada, Hawaii and Pacific Territories data accessible
SAN FRANCISCO - Nationally, total delivers of toxic chemicals decreased twelve percent from 2011-2012, according to the E.P.A.'s (EPA) yearly Toxics Release Inventory (TRI) report and Pacific Southwest state fact sheets published today.
"Our yearly analysis of chemicals being used by industry helps residents understand which chemicals are used in their neighborhoods," said Jared Blumenfeld, EPA's Regional Administrator for the Pacific Southwest. "This year we have enhanced our fact sheet system to aid in getting TRI information about specific locations."
New for this year is an updated fact sheet system that allows users to explore customized data. Scroll down at the link
www.epa.gov/tri to enter your zip code, city, or county, and the new tool will create a fact sheet to show you toxic delivers near you.
The yearly TRI report provides citizens with critical information about their communities. The TRI Plan collects data on certain toxic chemical delivers to the air, water, and land, as well as information on waste management and pollution prevention activities by facilities across the country.
The TRI data reports are submitted annually to EPA, states, and tribes by facilities in industry sectors such as manufacturing, metal mining, electric utilities, and commercial hazardous waste. Many of the delivers from facilities that are subject to TRI reporting are regulated under other E.P.A. Plan requirements designed to limit harm to human health and the environment.
Release data alone are not sufficient to determine exposure or to calculate potential risks to human health and the environment. TRI data, in conjunction with other information, such as the toxicity of the chemical, the release medium (e.g., air), and site-specific conditions, may be used to evaluate exposures from delivers of toxic chemicals.
State Highlights:
ARIZONA
A total of 257Arizona facilities reported a total of 86 million pounds of toxic chemical delivers during 2012. Arizona's total reported on-site and off-site delivers decreased when compared to 2011 data.
Highlights of data from 2012 in Arizona show that since 2011:
· Air: Air delivers decreased 22 percent
· On-Site Land: On-site land delivers decreased 13 percent
· Underground Injection: Underground Injection delivers did not change
· Water: Water delivers did not change
· Off-Site Transfers: Off-site Transfers increased 68 percent
For detailed Arizona information and the state's Top five releasing facilities please see the state fact sheet at
http://www.epa.gov/region9/tri/report/12/tri-2012-arizona-report.pdf
CALIFORNIA
A total of 1,229 California facilities reported a total of 32 million pounds of toxic chemical delivers during 2012. California's total reported on-site and off-site delivers decreased when compared to 2011 data.
Highlights of data from 2012 in California show since 2011:
· Air: Air delivers decreased two percent
· Water: Water delivers decreased 18 percent
· On-Site Land: On-site land delivers decreased 24 percent
· Underground Injection: Underground Injection delivers decreased one percent
· Off-Site Transfers: Total off--site transfers increased 13 percent
For detailed California information and the state's Top five releasing facilities please see the state fact sheet at
http://www.epa.gov/region9/tri/report/12/tri-2012-california-report.pdf. In addition, for a TRI fact sheet on California refineries, see:
http://www.epa.gov/region9/tri/report/12/tri-calif-refineries-2012.pdf
HAWAII
A total of 37 facilities reported a total of 2.7 million pounds of toxic chemical delivers during 2012. Hawaii's total reported on-site and off-site delivers increased when compared to 2011 data.
Highlights of data from 2012 in Hawaii show that since 2011:
· Air: Air delivers increased two percent
· Water: Water delivers increased six percent
· On-Site Land: On-site land delivers increased 46 percent.
· Underground Injection: Underground Injection delivers increased 21 percent
· Off-Site Transfers: Total off-site transfers have decreased nine percent
For detailed Hawaii information and the state's Top five releasing facilities please see the state fact sheet at
http://www.epa.gov/region9/tri/report/12/tri-2012-hawaii-report.pdf
NEVADA
A total of 136 Nevada facilities reported 286 million pounds of toxic chemical delivers during 2012
Nevada's total reported on-site and off-site delivers decreased when compared to 2011 data.
Highlights of TRI data from 2012 in Nevada show since 2011:
· Air: Air delivers decreased two percent
· Water: Water delivers decreased ten percent
· On-Site Land: On-site land delivers decreased by 47 percent
· Underground Injection: Underground injection delivers did not change since 2011
· Off-site Transfers: Total off-site transfers increased 40 percent
For detailed Nevada information and the state's Top five releasing facilities please see the state fact sheet at
http://www.epa.gov/region9/tri/report/12/tri-2012-nevada-report.pdf
Territory Highlights
AMERICAN SAMOA
In 2012, American Samoa total delivers were five pounds from the Starkist facility's air delivers of polycyclic aromatic compounds. For detailed American Samoa information please see the fact sheet at
http://www.epa.gov/region9/tri/report/12/tri-2012-amsamoa-report.pdf
COMMONWEALTH OF NORTHERN MARIANA ISLANDS
A total of eight facilities reported a total of 79,469 pounds of toxic chemical delivers during 2012, an increase over 2011's 3,224 pounds mainly due to four new facilities reporting TRI data.
For detailed CNMI information please see the fact sheet at http://www.epa.gov/region9/tri/report/12/tri-2012-cnmi-report.pdf
GUAM
A total of eleven facilities reported a total of 572,245 pounds of toxic chemical delivers during 2012. Guam's total reported on-site and off-site delivers increased when compared to 2011 data.
Highlights of data from 2012 in Guam show that since 2011:
· Air: Air delivers increased nine percent
· Water: Water delivers increased 16 percent
· On-Site Transfers: Total on-site transfers increased by 802 pounds.
For detailed Guam information please see the fact sheet at
http://www.epa.gov/region9/tri/report/12/tri-2012-guam-report.pdf
Additional TRI Tools:
-TRI Explorer is a tool that you can use to see the TRI data. It allows a user to look at data by state, county, or zip code; by chemical; or by industry. It provides maps a user can click on to find TRI facilities, chemicals and industries in a particular area.
http://www.epa.gov/triexplorer
-For more on the TRI Plan including additional city, Co. and facility information, please visit the EPA's Web sites:
http://www.epa.gov/tri, and
http://www.epa.gov/enviro.
-The Spanish TRI website is at:
http://www.epa.gov/tri/myrtk/spanish/index.htm
-For information geared toward communities please visit:
http://www.epa.gov/tri/communities/index.html
-EPA's TRI Pollution Prevention Tool:
www.epa.gov/tri/p2
-For more information on the Persistent Bioaccumulative Toxics (PBT) Chemicals Program, please visit the EPA's Web location at
http://www.epa.gov/opptintr/pbt
The yearly data is from the EPA's Toxics Release Inventory, one of the EPA's biggest publicly accessible databases. The yearly TRI reporting began in 1988 after the enactment of the Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act of 1986. The chemical information in the inventory is calculated by industrial facilities and reported to the EPA. Total delivers include toxic chemicals discharged by facilities to air, water, land, and underground, and the amount transferred off-site for disposal. Pollution controls apply to many of the reported releases. Reporting facilities must comply with environmental requirements set by local, state and federal agencies.
