yyEPA
United States
Environmental
Protection Agency
Office of Enforcement and
Compliance Assurance
Washington, DC 20460
EPA-300-F-98-002b 1
February 1998 I
Federal Facilities Toxic Release and Reduction
Initiatives Fact Sheet
Background
Executive Order 12856, entitled "Federal Compliance with
Right-To-Know Laws and Pollution Prevention
Requirements", was signed by President Clinton on
August 3, 1993. The primary objectives of EO 12856 are
to encourage Federal facitities to:
•	Develop pollution prevention plans to reduce toxic
releases by 50%;
•	Collect and report data on the quantity of hazardous
materials stored, used, and released at the facility;
•	Ensure public access to use and release information.
Federal facilities are required to submit annual TRI reports
starting in 1995 for data collected in 1994.
AMMONIA
1995 Waste Management Distribution
0%

5%

0%


________ c
Recycling
Energy Recovery
I Treatment
. Releases
Approach
A study was undertaken to analyze Federal facility TRI data for 1994 and 1995 to; 1) determine the most commonly
used and released chemicals; 2) identify currently used pollution prevention (P2) approaches and on-going pollution
prevention research and development to tower or substitute the use of a chemical; and 3} identify potential
RD/transition needs. As of January 1998, fifteen chemical Fact Sheets have been developed. Please refer to the
back page to order Fact Sheets for other chemicals.
This Fact Sheet contains two charts and four main sections;

The charts represent the waste management distribution and percent change of TRI reported quantities.
Chemical Profile section.
Identified and used P2 approaches section.
On-going P2 research and development section.
P2 research and development/transition needs section.
TRI Reported Quantities - Percent Change 1994 and 1995
o
*
1,00'
0,80
0.60
0.40
0.20
0.00
-0.20
-0.40
-0.60
-0.80
- 1 ,UU J
		TRI
Releases
Recycling

Energy Recovery
Treatment
Releases plus
Reporting

On-Site Off-Site
On-Site Off-Site
On-Site Off-Site
Off-site Treatment
1994 (lbs)
640,223"
0
" 0
0 ~ 42,692
11.200 0
640,223
1995 (fbs)
589,891
0
0'
0 33 800
430 0
589,891
% Change
-8%
0%
0%
0% -21%
-96% 0%
-8%
Page 1 of 4
AMMONIA

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CHEMICAL PROFILE: AMMONIA
CAS #: 7664-41 -7
AQUEOUS AMMONIA	AQUA AMMONIA	ANHYDROUS AMMONIA
•	Ten US Forest Service facilities reported using ammoroa as a fire retard ant for extinguishing
fires. The two other largest single reporters were US DOE Energy Technology, Stmt Hills, CA
(accounted for approximately 10% of the 1994 total reported ammonia releases) and the USDA
Agricultural Research Center, Ctay Center, NE (accounted for over 75% of the 1994 total).
Holston Army Ammunition Plant, Kingsport, TN, uses ammonia in ammunition production. The
US DOE Naval Petroleum facility {Tupman, CA) probably uses ammonia in its petroleum
refining operations
•	85% of the ammonia used in the U.S, is for fertilizers. 9.2% of the ammonia is used for
commercial and military explosives and in the manufacture of fibers and plastics Ammonia is
used for specific applications in a wide range of industries including metal working, rubber, air
pollution control, wastewater treatment, petroleum refineries, food and beverage, leatner
production, and pharmaceuticals Ammonia is also used in blue print machines and
refrigeration systems (source: Kirk-Othmer Encyclopedia of Chemical Technology. 4th
edition John Wiley & Sons 1995)
* Ammonia is a severe irritant of the eyes, respiratory tract, and skm Exposure to and inhalation
of concentrations of 2500 to 6500 ppm causes severe corneal irritation, dyspnea,
bronchospasm, chest pain, and pulmonary edema, which may be fatal (source. Proctor. N H ,
Hughes, J. P., and Michael L. Fischman Chemical Hazards of the Workplace 2nd edition
Van Nostrand Reinhold 1989)
• Case reports have documented chronic airway hyperreactivity and asthma, with associated
obstructive pulmonary function changes following massive ammonia exposures.
•	Careful storage and handling practices. Careful management practices can reduce accidental
releases of fertilizers to the environment.
•	Material substitution Alternatives to anhydrous ammonia and ammonium nitrate fertilizers are
commercially available.
Additional information regarding chemical hazards and access to Material Safety Data Sheets can be reached through
the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry web page. http://atsdr1 .atsdr.cdc.gov. 8080/- refer to ToxFAQs
FEDERAL FACILITIES REPORTING	COMMON USES OF: AMMONIA
Federal Facilities Reporting in both 1994 and 1995 6 AGRICULTURE
Federal Facilities Reporting Only in 1994	13
Federal Facilities Reporting Only in 1995	3
POLLUTION PREVENTION APPROACHES CURRENTLY IN USE
AGRICULTURE										
• All 50 States and several territories have established some form of Farm'A'Syst program through their agricultural extension services offices to
educate farmers (and other audiences) on how their activities may affect drinking water quality. Farm*A*Syst is supported through a handshake
agreement between the USEPA. USDA's Cooperative State Research Education and Extension Service, and Natural Resource Conservation
Service The program has produced a variety of publications, slide shows, software programs, self-assessment guides, and other tools
describing best management practices for crop production. Best management practices for fertilizers include: Inventory control - buy and store
as little fertilizer as possible: Storage facility - fertilizer should be stored in a building with a concrete floor that is more than 100 feet away from
a well or surface water; Spill prevention — liquid fertilizer should be stored in a building with a curbed containment pad: Security — the storage
building should be fenced, locked, and separated from all other activities. Mixing/loading - fertilizer preparation occurs more than 100 ft ffom a
well or surface water, spills should be cleaned up immediately: Mixing/handling equipment - install check valves on mixing/handling systems if
the equipment is connected to a water supply to prevent fertilizer from back flowing, Loading - the equipment operator should monitor the
process of filling liquid fertilizer application equipment to prevent leaks, spills, or overflows: Buffer zone - maintain a buffer zone of at least 100
ft between fertilizer application areas and a well or surface water: and Packaging wastes - reduce the number of empty containers by using
products in mini-bulk or returnable containers or by using custom application, (source Mississippi State University Extension Service. "Handling
and Storing Fertilizers", no date)
SYNONYMS
COMMON USES IN THE U.S,
#http:mail-odsnet.com/TRfFacts#
ACUTE HEALTH HAZARDS
#http: mail.odsnetcom/TRIf acts#
CHRONIC HEALTH HAZARDS
#http:mail.ods.net. com/TRlFacts#
COMMON P2 INITIATIVES
#htto:mail odsnet.com/TBlFacts#
Page 2 of 4
AMMONIA

