Latest report shows 202 million pounds of toxics released into environment, a decrease of nearly 22 million pounds
(12/8/09-SAN FRANCISCO) Toxic delivers into the environment from facilities operating in Nevada decreased ten percent in 2008 when compared to 2007, according to the latest data accessible from the E.P.A.. The 22 million pound decline is primarily due to a decrease in land delivers from mining facilities.
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.
"We encourage people to use data from the Toxics Release Inventory in order to gain a better understanding of what is being released into their neighborhoods," said Laura Yoshii, actin E.P.A. administrator for the Pacific Southwest region. "Industry and communities informed with accurate information can use the inventory as a starting point to find opportunities to reduce the amount of pollutants released into the air we breathe, the water we drink and the land we enjoy."
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.
Here's a look at toxic delivers in Nevada from 2006 - 2008, reported in pounds:
|
|
Reporting Year
|
|
Type of Release
|
2006
|
2007
|
2008
|
|
Air
|
1,561,788
|
1,524,176
|
1,299,441
|
|
Land (On-site)
|
214,170,699
|
219,527,708
|
199,173,533
|
|
Underground Injection
|
four
|
0
|
0
|
|
Water
|
191,653
|
144
|
158
|
|
Off-site disposal
|
1,476,577
|
2,946,989
|
1,872,249
|
|
Total On- & Off-site delivers
|
217,400,721
|
223,999,017
|
202,345,381
|
Data from 2008 in Nevada show:
*Overall toxic delivers decreased 10% mostly due to a decrease in gold mining delivers to land
*136 facilities in Nevada reported 202 million pounds of toxic chemical releases-ranking the state sixth nationwide in total reported on-site and off-site delivers
*Air delivers decreased 15%, 225 thousand pounds
*The top 5 released chemicals are lead, arsenic compounds, zinc compounds, manganese, and mercury
*Approximately 91 million pounds of total delivers of lead were reported in Nevada. 99% of these were land delivers from the metal mining industry *In Nevada, 96 million pounds of total delivers of PBT chemicals were reported, an increase of 57% or 35 million pounds since 2007
*Polychlorinated Biphenyl (PCB) delivers decreased 40% from 584 to 350 pounds
*All of the PCB delivers in 2008 were disposed on-site in a permitted hazardous waste landfill, US Ecology Nevada Inc., in Beatty
*Nevada ranks #1 in the U.S. for reported mercury delivers
*151 facilities in Region nine reported 5.4 million pounds of mercury releases, down 794 thousand pounds from 2007-- Nevada mining facilities account for 99% of mercury delivers in the region
Yearly Toxics Release Inventory reporting began in 1987 after the enactment of the Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act (1996). The inventory provides information to the public 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.
The top facilities in Nevada for chemicals delivers (reported in pounds) are:
|
|
Facility Name
|
City
|
2007 Delivers
|
|
one
|
Newmont Mining Corporation Copper Canyon Facility
|
Battle Mountain
|
52,921,128
|
|
two
|
Barrick Goldstrike Mines Incorporated
|
Elko
|
48,864,451
|
|
three
|
Newmont Mining Corporation Twin Creeks Mine
|
Golconda
|
32,274,695
|
|
four
|
Newmont Mining Corporation Carlin South Area
|
Carlin
|
26,833,697
|
|
five
|
Robinson Nevada Mining Co.
|
Ruth
|
14,113,597
|
|
six
|
Cortez Gold Mines
|
Crescent Valley
|
11,096,986
|
|
seven
|
US Ecology Nevada Incorporated
|
Beatty
|
3,197,462
|
|
eight
|
Smoky Valley Common Operation
|
Round Mountain
|
1,783,621
|
|
nine
|
Newmont Mining Corporation Carlin North Area
|
Carlin
|
1,402,094
|
|
ten
|
Newmont Midas Operations
|
Midas
|
1,246,648
|
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; or by industry. It provides maps that you can click on to find TRI facilities, chemicals and industries in a particular area.
National TRI Findings:
*There was a 6% decrease in total reported Delivers into the environment nationwide from 2007 to 2008
*The number of facilities reporting chemical Delivers decreased 5% nationally
*Total PBT chemical Delivers decreased by 2% nation-wide
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,
http://www.epa.gov/triexplorer and
http://www.epa.gov/enviro.
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
