'-", -;",• V -,'""'' ;, " /*••>.' ••' .' Unf^StatetfrtvlroiimsrtalProtei^QnApsn^; ,,,N,, ',-:'. ': '',,
'-'-,,'v \ \*^-:-\ > 4 v;;;t:':'vi^|cScM^ . •;„ . _:' ^-'\ -.t ,-
-,•"•'•' ''•'• ^^"-;1-U"' "''J1-'"..-- 'J -..'di^as Media pMstonr,' :-,>• '-.,W!*i 'v ;'"••' "'-'-•' '-v >'.-:>i'.''~ '
'-'''
.. ,
',;;; \]\'-'''^-$\/^*^^ :?' ':;-V'^V-^' >.--"
;.; Jr.'-V^j"-;' M;:;; .i t>f< -^ /'• ^^^^C^'^:l^^X:l^:':^ •/' .''/^ v'
S^^S
'.;•"•: ',;' ~ -I-"'-' ",- '.-'t'v". ,,1 'j,' 7;<-\ ""' S' ,',-'"-- ^"" .':,' :-,,,' ''\'^s-'. ?-„.,. ,<,'i\'-,'""i ;>, ",--',»',,!.'••''• s-Vjv.'- ;v -"'•""',
&'-"5l^
-------
of
can the
EPA's has ; ^hy Con9ress Passed the
this to help in | Community Right-to-Know Law., ...... 1
and use the !
(TRi) to help Usln9toxlc release data •
TRI : Communities in acton! .2
•'
•• Toxics Release Inventory -
can help and ; What rt does and doesn>t do 14
• _ ..... .. __. ._
p Facilities covered by TRI 16
How you can access the
Toxics Release Inventory. 17
are
• Risk screenins • 20
Resources in your community 22
and
Getting help from EPA. . t ......... .26
tool for The
Club called the Toxics Usj the |ntemet to access toxjc
"one of the of - release data 28
A
"We are :
with the Toxics
will result in for the
and a
the can you
and your community.
-------
? l-^i. *'', ln 1984»a !etna! Sas leaked from a
}v\^'^ Union Carbide pesticide plant in
?>y«^ V|* Bhopal, India, causing the deaths
/ * ^tv' 8 °*near!V6,500peop'e. Nine
months later, a similar plant in
West Virginia had a potentially dangerous
release of a toxic pesticide. No lives were lost,
but it was clear that toxic chemical releases,
both routine and accidental, could endanger
public health. In response to this threat, Con-
gress passed the Emergency Planning and
Community RighMo-Know Act (EPCRA),1
Hailed as one of the strongest environmental
laws passed in the 1980s, the Right-to-Know
Act's primary purpose is to Inform communities
and citizens of chemical hazards. The law was
written with ordinary people in mind, and was
based on the principle that the more people
know, the more effective they can be in improv-
ing local health and safety. The law requires
businesses to report the locations and quanti-
ties of chemicals stored on site, and helps
communities prepare for chemical spills and
similar emergencies, It also requires certain
facilities to report releases to the environment of
about 650 toxic chemicals and chemical cat-
egories. This information is collected into a
national and publicly available database * - the
Toxics Release Inventory (TRI).
1, The Act is also known as Title III of SARA (the
Superfund Amendments and Reauthorizatioii Act of 1986).
-------
in
Community groups have the Toxics
Release Inventory (TRI) to raise awareness and
to reduce toxic pollution in a number of creative
and effective ways:
* Educating the community about toxic
risks
* Petitioning EPA to add new chemicals to
the Toxics Release Inventory
* Ensuring that citizens receive accurate
data about drinking water quality
* Using news media reporting to
water pollution
* Evaluating risk and promoting public
advocacy
* Integrating TRI information with socio-
economic data to identify environmental
justice issues
* Analyzing local sustainability trends
* Using toxic release reduction as a
contract bargaining tool to protect worker
health
* Educating students about their local
environment
* Studying the developmental effects of
chemical pollution on children
*• Promoting international toxics release
inventories
Educating
members
Don't Waste Arizona, a non-
profit organization in Phoenix,
Arizona, has used TRI data as
an organizing tool to inform
people of their right to know about toxic chemi-
cals that are being released in their communi-
ties. The group is particularly active in commu-
nities near some of the largest mines and
smelters in the United States. To teach mem-
bers of the public and the regulated community
about the Community Right-to-Know Act, the
group has developed two educational videos.