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POLLUTION PREVENTION APPROACHES CURRENTLY IN USE
AGRICULTURE
• EPA and the USDA have launched several technical assistance programs and voluntary partnership initiatives to promote the adoption of
environmentally sound agricultural management practices. Agriculture in Concert with the Environment (ACE) is a joint EPA and USDA grant
program to promote the adoption of sustainable agriculture practices and reduce the use of highly toxic herbicides and other pesticides
AgSTAR is a voluntary EPA. USDA, and DOE sponsored program that promotes cost-effective methods for reducing methane emissions
through manure management. The main focus is on the swine and dairy industries. The field of sustainable agriculture focuses primarily on
developing and disseminating new techniques and management practices to minimize the environmental impacts associated with agriculture
and livestock production. Information on alternative crop production methods, fertilizers, pesticides, and other subjects is available in the
extensive body of technical literature devoted to sustainable agriculture.
ON-GOING POLLUTION PREVENTION RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT
AGRICULTURE
Information on current R&D protects related to developing alternatives for commercial fertilizers such as ammonia-based products is available in the
sustainable agriculture literature.
POLLUTION PREVENTION RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT I TRANSITION NEEDS
AGRICULTURE
• It appears as though USDA's pollution prevention need can be resolved either through current techniques and commercially available products
or on-going R&D No additional R&D seems necessary to resolve the need.
Federal Facilities Which Reported for Both 1994 and 1995
Facility
1994 Reiease+
Off-site Treatment
1995 Release* Percent
Off-site Treatment Change
U S FOREST SERVICE, HURLEY, NM
39
0
-100%
U S AIR FORCE ELMENDORF. ELMENDORF AFB, AK
45.000
0
-100%
U S AIR FORCE PLANT 04 TX, FORT WORTH, TX
1,000
0
-100%
U S AIR FORCE PLANT 44 A2. TUCSON, AZ
2,900
0
-100%
U S ARMY, KINGSPORT, TN
2,100
2,600
24%
U S ARMY RADFORD ARMY, RADFORD, VA
0
25,000
100%
U S BUREAU OF LAND MANAGEMENT, GRAND JUNCTION, CO
30
0
-100%
U S DOE ENERGY TECHNOLOGY, SIMt HILLS, CA
64,715
28,153
-56%
U S DOE NAVAL PETROLEUM. TUPMAN, CA
2,131
31,288
1367%
U.S. FOREST SERVICE, BOISE, ID
50
0
-100%
U.S. AIR FORCE. TINKER AFB. OK
23,733
70,035
195%
U.S. FOREST SERVICE, HEMET, CA
71
0
-100%
U.S.D A. BELTSVILLE, BELTSVILLE, MD
0
18,200
100%
US FOREST SERVICE, LA GRANDE, OR
48
0
-100%
U S. FOREST SERVICE. LANCASTER. CA
0
95
100%.
U.S. FOREST SERVICE. MC CALL. ID
34
0
-100%
U S FOREST SERVICE. MISSOULA, MT
41
0
-100%
US FOREST SERVICE, REDDING, CA
53
0
-100%
U.S. FOREST SERVICE, REDMOND, OR
20
0
-100%
U.S. MARINE CORPS RECRUIT, PARRIS ISLAND, SC
0
0
0%
U.S TVA. MUSCLE SHOALS, AL
12,100
13,820
13%
U S D A AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH. CLAY CENTER, NE
486,120
402,920
-17%
U.S FOREST SERVICE. CHESTER, CA
33
0
-100%
Page 3 of 4
AMMONIA

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If you have additional information regarding an identified or used P2 approach, on-going P2 research and development,
or any P2 research and development/transition needs, please notify Will Garvey, US EPA, 1200 Pennsylvania Avenue,
NW. Ariel Rios Building, 3rd Floor, Washington. DC 20004-2403. or fax (202) 501-0069.
Page 4 of 4
AMMONIA

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