[Press release] EPA's 2012 Toxics Release Inventory Shows Air Pollutants Continue to Decline
TOXMAP, A Map of benzene release 2007-8 lower 48 US (Photo credit: Wikipedia) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Benzene_release_2007-8_lower_48_US.JPG Attribution: The US National Library of Medicine's TOXMAP, http://toxmap.nlm.nih.govFrom the 4 February 2014 EPA press release
From the 4 February 2014 EPA Press Release
Total releases of toxic chemicals decreased 12 percent from 2011-2012, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) annual Toxics Release Inventory (TRI) report released today. The decrease includes an eight percent decline in total toxic air releases, primarily due to reductions in hazardous air pollutant (HAP) emissions.
"People deserve to know what toxic chemicals are being used and released in their backyards, and what companies are doing to prevent pollution," said EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy. "By making that information easily accessible through online tools, maps, and reports, TRI is helping protect our health and the environment."
The 2012 data show that 3.63 billion pounds of toxic chemicals were either disposed or otherwise released into the environment through air, water, and land. There was also a decline in releases of HAPs such as hydrochloric acid and mercury, which continues a long-term trend. Between 2011 and 2012, toxic releases into surface water decreased three percent and toxic releases to land decreased 16 percent.
This is the first year that TRI has collected data on hydrogen sulfide. While it was added to the TRI list of reportable toxic chemicals in a 1993 rulemaking, EPA issued an Administrative Stay in 1994 that deferred reporting while the agency completed further evaluation of the chemical. EPA lifted the stay in 2011. In 2012, 25.8 million pounds of hydrogen sulfide were reported to TRI, mainly in the form of releases to air from paper, petroleum, and chemical manufacturing facilities.
Another new addition to TRI reporting is a requirement for each facility located in Indian country to submit TRI reports to EPA and the appropriate tribe, and not the state where the facility is geographically located. EPA finalized this requirement in a 2012 rule aimed at increasing tribal participation in the TRI Program.
This year's TRI national analysis report includes new analyses and interactive maps for each U.S. metropolitan and micropolitan area, new information about industry efforts to reduce pollution through green chemistry and other pollution prevention practices, and a new feature about chemical use in consumer products.
The annual TRI report provides citizens with critical information about their communities. The TRI Program collects data on certain toxic chemical releases to the air, water, and land, as well as information on waste management and pollution prevention activities by facilities across the country.
The data 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 releases from facilities that are subject to TRI reporting are regulated under other EPA program requirements designed to limit harm to human health and the environment.
Also available is the expanded TRI Pollution Prevention (P2) Search Tool, which now allows users to graphically compare facilities within the same industry using a variety of environmental metrics.
Toxics Release Inventory National Analysis
Under the Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act (EPCRA), facilities must report their toxic chemical releases to EPA by July 1 of each year. The Pollution Prevention Act of 1990 also requires facilities to submit information on waste management activities related to TRI chemicals.
More information on the 2012 TRI analysis, including metropolitan and micropolitan areas is available atwww.epa.gov/tri/nationalanalysis.
Read the entire press release here
What tools are available to help me conduct my own analysis?
A variety of online tools available from the Data and Tools webpage will help you access and analyze TRI data.
Where can I get downloadable files containing the data used in the 2012 National Analysis?
Basic Data Files: Each file contains the most commonly requested data fields submitted by facilities on the TRI Reporting Form R or the Form A Certification Statement.
Basic Plus Data Files: These files collectively contain all the data fields submitted by facilities on the TRI Reporting Form R or the Form A Certification Statement.
Dioxin, Dioxin-Like Compounds and TEQ Data Files: These files include the individually reported mass quantity data for dioxin and dioxin-like compounds reported on the TRI Reporting Form R Schedule 1, along with the associated TEQ data.
Annual Toxic Release Inventory report provides citizens with critical information about their communities
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February 9, 2014 Posted by Janice Flahiff | Public Health	| Air pollution, Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act, EPA, lands pollution, National Emissions Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants, Pollution prevention, Pollution Prevention Act of 1990, toxic air releases, toxic chemicals, Toxic Release Inventory, TRI, United States Environmental Protection Agency, Water pollution | Leave a comment
EPA Web Tool Expands Access to Scientific, Regulatory Information on Chemicals
Environmental Protection Agency Seal (Photo credit: DonkeyHotey)
From the 9 September 2013 EPA press release
Contact Information: Cathy Milbourn, Milbourn.cathy@epa.gov, 202-564-7849, 202-564-4355
WASHINGTON – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has launched a web-based tool, called ChemView, to significantly improve access to chemical specific regulatory information developed by EPA and data submitted under the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA).
"This online tool will improve access to chemical health and safety information, increase public dialogue and awareness, and help viewers choose safer ingredients used in everyday products," said James Jones, assistant administrator for the Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention. "The tool will make chemical information more readily available for chemical decision-makers and consumers."
The ChemView web tool displays key health and safety data in an online format that allows comparison of chemicals by use and by health or environmental effects. The search tool combines available TSCA information and provides streamlined access to EPA assessments, hazard characterizations, and information on safer chemical ingredients. Additionally, the new web tool allows searches by chemical name or Chemical Abstracts Service (CAS) number, use, hazard effect, or regulatory action. It has the flexibility to create tailored views of the information on individual chemicals or compare multiple chemicals sorted by use, hazard effect or other criteria. The new portal will also link to information on manufacturing, processing, use, and release data reported under the Chemical Data Reporting Rule, and the Toxics Release Inventory.
In the months ahead, EPA will be continuously adding additional chemicals, functionality and links. When fully updated, the web tool will contain data for thousands of chemicals. EPA has incorporated stakeholder input into the design, and welcomes feedback on the current site.
By increasing health and safety information, as well as identifying safer chemical ingredients, manufacturers and retailers will have the information to better differentiate their products by using safer ingredients.
In 2010, EPA began a concerted effort to increase the availability of information on chemicals as part of a commitment to strengthen the existing chemicals program and improve access and usefulness of chemical data and information. This included improving access to the TSCA inventory, issuing new policies for the review of confidential business information claims for health and safety studies, and launching the Chemical Data Access Tool. Today's launch of the ChemView provides the public with a single access point for information that has been generated on certain chemicals regulated under TSCA.
View and search ChemView: http://www.epa.gov/chemview
Web tool expands access to scientific, regulatory chemical information (rdmag.com)
EPA Web Tool Expands Access to Scientific, Regulatory Information on Chemicals (workers-compensation.blogspot.com)
EPA Web Tool Expands Access To Scientific, Regulatory Information On Chemicals (wateronline.com)
EPA Web Tool Helps Manufacturers Choose Safer Chemicals (environmentalleader.com)
Reference: EPA Web Tool Expands Access to Scientific, Regulatory Information on Chemicals (infodocket.com)
Highlights of EPA's Online Chemical Database (learnatvivid.wordpress.com)
Commercial Appraiser; FW: News Release: EPA Web Tool Expands Access to Scientific, Regulatory Information on Chemicals (commercialappraiser.typepad.com)
October 15, 2013 Posted by Janice Flahiff | Consumer Health, Consumer Safety, Tutorials/Finding aids, Workplace Health	| Chemical Abstracts Service, chemical hazards, chemical regulatory information, Cheminformatics, ChemView, EPA, Free Government Information, health information, Occupational safety and health, safety information, Toxic Release Inventory, Toxic Substances Control Act of 1976, United States Environmental Protection Agency | Leave a comment
2011 EPA Toxic Release Inventory is releaed
From the EPA Web page
The TRI National Analysis is an annual report that provides EPA's analysis and interpretation of the most recent TRI data. It includes information about toxic chemical releases to the environment from facilities that report to the TRI Program. It also includes information about how toxic chemicals are managed through recycling, treatment and energy recovery, and how facilities are working to reduce the amount of toxic chemicals generated and released.
WASHINGTON – Total toxic air releases in 2011 declined 8 percent from 2010, mostly because of decreases in hazardous air pollutant (HAP) emissions, even while total releases of toxic chemicals increased for the second year in a row, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) annual Toxics Release Inventory (TRI) report published today.
The annual TRI provides citizens with vital information about their communities. The TRI program collects information on certain toxic chemical releases to the air, water and land, as well as information on waste management and pollution prevention activities by facilities across the country. TRI data are submitted annually to EPA, states and tribes by facilities in industry sectors such as manufacturing, metal mining, electric utilities, and commercial hazardous waste facilities.
What's new in the National Analysis this year?
An investigation into declining air releases;
More information about pollution prevention activities conducted at TRI facilities;
Updated risk information;
Enhanced Indian Country and Alaska Native Villages (ANVs) analysis.
A variety of online tools are available to help you access and analyze TRI data. When using TRI data, you may also want to explore the other data sources and information listed on the TRI Data and Tools webpage.
Basic Data Files : Each file contains the most commonly requested data fields submitted by facilities on the TRI Reporting Form R or the Form A Certification Statement.
Basic Plus Data Files : These files collectively contain all the data fields submitted by facilities on the TRI Reporting Form R or the Form A Certification Statement.
Dioxin, Dioxin-Like Compounds and TEQ Data Files : These files include the individually reported mass quantity data for dioxin and dioxin-like compounds reported on the TRI Reporting Form R Schedule 1, along with the associated TEQ data.
EPA's 2011 Toxics Release Inventory: Total toxic chemicals increase as result of mining (yubanet.com)
EPA Toxic Release Inventory: Due to metal mining Alaska had the highest TRI releases in the nation (yubanet.com)
EPA Issues Annual Report on Chemicals Released Into (suzirow.wordpress.com)
EPA Annual Report Shows Increase of Toxic Chemicals to the Environment (ecowatch.org)
Airborne Toxins Down, But Overall Pollutant Levels Rising: EPA (nlm.nih.gov)
January 18, 2013 Posted by Janice Flahiff | Consumer Health, Consumer Safety, Educational Resources (Health Professionals), Educational Resources (High School/Early College(, Librarian Resources, Public Health	| Chemical substance, National Emissions Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants, Toxic Release Inventory, TRI, United States Environmental Protection Agency | Leave a comment