The videos have been distributed to citizens,
libraries and compliance assistance centers
throughout the State. Don't Waste Arizona has
held "house parties" to show the video and
discuss how communities can identify and
reduce toxic pollution. Using TRI data as an
organizing tool, Don't Waste Arizona is helping
communities take action for a cleaner environ-
ment.
For more information, contact:
Don't Waste Arizona
Steve Brittle
6205 S. 12th Street
Phoenix, AZ 85042
(602)268-6110
email: dwaz@fastq.com
-------
to add
Communities for a Better Environment in Oak-
Sand, California, a of other
munlty environmental groups to form the
Zero Dloxin Coalition, The coalition was con-
cerned about dioxins, a of highly
chemicals that are and into the
environment from certain
Extremely of are to
be to human and the
Dioxins are more chemi-
cals because they are very in the
environment and the body for a long time, and
accumulate as they move up the food chain.
In the 1980s and 1990s, dioxins not in-
cluded on the list of chemicals reportable under
the Toxics Release Inventory, Communities for a
Environment this gap and, in
coordination with the Zero Dioxin Coalition,
petitioned EPA to include dioxins in the list of
chemicals, EPA agreed that dioxins
should be added to the reporting list and issued a
new rule that requires facilities producing more
than 0,1 grams of dioxins to report annually on
their releases. The new rule became effective
on January 1,2000. In May of 2002, the first of
the dioxins data collected under the new rule
released to the public.
For more information, contact:
Communities for a Better Environment
Greg Karras
1611 Telegraph Avenue, 450
Oakland, CA 94612
(510)302-0430
gkarras@cbecal.org
4
» The California Public Interest Re-
(CalPIRG) works on a
variety of environmental and con-
sumer issues in California. The
Francisco office of CalPIRG
TRl data to find out which industries
•are releasing toxic chemicals to water.
CalPiRG is particularly in
water discharges that may pollute drinking
water.
As an advocate for safe drinking water, CalPIRG
TRl data to supplement the informa-
tion that in their Consumer
Confidence Reports, and to identify potential
water contamination sources. Through com-
munity right-to-know, CalPIRG is this
information to policymakers in an effort to
require water suppliers to provide more informa-
tion on to the
public.
For more information, contact;
California Public interest Research Group
Terry Olle
3486 Mission St.
San Francisco, CA 94110
(415)
email: t_olle@yahoo.com
-------
to
in
Pennsylvania
Like its counterpart in California,
the Pennsylvania Public Interest
Research Group (PennPIRG)
uses TRI data to determine
which industries are releasing toxic chemicals
to water. In the of 2000, PennPIRG
discovered that AK in Butler, Penn-
sylvania, the nation's source of toxic
surface water pollution, with a of 32
million pounds of nitrate compounds into
Connoquenessing Creek in 1998, PennPIRG
held press conferences statewide to publicize
the finding, which resulted in over 100 newspa-
per and magazine articles published.
The media attention led to a dialogue between
AK Steel, the Pennsylvania Department of
Environmental Protection and the U.S. Environ-
mental Protection Agency, As a result, the State
committed to reduce the amount of nitrates AK
Steel is permitted to release to the creek, and
AK Steel agreed to supply an alternate source of
drinking water to the 4,000 people affected by
the nitrate discharges.
For more information, contact:
Pennsylvania Public Interest Research Group
David Masur
1334 Walnut St., 6th Floor
Philadelphia, PA 19107
(215)732-3747
email: pennpirg@pirg.org
risk and
The Toxics Inventory
does not have the capability to
«i compare the risks of different
chemical releases. In order to rank chemical
hazards, raw data on toxic releases must be
combined with environmental and human health
data. Environmental Defense has developed an
on-line program, the "Environmental Score-
card," to do this. Their web site a scoring
system to identify environmental of
toxic chemicals that are likely to pose the
greatest risk to human health, This system
adjusts the amount of a chemical that is re-
leased (in pounds) using a weighting factor (a
chemical's "toxic equivalency potential"), so that
chemical releases can be compared on a
common that takes into account differ-
ences in and exposure Tools
like the Scorecard help communities Identify
priority pollutants and develop risk-based pollu-
tion reduction strategies to make communities
safer and cleaner. In addition, Scorecard has
an environmental justice analyzer function that
examines the distribution of chemical releases
according to socioecononflc variables. The
Environmental Scorecard can be at
www.soorecani.org
For more information, contact:
Environmental Defense
Cathryn Tonne
257 Park Avenue South
New York, NY 10010
(212) 616-1309
email: ctonne®environmentaldefence.org
Environmental Scorecard Web
http://www.scorecard.org
7
-------
and
TRI to
The of
has a
for
The is
for its of
as well as for dispropor-
tionately
Several
and
the to
by
in
Louisiana,
that in due to
the activities of 17
within of the Their
organ!-
to on a
Poison: The of in
The
TRI and Environ-
site to
convey the to the
be and the for
"pollution
and a fair and Just for
consenting residents." As a result of the study,
local industries an air monitoring
project.
For more information,
Environmental
4117 Perkins Ave.
Sulphur, LA 70663
(337) 882-7476
DeLilith@aol.com
http;//www.scorecard, org
8
The Toxics Coali-
tion is a
tal and
tion in the of the
Clara
County, California, In 1989, the was
the first organizations in the to
use the Toxics to
in this by a
to high-tech gas
10 the
Valley Coalition is still TRI for
a of purposes. For the group
on
sources with to evalu-
ate In
the Valley Toxics on TR!
to develop the first Valley Environ-
(www.svep.org), showing
trends in Santa Clara County.
For more information, contact:
Silicon Valley Toxics
Michael Stanley-Jones '
760 First
San Jose, CA 95112
(408) 287-6707
email: msjones® svtc.org
Silicon Valley Environmental Index Web site:
httpy/www.svep.org
-------
as a
tool to
The Oneida Environmental
Resources Board in
Wisconsin TRI data
to show that the pulp and
paper industry the largest industrial source
of toxic chemical pollution in the state, despite
industry claims that significant emissions
reductions in the further improve-
ments Recognizing the need for
action, the convinced of the
Oneida Tribe to hold a conference on cleaner
ways to manufacture pulp and paper. The
conference improved industry awareness of
alternative processes that would be less harm-
ful to human health and the environment The
Board also used TRI data to alert a local labor
union about possible worker health risks. As a
result, the union included requests for reduc-
tions in toxic chemical releases in its contract
renewal negotiations.
The Toxics Release Inventory is a
useful tool for educators. Becky
Robinson, a teacher from Rich-
mond High School in Richmond,
California, created a lesson plan for her eleventh
grade Introductory Chemistry class that in-
cluded a guide to Envirofacts, the EPA Web site
where toxics release data are housed. Her
students were asked to experiment with differ-
ent aspects of the site. Each student the
Toxics Release Inventory database to locate a
facility reporting toxic releases in the Richmond/
San Pablo area. The students also chose a
commonly-known toxic chemical and did further
research on the health impacts of exposure to
that chemical. This type of activity gives stu-
dents an opportunity to build knowledge of
environmental problems in their communities
and learn how to find additional relevant informa-
tion.
For more information, contact:
Oneida Environmental Resources Board
Laura Manthe
3759 West Mason Street, Suite 6
Oneida, Wl 54155
(920) 490-6874
email: lmanthe@oneidanation.org
For more information, contact:
Richmond High School
Becky Robinson
1250 23* Street
Richmond, CA 94804
(510)237-8770
email: rroblnson23@yahoo.com
EPA's Envirofacts Web site:
http://www.epa.gov/enviro
10
11
-------
the of
on
In September 2000, Physi-
cians for Social Responsibil-
ity, along with the National
Environmental Trust and the
Learning Disabilities Associa-
tion of America, released the report, "Polluting
Our Future: Chemical in the U.S. that
Affects and Learning." This
report TR1 and to
national about of chemi-
cals that developmental and
neurological to children. The report ranked
states by of these chemicals and
included information about counties, industries,
and facilities with the highest toxic chemical
releases. As a result of the study, the federal
Centers for Disease Control (CDC) is making
more informed decisions about which chemi-
cals to monitor in the blood and of
people, animals and fish. The report is available
on the Internet at: www.psr.org/trireport.pdf.
For more information, contact:
National Environmental Trust
Tom Natan
120018*81 NW, 5th Floor
Washington, D.C. 20036
(202) 887-8828
email: info®envlronet.org
"Polluting Our Future" report Web site:
http://www.psr. orgflrireport.pdf
The Toxics Inventory
enhances the ability of
around the world to monitor toxic
releases using the same yard-
stick. Community and environ-
mental groups from around the world have been
lobbying international bodies to promote right-to-
know around the world.
In July 2000, the Silicon Valley Toxics Coalition
attended an international conference in
Dubrovnik, Croatia on public participation and
community right-to-know. The conference was
held in concert with a United Nations meeting on
the global environment. Participants at the
conference recognized the fundamental impor-
tance of chemical right-to-know are lobby-
ing the U.N. to promote the program internation-
ally and to to support the
of community right-to-know
modeled after the U.S. Toxics Release Inven-
tory, Recent efforts made by the confer-
ence participants produced the release
and transfer registers (PRTR) an
international version of the TRI. The PRTR is
available for signature byany
For more information, contact:
Silicon Valley Toxics Coalition
Michael Stanley-Jones
760 North First Street
San Jose, CA95112
(408) 287-6707
email: sjones@svtc.org
12
13
-------
-
it do!
The Toxics Release Inventory database in-
cludes information on...
Toxic releases to water
Fugitive toxic releases to air
Stack air emissions
Underground injections
On-site releases to land
Transfer of chemicals off-site
Wastes treated on-site
Pollution prevention activities
Chemical recycling
The Toxics Release Inventory provides a com-
prehensive overview of toxic chemical pollution
from manufacturing and federal facilities in the
U.S. Getting this information and making it
public has led to substantial reductions in toxic
releases. Between 1988 and 2000, facilities
covered by the law reduced their reported
releases by 48%. Chemical companies, envi-
ronmental groups, communities, researchers,
and government agencies have used toxic
release data to identify pollution prevention
opportunities and reduce toxic pollution. The
TRI illustrates the power of information and
public disclosure.
It is important to emphasize that the Toxics
Release Inventory is not a complete inventory of
all toxic releases. Only facilities that use signifi-
cant amounts of toxic chemicals and employ a
minimum of 10 people need to report. Many
potential pollution sources, such as airports,
warehouses, and auto repair shops, are not
currently included in the database.
In 1998, the program expanded to include seven
new industry sectors: metal mining, coal mining,
electric utilities, commercial hazardous waste
treatment, chemicals and allied product-whole-
sale, petroleum bulk terminals and plants-
wholesale, and solvent recovery services. As a
result of the addition of these new sectors, the
total weight of toxic releases reported in the
United States in 1998 was almost triple the
number for 1997. Most of the increase was due
to metal mining and electric utilities.
When the program was first established, there
were about 300 chemicals in the toxics release
inventory, A provision in the law allows the
chemical list to be modified as appropriate.
Accordingly, many changes have been made
over the years. Today there are more than 650
chemicals and chemical categories on the list of
reportable substances. Interested parties can
petition the EPA to list or delist certain chemi-
cals, and EPA responds to these petitions.
14
15
-------
Facilities by TRI
A plant, factory, or other facility must report to
the Toxics Release Inventory if it meets all of the
following three criteria:
1. Its manufacturing operations are
included in Standard industrial Classifi-
cation (SIC)2 codes 20 through 39 or
one of the seven newly-added industries,
or is a federal facility; and
2. It has 10 or more full-time employees
(or the equivalent of 20,000 hours per
year); and
3. it manufactures, imports, pro-
cesses, or otherwise uses any of the
listed toxic chemicals in amounts
greater than specified threshold quanti-
ties, For most chemicals, the thresh-
olds are 25,000 pounds for chemicals
manufactured or processed, and 10,000
pounds for chemicals that are otherwise
used (without incorporating into any
product; also includes chemicals re-
ceived from off-site for waste stabiliza-
tion, treatment, or disposal). For 18
chemicals which are persistent,
bioaccumulative and toxic (PBT), a new
rule has set much lower thresholds in
the range of 0.1 grams to 100 pounds. A
new rule has also lowered the reporting
threshold for lead and lead compounds
to 100 pounds3.
2. Standard Industrial Codes are developed by the U.S. Office of
Management and Budget in order to classify industries according
to the service they provide or the product they manufacture.
3. Lower threshold does not apply to lead contained in steel,
brass or bronze alloys.
to the
The Toxics Release is only valuable if
people can access and use the information.
That is why EPA makes the data available in a
variety of formats, on the internet, and at a wide
range of public facilities. TRI data is distributed
to over 4,000 locations, including public libraries.
The primary way to access the data is through
the Internet. If you do not have a computer, you
can access the Internet at your loca! library. You
may also receive EPA's analysis of the data on
hard copy reports.
The Internet is one of the easiest
ways to use the database. There are four
excellent web sites which provide direct web
access to the TRI database and which allow
users to find information on specific facilities or
geographic areas. The Internet sites are:
Envirofacts, TRI Explorer, Scorecard, and RTK-
NET, (See URLs below)
These databases can be by facility,
zip code, chemical, Standard Industrial Classifi-
cation code-and other variables. For example, if
you know the name of the facility, you can
retrieve information about releases of toxic
chemicals from that facility. You can also look
at releases in your city, county, zip code, or
state. Some users do a deeper analysis,
looking at releases of particular chemicals or
from different types of industries. The following
is a description of four web sites housing TRI
data.
\7\
Envirofacts (http://www.epa.gov/enviro), created
and maintained by EPA, provides information on
16
17
-------
air, chemicals, facilities, hazardous waste,
superfund sites, toxic releases, and a variety
of other environmental information, Envirofacts
can also be searched by facility, company,
and location, as well as according to specific
chemicals. EPA created the Envirofacts Ware-
house to provide the public with direct access to
the wealth of information in its databases.
TRI
Another EPA web site for accessing Toxics
Release Inventory data is the TRI Explorer
(www.epa.gov/triexplorer). The TRI Explorer is
easier to use than Envirofacts, but not as
powerful. This Web site does not have the
most recent TRI reports. It is useful for quickly
generating reports based on facilities, chemi-
cals, geographic areas, or industry types (SIC
code) at the county, state, and national level.
Combined with hazard and exposure informa-
tion, the TRI Explorer can be a valuable tool for
risk identification.
Scorecard
Environmental Defense, a non-profit national
environmental organization, makes TRI data
available on their Web site: www.scorecard.org.
Through Scorecard, citizens can enter a zip
code to obtain information about local pollution
sources, and create maps of them, Scorecard
provides information on about 6800 chemicals
released by facilities, and the dangers associ-
ated with the releases. Scorecard gives citizens
an opportunity to learn about environmental
hazards in their communities and enables them
to take action by contacting the facility or EPA.
RTK Net
The Right to Know Network (http://rtk.net), is a
user-friendly web site that was started in 1989 in
response to the Emergency Planning and Right
to Know Act (EPCRA), RTK NET contains
information from data-
The site provides to a
number of government including
TRI. This TRI database can be by
geographic area, facility,
pany, or off-site waste transfer. RTK Net is
maintained by two non-profit organizations,
OMB Watch and the Center for Public
Analysis.
RTK Net Help Phone
6pm ET Monday-Friday) or to:
helpdesk@rtknet.org or dbadmin® rtknet.org
Annual reports:
EPA compiles an annual analysis of
the Toxics Release Inventory data,
called the Toxics Release Inventory
Public Data It includes
information about the chemicals that
are being released, where they end up, and how
wastes are managed. fact sheets identi-
fying which facilities have made the largest
releases in each state are also available. A
hard copy report of Public Data Release can be
obtained by calling (202) 564-9554. An elec-
tronic copy of the report is available through
EPA's TRi web site at: http://www.epa.govM
(See "Get TRI Data").
The Pacific Southwest Region (Region 9) TRI
program also publishes data release information
on its Web site at: http://www.epa.gov/region09/
toxic/tri (See 'TRI Data Release")
For more information on accessing TR! data,
please go to:
http://www.epa.gov/tri (See "Get TRI Data")
18
19
-------
In
There are numerous resources available to you
to help you access, analyze and use TRI data to
make your neighborhood safer and cleaner. You
can:
with neighbors, and
groups;
Many groups with an environ-
mental or community health
focus are knowledgeable about
the Toxics Release Inventory.
These organizations may be able
to assist you with your personal
concerns about health issues, or they may be
able to refer you to another source. Many of the
larger organizations have local chapters
active grassroots organizations.
Networking with others is a good way to ex-
change information, and find out about meetings
with officials, experts, and company representa-
tives to plan activities that address your con-
cerns. The more people involved, the more
attention you are likely to receive from industry
managers, government agencies, and the news
media.
Go to your local library:
If you don't have acces to a
computer, visit your local library.
Most public libaties are equiped
with computers that are connected
to the Internet, which you can use to access TRI
data. Libraries can also be an invaluable source
for other information about chemicals and their
health and environmental effects. Ask your local
librarian to help you identify additional commu-
nity resources.
fire ;
Fire are a
good of informa-
tion about the hazardous
chemicals used by facilities within jurisdic-
tion. Since fire departments are often the first to
respond to a chemical emergency, they receive
materials safety data sheets (MSDS) or lists of
M53DS chemicals and hazardous chemical
inventory forms that provide information about a
specific chemical.
safety and public
:
These agencies can help you
evaluate chemical release
and identify additional information
you may need. Most counties
have a public health agency
staffed by one or more doctors, including a
county health officer, Some areas have poison
control centers with toxicologists and other staff.
If you have difficulty identifying appropriate
agencies in your area, call the local hospital or
fire department for a referral.
the
LEPCs plan for emergency
action in the event of haz-
ardous chemical spills and
similar incidents. They are aware of hazardous
chemicals used and stored by facilities in your
area. They also have information on the health
effects of hazardous chemicals. LEPCs, while
often associated with existing county-level
emergency planning or civil defense agencies,
include representatives of environmental and
transportation agencies, firefighters, hospitals,
22
23
-------
the news media, community and others.
:
Academic institutions are good
resources for information
about chemicals. universi-
ties employ chemists
and biochemists who are knowledgable on the
properties and uses of chemicals,
Universities with will
have faculty who are with risk assess-
ments.
the :
Each facility that reports chemical
releases to the Toxics Release
Inventory is to designate
an to serve as the
public contact for inquiries. The name
phone number for the is on the
reporting form (Form R).
the for
and
The ATSDR is the federal
public agency concerned
with risks from chemical expo-
sure. The ATSDR makes information on the
health effects of hazardous substances avail-
able to the public, conducts health assess-
ments, and sponsors research, it publishes
Toxicological Profiles on health effects for
specific chemicals. ATSDR maintains contacts
with state and local health agencies throughout
the U.S. For more information, call ATSDR at
404-498-0110 or Toll-free at .
The ATSDR web is;
http://atsdr1.atsdr.cdc.gov
24
EPA
can
about the Act and
assist you in the you
to
If you on to or use
TR1 staff are to The
Pacific
California, Nevada, Guam, and the
Marianas
To call or us:
EPA
Toxics Section, CMD-4-2
75 Hawthorne
San Francisco, CA
(415)947-8704
For the
and to Act
of the dis-
kettes of CD-
ROMs, or chemical fact
the at
For questions about TRI data, call the Toxics
Release Inventory User Support Line at (202)
566-0250, Requests for information and materi-
als may be faxed to (202) 566-0715, You may
also contact TRI user-support by email:
tri.us®. epa.gov
I Pi
Contact the TRI document at:
(202) 564-9554 or tridocs@epa.gov
25
-------
the to
Below are step-by-step instructions
for retrieving TRI data through two
different Internet sites: Envirofacts
and RTK NET. The databases can be searched
by facility, location, type of industry, chemical,
and other variables. Envirofacts and RTK NET
also provides a wide variety of environmental
and demographic information.
Please note that both sites are regularly revised
and improved to increase user access and
provide more information to the public.
Envirofacts
The Envirofacts Warehouse can be accessed
at: http://www.epa.gov/enviro
Once at the Envirofacts Homepage, click on
"Queries". Then click on the line for the 'Toxic
Release Inventory (TRI)." At this point there are
several search strategies that you may employ,
depending on the type of information you want.
The 'Toxic Releases Query" retrieves data in
Envirofacts for all facilities reporting chemical
releases. Your query returns facility information,
as well as reports that tabulate air emissions,
surface water discharges, releases to land,
underground injections, and transfers to off-site
locations. You can narrow your search by
selecting options including facility name, geo-
graphic location, type of industry (using its
Standard Industrial Classification) and chemical
names.
Envirofacts Facility :
To search for information about a
particular facility, type the name or the
applicable ID number of the facility in the appro-
priate box. Users may also need to try several
potential versions of the name if the initial
search is not successful. Limiting the search to
a particular geographic area will speed up the
search considerably.
After entering the search parameters, click on
the "Search" button at the bottom of the page,
The system will then search the database and
give you a screen with all names it matched in
the database. Select the facility you want by
clicking on the TRi facility ID, and the system
will display a chart of emissions reported to TRI,
Subsequent screens also give you the chance
to link to additional regulatory information (such
as water and air permits) for the facility.
Envirofacts Geographic
Search:
Users may also search for
facilities in a particular area
that report to the TRI. Starting at the 'Toxic
Release Queries" screen, simply scroll down to
the "Geographic Search" section and enter
appropriate geographic parameters. Narrow the
parameters as much as possible, since large
searches are slower. This search will generate
a list of facilities within the specified geographic
area. To see their reported emissions, select
the facility by clicking on its TRI ID number.
Envirofacts SIC or Chemical
Search:
These are options that allow you to
further limit the scope of your search to specific
types of industries or chemicals.
RTK NET
RTK NET is managed by two nonprofit
organizations, OMB Watch and the Center for
26
27
-------
Public Data Analysis.
The Web address of RTK NET is: http://rtk.net
Once there, click on the "Databases" line.
At this point, you can either search the TRI
database or all databases at once.
TRi from RTK NET;
To search the TRI database, click on 'Toxics
Release Inventory (TR!)". At this point, there are
five options: Geographic Area, Facility, Industry,
Parent Company, and Off-Site Waste Transfers.
The first three are self-explanatory, and function
more or less the same as in Envirofacts. Click
on the icon of your choice, and fill in the search
parameters. The last two options ~ Parent
Company and Off-Site Transfers -- allow unique
searches not currently available on Envirofacts.
The Parent Company option allows you to find
all facilities reporting to TRI that are owned by
the same parent company. The Off-Site Trans-
fers option allows you to investigate how much
waste reported in TRI was sent to or received
by off-site waste disposal facilities.
Note: Hazardous waste treatment facilities
were recently added to the list of industries that
must report to TRI. These facilities first reported
their toxic releases in 1998,
A master search allows users to search all of
RTK NET's environmental databases, including
the Toxics Release Inventory, at the same time.
This can be done by specifying a specific
facility, geographic area, or industry type. The
master search draws information from the
following databases:
ARIP (Survey of major accidental releases)
28
BRS (RCRA hazardous and
receivers)
CERCLIS and
CUS (Chemical producers)
DOCKET (Civil court cases)
ERNS (Accidental releases and spills)
master facility list)
NPL (Listed Superfund sites)
NPRI (Canadian National Pollutant Release
Inventory)
PCS (Water permits)
RODS (EPA Decisions about Superfund
SETS (Potentially Responsible Parties for
Superfund
TRI (Releases and transfers of toxics)
Wildcards: Please note that * is a wildcard in
RTK NET. if you know a portion but not the
exact or full name of the company, city, or other
variable, you should use the wildcard. For
example, if you know the company has the
word "Widget" in its name, enter *Widgef to
receive a list of all companies that have
"Widgef anywhere in there name.
29
-------
EPA Web sites;
EPA's Homepage:
http://www.epa.gov
Toxics Release Inventory Homepage:
http://www.epa.gov/tri
Envirofacts (access to the Toxics Release
Inventory database):
http://www.epa.gov/enviro
Chemical data fact sheets:
http://www.epa.gov/chemfact
Agency for Toxic and
Registry Web site:
Contains health information on hazardous
substances, including some TRI chemicals:
http://atsdr1 .atsdr.cdc.gov
Non-profit TRI
Environmental Defense's Scorecard:
http://www.scorecard.org
OMB Watch's Right-to-Know Network:
http://www.rtk.net
30
OFFICE: 785-156
------- |