2019 Toxics Release Inventory National Analysis Comparing Industry Sectors

| i TRI National Analysis 2019

/ www.epa.gov/trinationalanalysis/
\/CrM January 2021

Comparing Industry Sectors

This section examines how different industrial sectors manage their TRI chemical waste. This
sector-specific approach can highlight progress made in improving environmental performance,
identify emerging issues, and reveal opportunities for better waste management practices.

Industries subject to TRI reporting requirements vary substantially in size, scope, and business
type. As a result, the amounts and types of chemicals used, generated, and managed by
facilities across industrial sectors often differ. For facilities in the same sector, however, the
processes, products, and regulatory requirements are often similar, resulting in similar
manufacture, processing, or other use of chemicals. This section presents trends in key sectors'
production-related, waste .managed which includes TRI chemical releases to the environment.

For analytical purposes, the TRI Program has aggregated the North American Industry
Classification System (NAICS) codes at the 3- and 4-digit levels, creating 29 industry sector
categories. To learn more about which business activities are subject to TRI reporting
requirements, see this list of covered NAICS codes.

The following pie chart shows the quantities of TRI chemical waste managed through recycling,
energy recovery, treatment, and disposal or other releases. For more details on quantities
released, toggle to the "Releases only" figure.

Production-Related Waste Managed by Industry, 2019

30.7 billion pounds

®A"

All others

(ig) All Production-Related Waste
(^) Releases only

Electric Utilities:

Paper Manufacturing:
4%

Food Manufacturing: i

5% I

Chemical
Manufacturing:
55%

Metal Mining:
5%

Petroleum Products Manufactur
7%

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TRI National Analysis 2019
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January 2021

Seven industry sectors reported 88% of the TRI production-related waste managed in 2019.
The majority of this waste originated from the chemical manufacturing sector (55%).

The following pie chart shows the industry sectors that reported the most releases for 2019.
Total Disposal or Other Releases by Industry, 2019

3.40 billion pounds Q a|| Production_Re|ated Waste

(^) Releases only

All Others: 10%

Hazardous Waste
Management: 4%

Food
Manufacturing: 5%

Paper
Manufacturing: 5%

Electric Utilities: 8%

Metal Mining: 44%

Primary Metals:^
10%

Chemical
Manufacturing:
15%

This pie chart shows that 4 of the 29 TRI sectors accounted for 77% of the quantities of TRI
chemicals disposed of or otherwise released: metal mining (44%), chemical manufacturing
(15%), primary metals (10%), and electric utilities (8%).

For more details on how the amounts and proportions of TRI chemicals managed as waste have
changed over time, see the production-related waste managed bv industry trend graph.

For more information on the breakdown of these releases by environmental medium, see air
releases bv industry, water releases bv industry and land disposal bv industry.

TRI Data Considerations

As with any dataset, there are several factors to consider when using the TRI data. Key factors associated
with data used in the National Analysis are summarized in the Introduction. For more information see

Factors to Consider When Using Toxics Release Inventory Data.

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TRI National Analysis 2019
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January 2021		

Manufacturing Sectors

This section examines how TRI chemical wastes are managed in the manufacturing sectors
(defined as facilities reporting their primary NAICS codes as 31-33).

What the Sector Does

The manufacturing sectors are goods-producing
industries that transform materials into new
products. These sectors include businesses
involved in the production of food,
textiles, paper, chemicals, plastics,
petroleum products, metal
products, electronics,
furniture, vehicles,
equipment, and
other products.

THE SECTOR

EMPLOYS

11.7 MILLION

PEOPLE

U.S. Census .Ar>r>ui3rl Survey of Manufactures
2018 data

•••

THE SECTOR

CONTRIBUTES
2.4 TRILLION

TO U.S. GDP

fn va/ue added. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Year 20 79 data.

19,146 facilities in the sector report to TRI

U.S. EPA TRI, Reporting Year 2C19

This map shows the locations of the manufacturing facilities that reported to TRI for 2019, sized
by their relative releases. Click on a facility for details on its TRI reporting.

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Outfttefi

OF'UiHklu

HOflDtn.ti

r.iinl-Mi.il-i'	Ie.jiKtj.llpi

Sources: Esri, HERE. Qf/piin. Intermap, increment PCorp.. GEBCO. USGS. FAO, NPS. MRCAN. GeoBase,
IGN Kadaster NL, Ordnance Sli1V&V>ESfi Ifa'fcan. METl, Esri China {Hong Kong), (c) OpenStreelWap
eonlnbutors, and the G!S User CoWlmOrtify1

Manufacturing Facilities Reporting to TRI, 2019
View Larger Map

For 2019, nearly 90% of the facilities that reported to TRI were in a manufacturing sector. The
manufacturing sectors accounted for most (88%) of the 30.7 billion pounds of production-
related waste managed reported to TRI for 2019. Two subsectors of manufacturing, chemical
manufacturing and fabricated metals, are highlighted in more detail later in this section.

The TRI-covered industry sectors not categorized under manufacturing include metal mining.
coal mining, electric utilities, chemical wholesalers, petroleum terminals, hazardous waste
management, and others.

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TRI National Analysis 2019
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January 2021

Manufacturing Waste Management Trend

The following graph shows the annual quantities of TRI chemical waste managed through
recycling, energy recovery, treatment, and disposal or other releases by the manufacturing
sectors. For more details on quantities released, toggle to the "Releases only" graph.

Production-Related Waste Managed:
Manufacturing Sectors

©All Production-Related Waste
(^) Releases only

o
a.

¦5 20

= 10 —

III I III I III I I

2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019

Year

$2,500

$2,000

$500

<
Q>

$1,500

>
Q.
Q.
(D
Q.

$1,000 =

N>
O

lO
1A

1 Disposal or Other Releases Treatment

Energy Recovery Recycling

¦Value Added (billions, 2019 Dollars)

Note: For comparability, trend graphs include only those chemicals that were reportable to TRI for all years presented.

From 2007 to 2019:

• Quantities of production-related waste managed by the manufacturing sectors
decreased through 2009, following the trend of reduced production resulting from the
economic recession. Since 2009, quantities of waste managed have increased.

o Quantities of waste released and treated decreased, while quantities combusted
for energy recovery and recycled increased.

• It is important to consider the influence the economy has on production and production-
related waste generation. This figure includes the trend in the manufacturing sectors'

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value added (represented by the black line as reported by the Bureau of Economic
Analysis, Value Added bv Industry). Since 2007, value
added by the manufacturing sectors increased by
27%.

o Production-related waste managed by the
manufacturing sectors increased by 30% since
2007, driven by increased recycling. The large
increase in recycled chemical waste starting in
2014 was primarily due to an increase in the quantity of cumene recycled by one
facility and dichloromethane (methylene chloride) recycled by two other facilities.

From 2018 to 2019:

•	Production-related waste managed decreased by 996 million pounds (-4%), while value
added increased slightly. Annual changes in production-related waste quantities are
driven by a few facilities.

•	In 2019, 5% of the manufacturing sectors' production-related waste generated was
released into the environment, while the rest was managed through treatment, energy
recovery, and recycling.

What is Value Added?

An industry's value added is the market
value it adds in production; it is the
difference between the price at which it
sells its products and the cost of the
inputs it purchases. Value added for all
U.S. industries combined is equal to the
nation's gross domestic product.

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TRI National Analysis 2019
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January 2021		

Manufacturing Releases Trend

The following graph shows the annual quantities of TRI chemicals released by the
manufacturing sectors.

Total Disposal or Other Releases: O AN production Related waste
Manufacturing Sectors	® Releases oniY

(A

T3

O
a.

o

i/i

2,000

1,500 -

1,000

= 500

¦ 111! 11111

111 ¦ 111111

	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1

2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019

Year

On-site Air Releases
i On-site Land Disposal

i On-site Surface Water Discharges
Off-site Disposal or Other Releases

Note: For comparability, trend graphs include only those chemicals that were reportable to TRI for all years presented.

From 2007 to 2019:

•	TRI chemical releases by the manufacturing sectors decreased by 21%. This is primarily
due to a reduction in air emissions and off-site disposal or other releases.

•	Releases to water also declined, while on-site land disposal increased by 7%.

From 2018 to 2019:

•	Releases decreased by 36 million pounds (-2%). This is largely due to a decrease in on-
site land disposal reported by facilities in the chemical manufacturing sector.

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TRI National Analysis 2019
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January 2021	

Source Reduction in the Manufacturing Sectors:

In 2019, 7% of manufacturing facilities initiated nearly 3,000 source reduction activities to
reduce TRI chemical use and waste generation. The most commonly reported types of source
reduction activities were good operating practices and process modifications. For example:

•	A circuit board manufacturing facility established new criteria for bath changes to extend
bath life, reducing the amount of certain glycol ethers waste generated. \Click to view
facility details in the TRI P2 Search Tooll

•	A rubber products manufacturer modified loss-in-weight feeders with pipe-in-pipe and
flexible rubber boot systems to keep transferred material contained, reducing their
releases of zinc compounds. fClick to view facility details in the TRI P2 Search Tooll.

You can learn more about pollution prevention opportunities in this sector bv using the TRI P2
Search Tool.

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TRI National Analysis 2019
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January 2021		

Chemical Manufacturing

This section examines how TRI chemical wastes are managed in the chemical manufacturing
sector (defined as facilities reporting their primary NAICS code as 325).

Uh
rU

LU IL

What the Sector Does

Chemical manufacturers convert raw materials
into thousands of different products, including
basic chemicals, products used by other
manufacturers (such as synthetic
fibers, plastics, and
pigments),
pesticides, and
cosmetics, to
name a few.

THE SECTOR

EMPLOYS

757,000

PEOPLE

U.S. Census Annua! Survey of Manufactures
2018 data

•••
If

THE SECTOR

CONTRIBUTES
$393 BILLION

TO U.S. GDP

In value-edded. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Year 20T9 data

3,416 facilities in the sector report to TRI

U.S. EPA TRI Reporting Year 2019

This map shows the locations of the chemical manufacturing facilities that reported to TRI for
2019, sized by their relative releases. Click on a facility for details on its TRI reporting.

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MEXICO

5 .Ml Lu

OwrtUfo	*

Meifeo Cfl». opuol.fj

|\MAK\	I (AH?

run

HONDURAS

i"	. le.jiKi j j|p»

Sources: Esri, HERE. Of/piio. IrUermap, inaemeni PCorp.. GEBCO. USGS. FAO, NPS. NRCAN. GeoBase,
IGN Kadaster NL, Ordnance Su!V6y>E£fr IfaVian. METl, Esri China {Hong Kong), {c) OpenStreeJMap
eonlnbutors, and ihe G1S User CoaWifQrtity'

Chemical Manufacturing Facilities Reporting to TRI, 2019
View Larger Mao

For 2019, more facilities reported to TRI from the chemical manufacturing sector than any other
TRI-covered industry sector (3,416; 16% of facilities that reported for 2019). This sector
reported 55% of all production-related waste managed, more than any other sector.

This large and diverse sector includes facilities producing basic chemicals and those that
manufacture products through further processing of chemicals. The chart below shows the
number of facilities by chemical manufacturing subsectors that reported to TRI for 2019.

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\/CrM January 2021	

Chemical Manufacturing Facilities by Subsector, 2019
3,416 total facilities

Pharmaceuticals

5%

Pesticides and
fertilizers:

7%

Basic chemicals:
33%

Cleaning and
personal care,
products:

8%

Resins and synthetic
rubber:

12%

Coatings and
adhesives:
15%

Other Chemical
Products
20%

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TRI National Analysis 2019
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January 2021		

Chemical Manufacturing Waste Management Trend

The following graph shows the annual quantities of TRI chemical waste managed through
recycling, energy recovery, treatment, and disposal or other releases by the chemical
manufacturing sector. For more details on quantities released, toggle to the "Releases only"
graph.

All Production-Related Waste

18

Production-Related Waste Managed <§>
Chemical Manufacturing

15

o

CL

o
5

12

9

run rlttitl

llllll llll 1

3

2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019

Year

Disposal or Other Releases	Treatment

Energy Recovery	Recycling

9 Production

Note: For comparability, trend graphs include only those chemicals that were reportable to TRI for all years presented.

o

Q.

r>

1-+

O

a.

a>
x

From 2007 to 2019:

• Quantities of production-related waste managed by the chemical manufacturing sector
increased by 65%, while production volume (represented by the black line as reported
by the Federal Reserve Board, Industrial Production Indexl decreased by 14%. In recent
years, production has been fairly constant, with an increase from 2017 to 2018.

o The large increase in chemical waste recycled starting in 2014 compared to
previous years was primarily due to increased quantities of recycling reported by
chemical manufacturers, with an increase in the quantity of cumene recycled by

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TRI National Analysis 2019
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January 2021	

one facility and dichloromethane (methylene chloride) recycled by two other
facilities.

•	Quantities of TRI chemicals treated or combusted for energy recovery decreased, while
the quantities of TRI chemicals recycled increased. There was very little change in the
quantities of TRI chemicals released.

From 2018 to 2019:

•	Production-related waste managed at chemical manufacturing facilities decreased by
501 million pounds (-3%), driven by a reduction in quantities recycled by three facilities
in the sector.

•	In 2019, 3% of this sector's waste was released into the environment, while the rest
was managed through treatment, energy recovery, and recycling.

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TRI National Analysis 2019
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January 2021		

Chemical Manufacturing Releases Trend

The following graph shows the annual quantities of TRI chemicals released by the chemical
manufacturing industry.

600

500

Total Disposal or Other Releases: A" Production Related waste
Chemical Manufacturing ® Releases only

-S 400

o

Q.

o 300

in

200

100

it! ! rt

2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019

Year

On-site Air Releases
i On-site Land Disposal

i On-site Surface Water Discharges
Off-site Disposal or Other Releases

Note: For comparability, trend graphs include only those chemicals that were reportable to TRI for all years presented.

From 2007 to 2019:

•	TRI chemical releases by the chemical manufacturing sector increased by 2%.

•	The proportions of on-site land releases and off-site disposal increased during this time,
while air releases now make up a smaller fraction of total releases.

From 2018 to 2019:

•	Releases decreased by 39 million pounds (-7%). This trend is driven by large decreases
in land disposal for numerous facilities.

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•	For 2019, the chemical manufacturing sector reported larger air release quantities than
any other sector, accounting for 28% of all reported quantities of TRI chemicals emitted
to air.

•	For 2019, the basic chemicals manufacturing subsector accounted for 51% of chemical
manufacturing releases. This subsector includes facilities manufacturing products such
as organic and inorganic chemicals, industrial gases, and petrochemicals.

Chemical Manufacturing Sector Releases by Subsector, 2019

508.9 million pounds

Cleaning and personal
care products: 1%

Coatings and adhesives: 1%
Pharmaceuticals: 1%

Other chemical,
products: 5%

Resins and,
synthetic
rubber: 15%

Basic chemicals: 51%

Pesticides and
fertilizers: 26%

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TRI National Analysis 2019
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January 2021	

Source Reduction in the Chemical Manufacturing Sector:

Although the chemical manufacturing sector has consistently managed the most production-
related waste of any TRI-covered sector, 284 facilities (8% of facilities) in this sector initiated
source reduction activities in 2019 to reduce their TRI chemical use and waste generation. The
most commonly reported types of source reduction activities were good operating practices and
process modifications. For example:

•	A paint and coatings manufacturing facility reduced xylene waste by scheduling batches
to minimize waste produced during cleanouts between batches. I"Click to view facility
details in the TRI P2 Search Tooll

•	An organic chemical manufacturing facility reduced its use of diphenylamine by changing
the reaction formulation to increase batch yield and minimize the amount of unreacted
material produced as waste. I"Click to view facility details in the TRI P2 Search Tooll

Additional Resources

EPA's Smart Sectors Program is partnering with chemical manufacturing trade associations to
develop sensible approaches to industrial operations that better protect the environment and
public health.

TRI's P2 Industry Profile Dashboard can help you learn more about releases, other waste
management trends, and pollution prevention opportunities in this sector.

For more information on how this and other industry sectors can choose safer chemicals, visit
EPA's Safer Choice Program pages for Alternatives Assessments and the Safer Choice
Ingredients List.

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Fabricated Metals Manufacturing

This section examines how TRI chemical wastes are managed in the fabricated metal product
manufacturing sector (defined as facilities reporting their primary NAICS code as 332).

What the Sector Does

The fabricated metals sector
manufactures metal products through
processes such as forging, stamping,
machining, welding, and assembling.
The sector also conducts surface
treatment activities such
as coating and
electroplating.

THE SECTOR

EMPLOYS

1.4 MILLION

PEOPLE

U.S. Census Annus! Survey o1 Manufactures
2018 data

THE SECTOR

CONTRIBUTES
$166 BILLION

TO U.S. GDP

In valu&-add&d. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Year 2019 data

2,914 facilities in the sector report to TRI

US. EPA TRI, Reporting Yedr 2019

This map shows the locations of the fabricated metal product manufacturing facilities that
reported to TRI for 2019, sized by their relative releases. Click on a facility for details on its TRI
reporting.

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"V

v1"1 ¦

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4

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*¦

* - > 'JS . .



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lAM.MCV 11\til*	SUtC rUERnAlCC

KBijpion	t'-imuvi'i

COATfMAlA

HONDURAS

i"	.leijiKiJJlpi

Sources: Esri, HERE. Qfj7"in. Intermap, increment PCorp.. GEBCO. USGS. FAO, NPS. NRCAN. GeoBase,
IGN Kadaster NL, Ordnance SutV&'yM=£fi IfaVian. METl, Esri China {Hong Kong), {c) OpenStreeJMap
eonlnbutors, and ihe G!S User CoaWifQrtity'

Fabricated Metals Manufacturing Facilities Reporting to TRI, 2019
View Larger Map

For 2019, 2,914 facilities in the fabricated metal product manufacturing sector reported to TRI,
more than any other sector except chemical manufacturing.

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Fabricated Metals Manufacturing Waste Management Trend

The following graph shows the annual quantities of TRI chemical waste managed through
recycling, energy recovery, treatment, and disposal or other releases by facilities in the
fabricated metal product manufacturing sector. For more details on quantities released, toggle
to the "Releases only" graph.

©All Production-Related Waste

Production-Related Waste Managed: q Re,eases on,y
800	Fabricated Metals	120

i: iiiiiliiiiiii -f

20

100

2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019

Year

Disposal or Other Releases	Treatment

Energy Recovery	Recycling

9 Production Index

Note: For comparability, trend graphs include only those chemicals that were reportable to TRI for all years presented.

From 2007 to 2019:

•	Quantities of production-related waste managed by the fabricated metal product
manufacturing sector decreased by 65 million pounds (-9%), while production volume
(represented by the black line as reported by the Federal Reserve Board, Industrial
Production Indexl decreased by 10%. In recent years, production has been increasing.

•	Quantities of TRI chemical waste managed through recycling, combustion for energy
recovery, treatment, and release all decreased.

From 2018 to 2019:

•	Production-related waste managed at fabricated metal product manufacturing facilities
decreased by 26 million pounds (-4%), while production volume increased by 1%. This

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decrease in production-related waste managed was driven by decreased recycling and
treatment.

• During 2019, 8% of this sector's waste was released into the environment, while the
rest was managed through treatment, energy recovery, and recycling.

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Fabricated Metals Manufacturing Releases Trend

The following graph shows the annual quantities of TRI chemicals released by the fabricated
metal product manufacturing industry.

Total Disposal or Other Releases: O'«	w,s„

Fabricated Metals	®Releaseson'v

60

M'iiiiiiiiiii

10 — 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 -

0 H	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	

2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019

Year

On-site Air Releases	¦ On-site Surface Water Discharges

¦ On-site Land Disposal	i Off-site Disposal or Other Releases

	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	

Note: For comparability, trend graphs include only those chemicals that were reportable to TRI for all years presented.

From 2007 to 2019:

• TRI chemical releases by the fabricated metals manufacturing sector decreased by 8.3
million pounds (-14%).

o The decrease was driven by releases to air, which decreased by 12 million
pounds from 2007 to 2019.

o Off-site disposal quantities increased, driven by off-site releases of nitrate
compounds, which increased by 5 million pounds from 2007 to 2019.

o On-site releases to water decreased by 1.3 million pounds (-68%) and on-site
land releases increased by 87,000 pounds (160%). On-site releases to water and
land combined make up 3% of all releases from the fabricated metal product
sector.

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TRI National Analysis 2019
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From 2018 to 2019:

•	Releases increased by 0.4 million pounds (1%).

•	For 2019, 14% of all facilities reporting to TRI were in the fabricated metals sector, but
facilities in this sector accounted for less than 2% of all releases reported to TRI. On
average, facilities in this sector reported fewer releases per facility than facilities in most
other TRI-covered sectors.

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TRI National Analysis 2019
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January 2021	

Source Reduction in the Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing Sector:

For 2019, 188 facilities in this sector (6% of facilities) reported implementing 500 new source
reduction activities. Several facilities in this sector reported initiating source reduction activities
to reduce scrap generation. Note that minimizing the generation of scrap metal is a source
reduction activity, while recycling scrap metal is a waste management practice. Examples of
source reduction activities reported by the sector include:

• A machine shop reduced chromium compounds in waste by installing new racks which
reduce damage to parts in production. fClick to view facility details in the TRI P2 Search

•	A plumbing fixture manufacturer began using one copper part in two places instead of
creating two separate parts, reducing copper residue and saving money. fClick to view
facility details in the TRI P2 Search Tooll

Additional Resources

•	TRI's P2 program "Spotlights" feature pollution prevention activities by the fabricated
metals and other sectors in reducing organic solvents and metal waste.

•	TRI's P2 Industry Profile Dashboard can help you learn more about releases, other
waste management trends, and pollution prevention opportunities in this sector.

Tooll

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January 2021	

Metal Mining

This section examines how TRI chemical wastes are managed in the metal mining sector
(defined as facilities reporting their primary NAICS code as 2122).

o
z

z

111

2

What the Sector Does

The metal mining sector extracts and
processes ores (metal-bearing rock) to
refine the valuable target metals. The
portion of the metal mining sector
covered by TRI reporting requirements
includes facilities mining
copper, lead, zinc, q
silver, gold, \
and several
other metals.

THE SECTOR

EMPLOYS I

35,000 1

PEOPLE

U.S. Census County Business Patterns
2018 data

•••
it



VALUE OF MINE

PRODUCTION K*
$28 BILLION ¦!)

USGS Mineral Commodities Summary 2019 data ®

Note: Both metrics include all metal mining sectors; not limited to
those covered by TRI.

i

82 facilities in the sector report to TRI

U.S. EPA TRI, Reporting Year 2019

This map shows the locations of the metal mining facilities that reported to TRI for 2019, sized
by their relative releases. Click on a facility for details on its TRI reporting. Mines are shown on
this map based on their longitude/latitude, which may be miles from the city identified on the
mine's TRI reporting forms. Mines can qualify their location relative to the city by noting the
distance in the street address data field of their TRI reporting forms.

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CANADA

Vancouver „
. ••

4L' f r

Ottawa Montreal
•	"" " Tworto#

GREAT PLAINS Cttcaoo oB®"0"

« UNITED

STATES

Boston

• ^ New Yotk

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3c c

Dallas

Houston	~

o	9

Sources Esri HERE. GanWrf IVile'rrbap, increment P Corp GEBCO, USGS.'?A\3jNPS. NRCAN, GeoBase,
IGN, Kadaster NL. Ordnance Survey. Esri Japan. MET1, Esri China (Hong KongJ.^cfcOpenStreetMap
contributors, and the GIS'WSJ?'So'fnVnunity

Metal Mines Reporting to TRI, 2019
View Larger Map

For 2019, 82 metal mining facilities reported to TRI. They tend to be in western states where
most of the copper, silver, and gold mining occurs; however, zinc and lead mining tend to occur
in Missouri and Tennessee. Metals generated from U.S. mining operations are used in a wide

range of products, including automobiles, electric and
industrial equipment, jewelry, and decorative objects.
The extraction and processing of these minerals generate
large amounts of on-site land disposals, primarily of
metal-bearing rock (called ore) and waste rock containing
TRI-covered metals. To learn more about metal mining
operations and their TRI reporting, explore the interactive
metal mining diagram. Metal mining operations are subject to federal and state regulations.

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TRI National Analysis 2019
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January 2021		

Metal Mining Waste Management Trend

The following graph shows the annual quantities of TRI chemical waste managed by the metal
mining industry from 2007 to 2019, mainly in the form of on-site land disposal. The nature of
metal mining operations limits the feasibility of other methods of waste management. For more
details on quantities released, toggle to the "Releases only" graph.

Production-Related Waste Managed: @ All Production-Related Waste
Metal Mining	Releases only

2,500

2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019

Year

m Disposal or Other Releases	m Treatment

Energy Recovery	m Recycling

< Mine Production

Note: For comparability, trend graphs include only those chemicals that were reportable to TRI for all years presented.

From 2007 to 2019:

•	While metal mining production (as reported in the United States Geological Survey1)
remained relatively steady, the quantity of waste managed fluctuated.

•	Besides production volume, one factor commonly cited by facilities as a contributor to
the changes in quantities of waste managed is the chemical composition of the
extracted ore, which can vary substantially from year to year. In some cases, small
changes in the ore's composition can impact whether TRI chemicals in ore qualify for a

26

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TRI National Analysis 2019
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concentration-based TRI reporting exemption in one year but not in the next year or
vice versa.

From 2018 to 2019:

•	The quantity of TRI chemical waste managed by this sector decreased by 227 million
pounds (-13%) between 2018 and 2019.

•	During 2019, 95% of the metal mining sector's production-related waste generated was
disposed of or otherwise released. Most of this waste consisted of metals, which were
primarily disposed of to land on site at the mine.

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Metal Mining Releases Trend

The following graph shows the annual quantities of TRI chemicals released by the metal mining
industry, primarily through on-site land disposal.

2,500

2,000

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TRI National Analysis 2019
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• The quantity of TRI chemicals released is not an indicator of health risks posed by the
chemicals, as described in the Introduction. For more information, see the TRI
document, Factors to Consider When Using Toxics Release Inventory Data.

In 2019:

• The metal mining sector reported the largest quantity of total disposal or other releases,
accounting for 44% of total TRI releases and 63% of on-site land disposal for all
industries.

Source Reduction in the Metal Mining Sector:

One metal mining facility reported initiating source reduction activities for TRI chemicals in
2019, replacing a component used in grinding with one containing less nickel and chromium.
Unlike manufacturing, the nature of mining—the necessary movement and disposal of large
volumes of rock containing TRI chemicals to access the target ore—does not lend itself to
source reduction. TRI's P2 Industry Profile Dashboard can help you learn more about releases,
other waste management trends, and pollution prevention opportunities in this sector.

EPA's Smart Sectors Program is partnering with the mining sector to develop sensible
approaches to better protect the environment and public health.

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TRI National Analysis 2019
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January 2021

Electric Utilities

This section examines how TRI chemical wastes are managed in the electric utilities sector
(defined as facilities reporting their primary NAICS code as 2211).

What the Sector Does

Electric utilities generate, transmit, and
distribute electric power. Electric-generating
facilities use a variety of fuels to generate
electricity; however, only those electricity
generating facilities that combust
coal or oil to generate
power for distribution
in commerce are
subject to TRI reporting
requirements.

THE SECTOR

EMPLOYS

510,000

PEOPLE

L/.S. Census Count/ Sus.Viess Patterns 20T3 der
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TRI National Analysis 2019
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January 2021

% .

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Sources: Em HERE. Qa/jmin, Intermap, inaemenl PCorp., GEBCO. USGS. FAO, NPS. NRCAN. GeoBase,
IGN ftadaster NL, Ordnance SuYJif) Eifi !/aVan. METl, Esri China {Hong Kong). (c> QpenSlreelMap
contnbuiors, and the GSS User CosrWrfbrtify'

Electric Utilities Reporting to TRI, 2019
View Larger Map

For 2019, 437 electricity generating facilities reported to TRI. Facilities in the sector use
different fuels to generate electricity. Only those facilities that combust coal or oil to generate
electricity for distribution in commerce are subject to the TRI reporting requirements.

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TRI National Analysis 2019
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January 2021

Electric Utilities Waste Management Trend

The following graph shows the annual quantities of TRI chemical waste that electric utility
facilities managed, primarily through treatment or release. For more details on quantities
released, toggle to the "Releases only" graph.

2,500
2,000

\r>

•a
c

§ 1,500

Q-

0.3 S

0.0

Disposal or Other Releases
Energy Recovery
¦Electricity Generation

Treatment
i Recycling

Note: For comparability, trend graphs include only those chemicals that were reportable to TRI for all years presented.

From 2007 to 2019:

• Quantities of production-related waste managed decreased by 804 million pounds (-
42%) since 2007, driven by reduced releases.

• Net electricity generation by electric utilities from coal and oil fuels decreased by 52%
(as reported by the U.S. Department of Energy's Energy Information Administration1).
The recent production decrease (beginning in 2014) was driven by the industry's

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TRI National Analysis 2019
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January 2021

transition to natural gas. Note that only facilities that combust coal or oil to generate
electricity are covered under TRI reporting requirements.

• Nearly three-quarters of the sector's production-related waste generated was treated,
while approximately one-quarter was released to the environment.

o This contrasts with 2007, when over half of the waste from this sector was
released. This trend is due in part to increased installation of air pollution control
devices that destroy TRI-reportable chemicals, reducing the quantities of
chemicals that would otherwise be released into the air.

• 52 fewer facilities in the sector reported to TRI in 2019 than had reported in 2018, an
11% drop. Based on data from the U.S. Department of Energy's Energy Information
Administration, most of these facilities were either no longer operating in 2019 or were
no longer combusting coal or oil to generate electricity.

• Data from the Energy Information Administration indicate that the mix of energy sources
for U.S. electricity generation has changed over time, especially in recent years. Natural
gas and renewable energy sources account for an increasing share of U.S. electricity
generation, while coal-fired electricity generation has declined. Use of oil for electric
power generation continues to contribute a small percentage of total U.S. electricity
generation.

In 2019:

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oEPA

TRI National Analysis 2019
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January 2021

Electric Utilities Releases Trend

The following graph shows the annual quantities of TRI chemicals released by electric utilities.

Total Disposal or Other Releases: O A" production Related waste

Electric Utilities ©Releases only

1,250

1,000

P 750

Q-

E
O

500

250

¦ I i

'J-M-liii

1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1

2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019

On-site Air Releases
i On-site Land Disposal

Year

i On-site Surface Water Discharges
Off-site Disposal or Other Releases

Note: For comparability, trend graphs include only those chemicals that were reportable to TRI for all years presented.

From 2007 to 2019:

• Releases from the electric utilities sector decreased by 731 million pounds (-72%). This
decrease was driven by a 567 million pound (-89%) decrease in on-site air releases. On-
site land disposal and off-site disposal also decreased, but to a lesser extent.

From 2018 to 2019:

• Releases by electric utilities decreased by 53 million pounds (-16%). This decrease was
driven by reductions in on-site land disposal of barium compounds and reduced air
releases of sulfuric and hydrochloric acid.

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TRI National Analysis 2019
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January 2021

Source Reduction in the Electric Utilities Sector:

In the electric utilities sector, 6 facilities (1% of the electric utility facilities reporting to TRI)
initiated source reduction activities in 2019 to reduce their use of TRI chemicals and generation
of wastes that contain TRI chemicals. Examples include reducing fuel use by increasing the heat
rate capacity, and experiementing with renewable biomass fuels. TRI's P2 Industry Profile
Dashboard can help you learn more about releases, other waste management trends, and
pollution prevention opportunities in this sector.

EPA's Smart Sectors Program is partnering with this sector to develop sensible approaches to
industrial operations that better protect the environment and public health.

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January 2021

Federal Facilities

The 1993 Executive Order 12856, "Federal Compliance with Right-to-Know Laws and Pollution
Prevention Requirements," established the requirement that all federal facilities, including
facilities operated by the EPA, the Department of Defense, and the Department of the Treasury,

are subject to the TRI reporting requirements, regardless of the type of operations at the
facility (as described by their NAICS code). This executive order has been reaffirmed by
subsequent administrations.

This map shows the locations of 441 federal facilities that reported to TRI in 2019, sized by
their relative releases. Click on a facility for details on its TRI reporting.

ufclk.

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STATES

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Kindlon i in in;

Sources: Esr«, HERE. Q^jpin. Intermap, Increment P Corp., GEBCO. JSGS. FAO, NPS. NRCAN. GeoBase,
IGN. Kadaster NL, Ordnance SuYJhf) ESri l/a^an, METl, Esn China (Hong Kong), (c) OpenS(ree(Map
contnbulors, and the GJS User CofrfAftSftfy'

Federal Facilities Reporting to TRI, 2019
View Larger Map

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\/CrM January 2021

Federal Facilities by Industry

The following chart shows the number of federal facilities reporting to TRI by sector for 2019.

Federal Facilities by Sector, 2019
441 facilities

All Others: 15%

Correctional
Institutions (e.g.,
federal prison): 11%

Electric Utilities: 3%

Police Protection,
(e.g., firing range):
6%

National Security
(e.g., US Army
Base): 65%

For 2019, 441 federal facilities in 38 different types of operations (based on their 6-digit NAICS
codes) reported to TRI. Almost two-thirds of these facilities were in the National Security sector,
which includes Department of Defense facilities such as Army and Air Force bases. Since all
federal facilities are subject to TRI reporting requirements regardless of industry sector, for
some sectors, the TRI database only includes data from federal facilities. Most federal facilities
are in such sectors, including Military Bases; Correctional Institutions; and Police Protection,
such as training sites for Border Patrol stations.

As with non-federal facilities, the type of activities at federal facilities determine the types and
quantities of chemical waste managed and reported to TRI. Some of the activities occurring at
federal facilities that are captured by TRI reporting are similar to those at non-federal facilities,
such as electric utilities. In other cases, federal facilities may report waste managed from
specialized activities that do not usually happen at non-federal facilities. For example, all of the
federal facilities included under Police Protection and Correctional Institutions only reported lead
and lead compounds, likely due to the use of lead ammunition on their firing ranges.

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Waste Management by Federal Facilities

The following pie chart shows the percentages of TRI chemical waste managed through
recycling, energy recovery, treatment, and disposal or other releases by federal government
organizations in 2019. For more details on quantities released, toggle to the "Releases only"
graph.

Production-Related Waste Managed by ® AN Production Re|ated Waste

Government Organization, 2019 OReleases on|v

145.1 million pounds

All Others:

thp

Department of

Defense:

Tennessee Valley —-— H

59%

Authority: H

34% m

• The types of waste reported by federal facilities vary by the type of operation.

o The Tennessee Valley Authority is a government-owned electric utility that
provides power to southeastern states. Over 80% of its reported waste was
hydrochloric and sulfuric acid aerosols, which were mostly treated on site.

o The Department of the Treasury facilities reporting to TRI are mints for

manufacturing currency and, accordingly, they report metals (e.g., copper and
nickel) to TRI. Almost all of their metal waste was recycled off site.

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Federal Facilities Releases Trend

The following graph shows the percentages of TRI chemicals released by federal government
organizations in 2019.

Total Disposal or Other Releases by Oa»

Government Organization, 2019 {^Releases only
45.9 million pounds

• Most of the Department of Defense's releases were on-site releases of nitrate
compounds to water and on-site land disposal of metals and metal compounds.

• The chemicals released by the Tennessee Valley Authority are similar to the chemicals
released by other electric utilities that report to TRI. On-site land disposal of barium
compounds and air releases of sulfuric acid make up a large portion of releases from the
Tennessee Valley Authority and other electric utilities.

Source Reduction at Federal Facilities:

Federal facilities' operations are diverse and few focus on manufacturing processes. Due to this
variety of functions, operations at some federal facilities are better suited to source reduction
strategies than others. For the 2019 reporting year, 21 federal facilities (5%) reported
implementing source reduction activities.

Federal facilities have often reported difficulties when trying to reduce their use of lead because
it is contained in ammunition used at National Security and Park Service facilities. For 2019,

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TRI National Analysis 2019
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January 2021

several federal facilities reported using "green" ammuntion in accordance with National Park
Service policy to use non-lead ammunition where feasible. To find more examples of federal
facilities' source reduction activities and the source reduction barriers they face, visit TRI's P2
Search Tool and select industry sectors such as National Security, Correctional Institutions or
Police Protection from the dropdown menu under "search criteria."

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