Toxics Release Inventory (TRI) Program
2008 TRI National Analysis Brochure
EPA released the 2008 TRI National Analysis Data on December 2, 2009. This Web page provides an overview of the 2008 TRI data and relevant TRI information (including analysis, tables, charts, maps, etc). To fully understand the TRI data, we recommend that you read all of the materials. An printable version of the 2008 TRI National Analysis Brochure (PDF) (8 pp, 1.4MB, About PDF) is available.
- What is the Toxic Release Inventory (TRI)?
- What are the benefits of TRI data?
- What are the limitations of the TRI data?
- What should I know about the different types of disposal or other releases?
- What should I know about persistent bioaccumulative toxic (PBT) chemicals?
- What do TRI data show for 2008?
- How did the TRI data change over time?
- What other information is available?
- How can I access TRI data?
- Where can I find contact information?
What is the Toxics Release Inventory?
The Toxics Release Inventory (TRI) is a database that contains detailed information on nearly 650 chemicals and chemical categories that about 22,000 industrial and other facilities manage through disposal or other releases, recycling, energy recovery or treatment see Figure 1. (PDF, 1 pp, 156KB, About PDF)
. The data are collected from industries including manufacturing, metal and coal mining, electric utilities, commercial hazardous waste treatment, and other industrial sectors.Section 313 of the Emergency Planning and Community Right to Know Act (EPCRA) of 1986 was enacted to facilitate emergency planning, to minimize the effects of potential toxic chemical accidents, and to provide the public with information on releases of toxic chemicals in their communities. The Pollution Prevention Act (PPA) of 1990 mandates collection of data on toxic chemicals that are treated on-site, recycled, and combusted for energy recovery. Together, these laws require facilities in certain industries, which manufacture, process, or use toxic chemicals above specified amounts, to report annually on disposal or other releases and other waste management activities related to these chemicals.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) maintains this information in a national database called the Toxics Release Inventory, which is available to the public via the Internet @ www.epa.gov/tri.
What are the benefits of TRI data?
The TRI provides the public with unprecedented access to information about toxic chemical releases and other waste management activities on a local, state, regional and national level.
TRI data help the public, government officials and industry:
- Identify potential concerns and gain a better understanding of potential risks.
- Identify priorities and opportunities to work with industry and government to reduce toxic chemical disposal or other releases and potential risks associated with them.
- Establish reduction targets and measure progress toward reduction goals.
TRI data are widely used across EPA programs. For example, the National Partnership for Environmental Priorities, an element of the Resource Conservation Challenge (RCC), uses TRI data to identify facilities that may present pollution prevention opportunities. EPA also uses TRI data in the Risk Screening Environmental Indicator (RSEI) tool, which compares toxic chemicals released to the environment from industrial sources. Using RSEI, you can examine rankings and trends, and set priorities for further action. You can search for other EPA programs and tools that utilize TRI data by visiting EPA's Web Site or from EPA's publication How are the Toxics Release Inventory Data Used? (PDF, 76 pp, 791KB, About PDF)
What are the limitations of the TRI data?
Users of TRI data should be aware that TRI data reflect disposal or other releases and other waste management of chemicals, not whether (or to what degree) the public has been exposed to them. Both the toxicity of a chemical and exposure considerations should be taken into account when using the data.
- TRI chemicals vary widely in toxicity, or their potential to produce toxic effects. Some high-volume releases of less toxic chemicals may appear to be more serious than lower-volume releases of highly toxic chemicals, when just the opposite may be true.
- The potential for exposure may be greater the longer the chemical remains unchanged in the environment. Sunlight, heat, or microorganisms may or may not decompose the chemical. Smaller releases of a persistent, highly toxic chemical may create a more serious problem than larger releases of a chemical that is rapidly converted to a less toxic form.
For more detailed information on this subject refer to Toxics Release Inventory (TRI) and Factors to Consider When Using TRI Data . (PDF, 29 pp, 196KB, About PDF)
What should I know about the different types of disposal or other releases?
The TRI Program collects data on a number of different types of disposal or other releases, as well as on certain waste management and recycling practices. Disposal or other releases of chemicals into the environment occur through a range of practices that may ultimately affect the potential for human exposure to the toxic chemicals. Facility releases may include discharges to air, water, and land. Facilities limit contamination and human exposure by disposing of or otherwise releasing waste in certain ways. For example:
- Disposal of harmful materials to Class I Underground Injection wells located in isolated formations beneath the lowermost underground source of drinking water limits potential for contamination; and
- Disposal to landfills that are designed with liners, covers, leak-detection systems, and groundwater monitoring systems also limits the potential for human exposure to the contents of the landfill.
Most disposal or other release practices are subject to a variety of regulatory requirements designed to limit environmental harm. Please refer to the Toxics Release Inventory (TRI) and Factors to Consider When Using TRI Data (PDF, 29 pp, 196KB, About PDF) for more information on the differences of these data elements.
What should I know about persistent bioaccumulative toxic (PBT) chemicals?
Starting in 2000, EPA established more stringent reporting thresholds for persistent bioaccumulative toxic (PBT) chemicals originally on, or added to, the TRI chemical list. PBT chemicals are of particular concern not only because they are toxic but also because they remain in the environment for long periods of time, are not readily destroyed, and build up or accumulate in body tissue. The TRI PBT chemicals include dioxin and dioxin-like compounds, lead and lead compounds, mercury and mercury compounds, polycyclic aromatic compounds (PACs), polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), and certain pesticides, among other chemicals.
For more information about PBTs and the Agency's multimedia strategy for priority PBT chemicals,
visit EPA's Persistent Bioaccumulative and Toxic (PBT) Chemical Program website.
What do TRI data show for 2008?
For 2008, 21,695 facilities, including federal facilities, reported to the TRI Program. They reported 3.9 billion pounds of on-site and off-site disposal or other releases of the almost 650 toxic chemicals, as shown in Table 1. Over 87% of the total was disposed of or otherwise released on-site; 13% was sent off-site for disposal. Metal mining facilities reported 30% and electric utilities reported 23% of the total in 2008, as shown in Figure 2 (PDF,1 pp, 157KB, About PDF).
Persistent bioaccumulative toxic (PBT) chemicals accounted for 498 million pounds or 13% of reported on- and off-site disposal or other releases in 2008. Of that total, lead and lead compounds accounted for 98% or 486 million pounds of PBT's. Total disposal or other releases for mercury and mercury compounds were 6.2 million pounds and, for dioxin and dioxin-like compounds, they were 33,702 grams (74 pounds).
There were 179 known or suspected carcinogens on the TRI list in 2008. They accounted for 776 million pounds or 20% of reported on- and off-site disposal or other releases in 2008. Of that total for carcinogens, lead and lead compounds accounted for 63% and arsenic and arsenic compounds for 10%. Over three-quarters (598 million pounds or 77%) were disposed of or otherwise released to land on-site. Styrene air emissions were 39% of the total 76 million pounds of air emissions of carcinogens.
All federal facilities are required to report to the TRI Program. For 2008, a total of 389 federal facilities submitted 1,240 forms and reported 101 million pounds of total on- and off-site disposal or other releases.
How did the TRI data change over time?
From 2007 to 2008, total disposal or other releases on- and off-site decreased by 257 million pounds or 6%. On-site disposal or other releases decreased by 5% and off-site disposal or other releases decreased by 13%.
From 2007 to 2008 Figure 3 (PDF, 1 pp, 165KB, About PDF) , total production-related waste managed, which reflects waste management practices rather than ultimate disposition of a chemical, decreased by 7%. From 2007 to 2008, the quantity of production-related waste recycled decreased by 5% (415 million pounds), the quantity used for energy recovery decreased by 7% (205 million pounds), the quantity treated decreased by 10% (831 million pounds) and the quantity disposed of or otherwise released decreased 8% (352 million pounds).
Disposal or other releases of PBT chemicals decreased by 2% from 2007 to 2008. Total disposal or other releases of mercury and its compounds decreased by 11% from 2007 to 2008, with air emissions decreasing by 5%. Total disposal or other releases of dioxin and dioxin-like compounds decreased by 77%.
Disposal or other releases of carcinogens decreased by 7% (60 million pounds) from 2007 to 2008, including a decrease of 24% (24 million pounds) in arsenic and arsenic compounds. Air releases of carcinogens decreased by 18% (16 million pounds), including a decrease of 24% (10 million pounds) in air releases of styrene.
Federal facilities showed an overall increase in disposal or other releases of 6 million pounds or 6% from 2007 to 2008. Total production-related waste managed at federal facilities increased by 17 million pounds or 7%.
- Releases from federal facilities decreased 10% from 2006 to 2007, so the 2008 levels are still below those in 2006. Federal facilities releases often vary from one year to the next, and these changes do not necessarily represent a long term trend.
- One reason for the fluctuation this year was the large accidental release of coal fly ash from the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) Kingston plant. This release accounts for nearly half of the increase from federal facilities.
- Many federal facilities that report to TRI are national defense sites. When the primary mission of one of these sites changes, it can lead to either a sudden increase or a sudden decrease in their releases. These sites are required to report to TRI because they are federal facilities, even though they do not fit into the industry categories that normally report to TRI.
Overall, from 2001 to 2008, total production-related waste managed decreased by 17%, as shown in Figure 4. (PDF, 1 pp, 183KB, About PDF)
Manufacturing facilities have been required to report to the TRI Program since 1987. From 1988 to 2008, manufacturing facilities decreased their on- and off-site disposal or other releases by 65% based on chemicals that have been consistently reported since 1988.
What other information is available?
EPA has also developed an electronic report (eReport) for the 2008 TRI National Analysis. This report offers detailed information on the 2008 TRI National Analysis and is available on the TRI Web site. The eReport includes:
- A Summary of Key Findings (PDF, 40 pp, 316KB, About PDF) which provides a detailed look at the 2008 TRI National Analysis data; and
- Data Tables and Charts (PDF, 4 pp, 67KB, About PDF) which provide a look at the top chemicals, industries, and facilities for 2008.
To access this report and other information on the TRI Program, please visit our TRI Web site.
How can I access TRI data?
TRI Explorer: It’s On-line! It’s Easy! It’s Your Right to Know!
TRI Explorer provides fast and easy access to the TRI data and can answer your questions about a chemical, facility, geographic area, or industry sector. It also provides further details and breakdown on the type of disposal or other releases reported. Find out what chemicals were released to the air by facilities in your state in 2007, what facilities reported in your zip code, or what progress has been made in reducing TRI chemicals since 1988. TRI Explorer provides customized reports on these and many other topics using the TRI data. Users of TRI data can also customize maps of states or counties within a state to their preferences. Each report can be quickly and easily sorted by total disposal or other releases, by fugitive air emissions, by surface water discharges, by disposal to RCRA Subtitle C landfills, etc. Electronic state fact sheets with 2007 data are also available for each state. Visit the TRI Explorer home page to begin creating your own report on TRI data at www.epa.gov/triexplorer.
Where can I find contact information?
There are three other options for finding more detailed information: