(01/16/13) HONOLULU - Toxic chemicals managed, treated or released into the environment from facilities operating in the Commonwealth of Northern Mariana Islands decreased in 2011 when compared to 2010, according to the latest Toxics Release Inventory (TRI) data accessible from the E.P.A..
"Community Right-to-Know data helps all of us remain aware of the types and amounts of chemicals being used in our neighborhoods," said Jared Blumenfeld, EPA's Regional Administrator for the Pacific Southwest. "It is great to see pollution prevention activities at reporting facilities, and we encourage them to reduce their chemical delivers via this method."
In 2011, CNMI delivers dropped by 42% (2,345 lbs) due mostly to a 66% drop (1,462 lbs) in Mobil Oil Mariana Islands (Saipan Terminal) air delivers of toluene.
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 in evaluating exposures that may result from delivers of toxic chemicals.
E.P.A. has a new tracking tool that features facilities that reported they have new pollution prevention (P2) practices that have often reduced their delivers of TRI chemicals. The tool can be found at:
www.epa.gov/tri/p2. The tool can be used to track and compare TRI facility P2 performance, identify facilities that reported reductions in toxic chemical delivers due to P2 efforts, identify the P2 measures that were effective for a given industry or chemical, compare waste management practices of facilities within a sector, and view trends in waste management practices for facilities over several years.
In 2012, the E.P.A. reached out to hundreds of communities nationwide through workshops, video-conferences, and webinars to help communities to better use TRI data to protect their environments. Grassroots partners in environmental justice communities, such as the Center for Community Action and Environmental Justice in Jurupa Valley, California, helped E.P.A. enhance its outreach approaches to better serve diverse neighborhoods. Many of the online resources are listed in the "TRI Toolbox" below:
TRI Toolbox:
-TRI Explorer is a tool that you can use to see the Toxics Release Inventory (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 TRI Pollution Prevention Tool:
www.epa.gov/tri/p2
-State fact sheets are accessible at:
http://www.epa.gov/region09/toxic/tri/ and
http://www.epa.gov/triexplorer/statefactsheet.htm.
-For more information on the 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.
CNMI Total Delivers for Reporting Years 2009-2011
|
Year
|
Air
|
Water
|
Underground Injection
|
On-site Land
|
Off-site
|
Total Delivers
|
|
2009
|
5,778
|
-
|
-
|
two
|
328
|
6,108
|
|
2010
|
4,368
|
76
|
-
|
one
|
1,124
|
5,569
|
|
2011
|
2,957
|
266
|
-
|
one
|
-
|
3,224
|
CNMI Facilities with Biggest Chemical Delivers
|
Name
|
City
|
Total Delivers
|
|
one
|
MARIANA ACQUISTION CORP/SAIPAN TERMINAL
|
SAIPAN
|
2,181
|
|
two
|
MOBIL OIL MARIANA ISLANDS INC (SAIPAN TERMINAL)
|
SAIPAN
|
759
|
|
three
|
MOBIL OIL MARIANA ISLANDS INC (SAIPAN AVIATION DEPOT)
|
SAIPAN
|
281
|
|
four
|
HAWAIIAN ROCK PRODUCTS SAIPAN
|
SAIPAN
|
three
|
|
five
|
MOBIL OIL MARIANA ISLANDS INC (ROTA BULK PLANT)
|
ROTA
|
-
|
|
Total
|
|
3,224
|
