Lead and Lead Compounds Toxics Release Inventory Fact Sheet	June 2004

Lead and Lead
Compounds Report:
2002 Toxics Release
Inventory

U.S. EPA Region 9

Arizona, California,
Hawaii, Nevada, the
Pacific Islands, and
Tribal Nations

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Major On and Off-Site Releases of Lead and
Lead Compounds

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Lead and Lead Compounds Toxics Release Inventory Fact Sheet	June 2004

For the year 2001, lead and lead compounds were
reported as persistent, bioaccumulative and toxic
(PBT) chemicals for the first time. While lead
compounds have been on the list of reportable
chemicals since 1987, for the year 2001 the reporting
threshold was drastically lowered (from 25,000 pounds
manufactured or processed, and 10,000 pounds
otherwise used to 100 pounds manufactured,
processed, or otherwise used). As a result, additional
facilities are required to report releases of lead and lead
compounds.

A Note on Risk

It is important to note that releases should not be
directly equated with risk. To evaluate risk, release
data must be combined with information about
chemical toxicity, site-specific conditions, and
exposure. In the case of lead and lead compounds, the
TRI data does not indicate whether a facility is
violating environmental laws. Many of the substances
reported through this program are subject to state and
federal regulations designed to protect human health
and the environment.

Industries

A facility is subject to TRI reporting requirements if it:
has 10 or more full-time employees; is classified under
a reportable Standard Industrial Classification (SIC)
code; and manufactures, processes, or otherwise uses
any of the listed toxic chemicals in amounts greater
than the threshold quantities. For most chemicals
(excluding PBTs) the thresholds are 25,000 pounds
manufactured or processed, and 10,000 pounds
otherwise used.

Manufacturing industries have been reporting their
releases since 1987, and federal facilities started
reporting in 1994. In 1998, an additional seven
industry sectors began reporting their toxic chemical
releases. These sectors are metal and coal mining,
electricity generation, commercial hazardous waste
treatment, solvent recovery, petroleum bulk terminals,
and wholesale chemical distributors.

Releases

As shown in the table below, there was an overall 31%
increase in on- and off-site releases of lead and lead
compounds for the year 2002.

Newmont Mining Corp. Lone Tree Mine, located in
Valmy Nevada, is responsible for 80% of the reported
increases. Numerous facilities reported decreases
ranging froml to 12 million pounds.

In a state-by-state comparison for reporting year 2002,
California, Arizona, Nevada and Hawaii ranked 9, 5, 2,
and 45 respectively for total on- and off-site releases of
lead and lead compounds. Alaska ranked number 1,
reporting 204,362,889 pounds of on and off-site
releases of lead and lead compounds.

Lead and Lead Compound Releases (in pounds)

Reporting Industry Sectors - the 2002 Data

A review of the TRI data suggests that among the TRI-
regulated industry sectors, gold ore mining is the
largest contributor of lead and lead compound releases
in the Region. This industry sector accounts for 70%

by State or U.S. Territory

State

Air

Land

Under-
ground
Injection

Water

Off-Site

Arizona

40,999

11,454,507

88

16

22,123

California

14,502

3,394,417

5

1,651

1,414,733

Hawaii

5,120

82,892

3

22

54

Nevada

60,821

57,726,016

1

51

211

Guam

29

84

0

0

0

Northern
Marianas

1

2

0

0

0

On and Off-Site Releases

Release Media

Reporting Year

Change
(pounds)

2001

2002

Air

79,411

121,472

42.060

Land

55,710,225

72,657,918

16,947,693

Water

1,007

1,740

733

UI *

13

97

85

Off-Site

900,909

1,437,121

536,212

Net Change

17,526,783

Percent Change

+ 31%

* Underground Injection


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Lead and Lead Compounds Toxics Release Inventory Fact Sheet	June 2004

of the Region 9 total. Furthermore, the combined gold,
copper and silver ores mining industries account for
81% of the Region 9 total. The primary metals
industry and hazardous waste refuse systems are also
large contributors.

Lead and Lead Compound Releases (in pounds)

Industry

Air

Land

Water

Off-Site

Metal Mining -
Gold Ores

2,596

51,679,869

52

12

Primary Smelting
and Refining of
Copper

34,346

6,103,220

4

40

Refuse Systems

290

5,389,690

5

50,356

Metal Mining -
Copper Ores

1,640

5,184,617

0

17

Metal Mining -
Silver Ores

700

3,303,286

0

0

Secondary Smelting
and Refining of
Nonferrous Metals

2,145

0

10

1,252,593

National Security

4,904

491,926

0

313

Electric Services

61,396

272,573

6

2,521

Explosives

597

68,785

0

0

Hydraulic Cement

1,382

62,337

91

0

* 92 pounds were released by underground injection.

Metal Mining

Lead is present in gold, silver and copper ores. In
Region 9, there are 28 facilities in the gold, silver and
copper industries that collectively reported over 60
million pounds of releases of lead and lead
compounds. The Newmont Mining Corp. Lone Tree
Mine reported over 35 million pounds of lead
compound releases, which are by-products of their
gold separation process.

Primary and Secondary Smelting of Cower
and Nonferrous Metals
Primary and secondary smelting and refining of non-
ferrous metals may utilize scrap metal feed containing
lead compounds. In Region 9, twenty-three facilities
reported over 7 million pounds of lead and lead
compound releases.

Refuse Systems
This industry includes hazardous waste treatment and
disposal and material recovery facilities. A total of 11
hazardous waste facilities reported disposing of over 5

million pounds of lead and lead compounds into
permitted landfills.

Top Region 9 Counties

County

Pounds Released

Humboldt, Nevada

38,530,951

Elko, Nevada

6,397,595

Gila, Arizona

4,837,534

Pershing, Nevada

3,653,309

Nye, Nevada

3,317,643

Pinal, Arizona

3,308,269

Pima, Arizona

3,070,720

Kings, California

2,810,062

Lander, Nevada

2,722,891

Eureka, Nevada

2,360,370

or On-Site Releases

Top Facilities for Total On- and Off-Sil

te Releases

Facility Name

City, State

Pounds
Released

Newmont Mining Corp.
Lone Tree Mine

Valmy, Nevada

35,201,878

Barrick Goldstrike
Mines, Inc.

Elko, Nevada

6,110,476

Asarco Inc. Ray Complex
Hayden Smelter and
Concentrator

Hayden, Arizona

3,407,650

Coeur Rochester, Inc.

Lovelock,
Nevada

3,282,957

Chemical Waste
Management

Kettleman City,
California

2,810,284

Cortez Gold Mines Mill 2

Cresent Valley,
Nevada

2,701,862

Asarco, Inc. Mission
Complex

Sahuarita,
Arizona

2,625,049

Newmont Mining Corp.
Twin Creeks Mine

Golconda,
Nevada

2,550,353

US Ecology Nevada, Inc.

Beatty, Nevada

2,462,026

Newmont Mining Corp.
Carlin South Area

Carlin, Nevada

2,200,255


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Lead and Lead Compounds Toxics Release Inventory Fact Sheet	June 2004

On-line Access

For national information on data releases, see:
http://www.epa. gov/tri

The TRI data is available through Envirofacts
Warehouse, EPA's premier internet site for distributing
environmental information at:
http://www.epa.gov/enviro

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:

http://www.epa.gov/region09/toxic/tri

For more information on the EPA's PBT Chemicals
Program, go to:

http://www.epa.gov/opptintr/pbt/

Information and Assistance

Region 9 staff will answer questions and assist you in
learning more about the TRI Program in Region 9.

U.S. EPA Region 9
Nancy Sockabasin, TRI Coordinator
(415) 972-3772


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