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2021 TRI National Analysis
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2021 TRI National Analysis
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Introduction to the 2021 TRI National
Analysis
Industries and businesses in the U.S. use many chemicals to make the products we depend on,
such as pharmaceuticals, computers, paints, clothing,
and automobiles. While most chemicals on the Toxics
Release Inventory fTRI) chemical list are managed by
facilities in ways that minimize releases into the
environment, releases still occur as part of normal
business operations.
It is your right to know what TRI chemicals are being
used in your community, how the chemical waste is
managed—including through environmental releases—
and whether these quantities have changed over time.
The TRI tracks how industries manage certain toxic
chemicals. Information facilities report each year to the
EPA provides insights into how chemicals are managed
by facilities conducting industrial activities such as
manufacturing, metal mining, generation of electric
power, and hazardous waste management. TRI data are
publicly available. For calendar year 2021, more than
21,000 facilities reported to the TRI Program.
Each year, in support of its mission to protect human
health and the environment, EPA analyzes the most
recent TRI data, conducts comparative analyses with
TRI data for previous years, and publishes its findings
in the TRI National Analysis.
Overview of the 2021 TRI data
The two pie charts below summarize the most recent TRI data: the chart on the left shows the
total amount of production-related waste managed through recycling, energy recovery,
treatment, and disposal or other releases. The chart on the right shows the proportions of TRI
chemical waste released to air, water, and land, and transferred off-site for disposal.
TRI Reporting
Under Section 313 of
the Emergency Planning and
Community Right-to-Know Act
(EPCRA' and the Pollution
Prevention Act (PPA), facilities
that meet TRI reporting
requirements must report details
about their pollution prevention
and waste management activities,
including releases, of TRI-iisted
chemicals that occurred during the
calendar year to EPA's TRI
Program by July 1 of the following
year.
Watch a short video about the TRI Program and your right to know.
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Production-Related Waste Managed, 2021
29.3 billion pounds
Disposal or Other Releases, 2021
3.3 billion pounds
Off-site Disposal or
12%
On-site Air Releases:
17%
On-site Surface Water
Discharges: 6%
Note: To avoid double counting, the Disposal or Other Releases pie chart on the right excludes quantities of TRI chemicals that are
transferred off site from a TRI-reporting facility and subsequently released on site by a receiving facility that also reports to TRI.
• Facilities reported managing 29.3 billion pounds of TRI-listed chemicals as production-
related waste during 2021. Production-related waste managed is the quantity of TRI
chemicals in waste resulting from routine operations. Facilities manage this waste through
recycling, combustion for energy recovery, treatment, and disposing of or otherwise
releasing the waste into the environment.
o Of this total, 89% was recycled, combusted for energy recovery, or treated, while 11%
was disposed of or otherwise released into the environment.
• For TRI chemicals in waste that was disposed of or otherwise released, facilities report the
quantities of these releases and whether the releases were to the air, water, or land. Most
releases of TRI chemicals occur on site at facilities. However, waste containing TRI
chemicals may also be shipped off site for disposal, such as to a landfill. As shown in the pie
chart on the right, most TRI chemical waste was disposed of to land, which includes
landfills, underground injection, and other land disposal practices.
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Where are the Facilities that Reported to TRI for 2021
Located?
Calgary
Vancouver
lake
Superior
Montreal
Toronto
UNITED
STATES
MtXICO
Havana
Click on any of the locations to see a facility's TRI information.
View Larger Map
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TRI Data Considerations
As with any dataset, there are multiple factors to consider when reviewing results or using
Toxics Release Inventory (TRI) data. Key factors associated with the data presented in the TRI
National Analysis are summarized below; for more information see Factors to Consider When
Using Toxics Release Inventory Data.
• Covered chemicals and sectors. TRI does not
include information from all facilities or industry sectors
that may manage TRI chemicals in waste, nor does it
cover every chemical. The complete TRI chemical list
and a list of the sectors covered bv the TRI Program are
available on the TRI website.
• Reporting thresholds. Facilities in covered sectors
that manufacture, process, or otherwise use TRI-listed
chemicals at or above listed threshold quantities and
employ at least ten full-time equivalent employees are
required to report to the TRI Program. For most TRI
chemicals, the threshold quantities are 25,000 pounds
of the chemical manufactured or processed, or 10,000
pounds of the chemical otherwise used during a
calendar year.
• TRI trends. The TRI chemical list has changed over the
years. To make sure year-to-year data are optimized for
comparison, trend graphs in the TRI National Analysis
include only chemicals that were reportable for the entire time period presented. Results
that focus only on the year 2021 include all chemicals reportable for 2021. Thus, quantities
mentioned in a single-year analysis of 2021 data may differ slightly from quantities shown
for 2021 in a multi-year trend analysis.
