Communities arid Ecosystem Division Toxics Office 75 Hawthorne Street, San Francisco, CA 94105 866-EPA-WEST • www.epa.gov/region9 Serving Arizona, California, Hawaii, Nevada, the Pacific Islands and 148 Tribes x>EPA U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Pacific Southwest/Region 9 The 2011 Public Data Release General information What is the Toxics Release Inventory? The Toxics Release Inventory (TRI) is a publicly available EPA database of information on toxic chemical releases and waste management activi- ties reported annually by certain industries and by federal facilities. This inventory was established under the Emer- gency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act of 1986 which was enacted to promote emergency planning, to minimize the effects of chemical acci- dents, and to provide the public with information on releases of toxic chemicals in their communi- ties. TRI requirements are legally enforceable under EPCRA, What is a Release? A TRI "release", as defined by the Federal report- ing law, is the amount of a TRI toxic chemical that is discharged or emitted by a facility to the envi- ronment. TRI includes more than 600 chemicals and chemical compounds. There are two major categories of releases: on- site and off-site. On-site releases occur at the facility and are categorized as: 1) air emissions, 2) discharges to surface water, 3) underground injections, and 4) releases to land. Off-site releases are transfers to other facilities for disposal, treatment or recycling. TRI data reflect the quantities of TRI chemicals that are disposed of, released to the environment or managed (for example, treated, or recycled) by industrial and federal facilities. TRI data do not include information about public exposure to chemicals. The lists of top facilities by state are best used as a screening tool to identify facilities that may warrant a closer examination. Large dis- posal and release numbers do not necessarily mean there is a large risk. "Disposal or other re- leases" represent a wide variety of management methods. These range from highly controlled disposal, such as in hazardous waste landfills, to uncontrolled releases due to leaks. Many disposal and releases reported to TRI are subject to per- mits and/or environmental standards that estab- lish emissions limits under Federal or State laws such as, for example, air permits issued under the Clean Air Act. Releases and Health Effects In the TRI program, facilities report only the amount (in pounds) of their chemical releases. To evaluate risk, release data must be combined with information about chemical toxicity, site-specific conditions, and exposure. TRI information can be combined with additional information and tools to better identify potential health risks from indus- trial toxics releases. Who is Reporting? A facility is subject to TRI reporting requirements if it meets all three of the following requirements: 1) has 10 or more full-time employee equivalents (20,000 work hours per year); 2) is classified under a reportable North American Industrial Classification Code (NAICS); and 3) manufactures, processes, or otherwise uses any of the listed toxic chemicals in amounts greater than the threshold quantities. Reporting thresholds for most chemicals are 25,000 pounds for chemicals manufactured or pro- cessed, and 10,000 pounds for chemicals other- wise used. Manufacturing industries have been reporting their releases since 1987 and federal ------- facilities since 1994. In 1998, seven additional in- dustry sectors began reporting their toxic chemi- cal releases to EPA. These sectors are metal and coal mining, electricity generation, commercial haz- ardous waste treatment; solvent recovery, petro- leum bulk terminals, and wholesale chemical dis- tributors. Or the TRI Explorer tool: http://www.epa.gov/triexplorer For general information on the Toxics Release Inventory, including reporting requirements for businesses, go to: www.epa.gov/regi on9/toxi c/tri Persistent Bioaccumulative and Toxic (PBT) Chemicals In the year 2000, TRI was expanded to include ad- ditional Persistent Bioaccumulative and Toxic (PBT] chemicals and to require reporting for these chemicals at lower thresholds, ranging from 0.1 grams to 100 pounds depending on the chemical. PBT pollutants are toxic chemicals that persist in the environment and bioaccumulate in food chains, posing risks to human health and ecosystems. The 2011 Public Data Release EPA has made public the 2011 data on toxic chemi- cals that were released to the air, water, and land. This data is available through the EPA websites listed below. For reports on states and islands in Region 9, visit the Region 9 website at: http:// www.epa.gov/region9/toxic/tri/ 16 New Chemicals Reported Beginning this Year The 2011 reporting year was the first year that facilities were required to report on a group of 16 chemicals collectively called the National Toxi- cology Program Carcinogens. These chemicals have been classified as "reasonably anticipated to be a human carcinogen" by the National Toxi- cology Program. Because of this new require- ment this year five California facilities reported air releases of isoprene for the first time. For more information, see www.epa.gov/tri/laws andregs/ntp chemicals/final.html Where Can I Find Information on TRI? For national information on data releases, see: http://www.epa.gov/tri For more information on EPA's PBT Chemicals Program, go to: http://www.epa.gov/opptintr/pht Who Can I Contact About TRI Information? Region 9 staff will answer questions and assist you in learning more about the TRI Program. Russel Frazer Patricia Maravilla Lily Lee: (Coordinator] 415-947-4220, frazer.russell@epa.gov 415-947-4177, maravilla.pat@epa.gov 415-947-4187 lee.lily@epa.gov The TRI data is available through Envirofacts Ware- house, EPA's main internet site for environmental information at http://www.epa.gov/enviro ------- |