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

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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

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