• Risk. TRI data can be a useful starting point to evaluate whether chemical releases may
pose potential risks to human health and the environment. However, the quantity of a
chemical release alone is not necessarily an indicator of exposure to the chemical, or the
potential health or environmental risks posed by the chemical. In particular, note that:
o Chemicals on the TRI list vary in toxicity; and
o The extent of exposure to a chemical depends on many factors such as where the
chemical is released, how it is released (i.e., to the air, water, or land), the chemical's
properties, and what happens to the chemical in the environment.
TRI Reporting is
Required
TRI reporting is required for
facilities that meet the reporting
criteria under Section 313 of
the Emergency Planning and
Community Right-to-Know Act
(EPCRA). EPA investigates
cases of EPCRA non-
compliance and may issue civil
penalties, including monetary
fines. Since the TRI Program's
creation, EPA has taken more
than 3,500 TRI-related
enforcement actions. For more
information, see the TRI
Compliance and Enforcement
webpage.
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For more information on the use of TRI data in exposure and risk evaluations, see the
TRI and Estimating Potential Risk webpaae and Potential Risks from TRI Chemicals in
the Releases section.
• COVID-19. The COVID-19 public health emergency that began in early 2020 impacted U.S.
industrial operations, possibly affecting the quantities of TRI wastes managed. For 2020 and
2021, many facilities submitted comments on how COVID-19 impacted their facility-wide
operations, waste management activities, and pollution prevention activities.
• Data quality. Facilities use their best available data to determine the quantities of
chemicals they report to TRI. Each year, EPA conducts an extensive data quality review that
includes contacting facilities about potential errors in reported information. This data quality
review process helps ensure that the TRI National Analysis is based on accurate and
complete information.
• Late submissions, revisions, and withdrawals. TRI reporting forms submitted to EPA
or revised after the July 1 reporting deadline may not be processed in time to be included in
the National Analysis. After EPA's data quality review, the TRI data are frozen in October
and this dataset is used to develop the National Analysis. Any revisions, late submissions, or
withdrawals made after this date are not reflected in the National Analysis but are
incorporated into the TRI dataset during the spring data refresh and will be reflected in the
next year's National Analysis.
Impact of Late Submissions and Revisions on the 2020
National Analysis
EPA compared the data used for the 2020 National Analysis to the updated version of these data
from October 2022 used to develop the 2021 National Analysis. This allowed EPA to assess how
late submissions and revisions to submitted data might have changed the information presented in
the 2020 National Analysis, had they been included in the dataset. National waste management and
release quantities were both <0.1% different than what was shown in the 2020 National Analysis.
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Quick Facts for 2021
TRI Quick
Energy Treatment:
Recovery: 8.06
*2.94
Disposal or
Other Releases:
3.283 billion lb
Total:
3.278 billion lb
Total Disposal
or Other
Releases
Total Production-Related Waste Managed:
29.3 billion lb
On-site:
2.89 billion lb
0
Off-site:
0.39 billion lb
©
Water:
0.20 billion lb
lion lb
Land:
2.12 billion lb
In this figure, the value for "Disposal or Other Releases" in the production-related waste
managed pie chart (3.283 billion lb) is greater than the value for "Total Disposal or Other
Releases" (3.278 billion lb). There are several reasons why these quantities differ slightly,
including:
• Double counting. Total disposal or other releases (3.278 billion-pound value in the figure)
removes "double counting" that occurs when a facility reports transfers of TRI chemicals in
waste to another TRI-reporting facility. For example, when Facility A transfers a chemical off
site for disposal to Facility B, Facility A reports the chemical as transferred off site for
disposal while Facility B reports the same chemical as disposed of on site. In processing the
data, the TRI Program recognizes that this is the same quantity of the chemical and
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includes it only once in the total disposal or other releases metric. The production-related
waste managed metric in TRI, however, considers all instances where the TRI chemical in
waste is managed (first as a quantity sent off site for disposal and next as a quantity
disposed of on site), and includes both the off-site transfer and the on-site disposal.
Typically, double counting accounts for most of the difference between the two release
quantities in the TRI Quick Facts figure.
• Non-production related waste. Non-production-related waste refers to TRI chemical
waste that results from one-time events, rather than standard production activities. These
events may include remedial actions, catastrophic events, or other events not associated
with normal production processes. Non-production-related waste is included in a facility's
total disposal or other releases but is not included in its production-related waste managed.
For more information on TRI, the chemicals and industry sectors it covers, the reporting
requirements, and to access TRI data, visit the TRI website.
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Pollution Prevention
Pollution prevention, also known as "P2" or "source reduction," is any practice that reduces or
eliminates pollution at its source prior to waste management. With less waste being created,
the likelihood of impacts to human health and the environment is reduced. Additionally, it is
often less expensive for facilities to prevent pollution from being created than to pay for control,
treatment, or disposal of wastes.
Under the Pollution Prevention Act of 1990 fPPAl, facilities that report to the Toxics Release
Inventory (TRI) