n rnA Toxics Release Inventory (TRI) Program TRI Program Milestones Learn how the Toxics Release Inventory (TRI) program originated and how it has expanded over the years. For more information about the rulemakings listed below see the TRI Laws and Regulations webpage at http://www.epa.gov/tri/lawsandregs/rulemakings.htm. 2010s October 2011 - EPA Celebrates EPCRA 25th Anniversary: EPA celebrates the 25th anniversary of the Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act that created the TRI Program. November 2010 - Final Rule Adds 16 National Toxicology Program Chemicals to TRI: A final rule added 16 new chemicals to the TRI Program. Each chemical adds is "reasonably anticipated to be a human carcinogen" by the National Toxicology Program (NTP), an interagency government program that works to evaluate public health concerns. July 28, 2010 - Earliest-Ever Availability of TRI Data: For the first time, TRI data are available to the public within the same month as the reporting deadline, providing communities with earlier access to important toxic chemical information. June 2010 - First TRI Mobile Application, "myRTK", Launches: EPA's first TRI mobile application, "myRTK", debuts, providing easier access to and more context for TRI information. 2000s December 2009 - EPA Publishes Earliest TRI National Analysis Report: For the first time, EPA publishes its TRI National Analysis report in the same calendar year that the data are reported to EPA. The National Analysis includes documents and webpages that provide analysis and interpretation of the most recent TRI data, including national and local trends of toxic chemical releases to the environment. June 2009 - TRI.NET Application Debuts: EPA releases the downloadable TRI.NET application to provide advanced mapping and search capabilities to TRI data users. April 2009 - 2009 Omnibus Appropriations Act Restores TRI Reporting Requirements: The 2009 Omnibus Appropriations Act restores the more comprehensive TRI reporting requirements that were in effect before the 2006 Burden Reduction Rule was finalized. ------- January 2008 - TRI-MEweb Application Available to All Facilities: EPA released the TRI-MEweb reporting application, allowing all facilities in every state to submit TRI data through the Internet. TRI-MEweb has streamlined the reporting process for facilities and significantly improved the quality of the submitted data. May 2007 - EPA Finalizes Dioxin Toxic Equivalency Rule: A final rule requires that facilities report the mass quantity for each individual member of the dioxin and dioxin-like compounds category on a new reporting form, the Form R Schedule 1. Using the more detailed dioxin data, EPA can calculate toxic equivalent (TEQ) values to help people understand the relative toxicity ofthe chemical release information found in TRI. December 2006 - EPA Finalizes TRI Burden Reduction Rule: A final rule expands eligibility for TRI reporters to use Form A, a simpler reporting form with less detailed information for qualified reporters, instead ofthe more detailed Form R. January 2001 - Final Rule Designates Lead and Lead Compounds as PBTs: A final rule designates lead and lead compounds as Persistent Bioaccumulative Toxic chemicals, lowering their TRI reporting thresholds to 100 pounds. 1990s October 1999 - Final Rule Adds PBT Chemicals Added to TRI: A final rule adds seven Persistent Bioaccumulative Toxic (PBT) chemicals and two chemical categories to the TRI chemical list and lowers reporting thresholds for 18 PBTs already on the 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. July 1998 - TRI Explorer Application Debuts: TRI Explorer is initially released as a downloadable application for accessing TRI information. Later, TRI Explorer becomes interactive Web-based tool for generating a variety of customized of TRI data reports. May 1997 - Final Rule Adds Seven Industry Sectors to TRI: Expansion ofthe TRI Program continues with a final rule that applies TRI reporting requirements to metal and coal mining facilities, electric power generators, commercial hazardous waste treatment operations, solvent recovery facilities, petroleum bulk terminals and wholesale chemical distributors. November 1994 - Final Rule Adds Over 200 Chemicals to TRI: A final rule expands TRI by 286 new chemicals and chemical categories, bringing the number of chemicals reportable to TRI to over 600. This action greatly increases the amount of publicly-available information on toxic chemical use at facilities. August 1993 - Executive Order 12856 Adds Federal Facilities to TRI: President Clinton signs an executive order to apply TRI reporting requirements to all federal facilities regardless of industry sector starting in 1994. Fall 1991 - EPA Considers Three-Phase Approach to Broadening Scope of TRI Program: EPA considers expanding the TRI Program in three phases: adding chemicals, adding industry sectors and requiring the reporting of chemical use, or "materials accounting" data, November 1990 - Pollution Prevention Act Expands TRI Program: The Pollution Prevention Act fPPA) expands the scope of information collected under the TRI Program to include data on how facilities manage toxic chemicals through recycling, energy recovery and treatment processes. ------- 1980s June 1989 - EPA Publishes First National TRI Report for Reporting Year 1987: EPA publishes "The Toxics Release Inventory: A National Perspective," a report summarizing the first year of TRI data. Never before has the public had access to such comprehensive toxic chemical release information. July 1,1988 - First TRI Reporting Deadline for Reporting Year 1987 Data: Facilities that meet TRI reporting requirements are required to submit TRI reports for calendar year 1987. More than 19,000 manufacturing facilities submit over 74,000 individual chemical reports to EPA. October 1986 - Passage of Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act Creates TRI Program: In response to growing concerns about local preparedness for chemical emergencies and the availability of information on hazardous substances, Congress passes the Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act (EPCRA). Section 313 of EPCRA creates the Toxics Release Inventory to provide communities with information about toxic chemical releases from industrial facilities to the environment and to support informed decision-making by industry, government, non-governmental organizations and the public. August 1985 - Toxic Chemical Leak in Institute, West Virginia: A Union Carbide facility releases a cloud of methylene chloride and aldicarb oxime, two toxic chemicals used in pesticide manufacturing. Six workers are injured and more than one hundred residents sent to the hospital. 1984 - Toxic Chemical Disaster in Bhopal, India: On December 4, 1984, a cloud of extremely toxic methyl isocyanate gas escapes from a Union Carbide chemical plant in Bhopal, India. Thousands of people die that night in what is widely considered to be the worst industrial disaster in history. Thousands more died later as a result of their exposure and today survivors continue to suffer with permanent disabilities. Last updated on Friday, May 18, 2012 ------- |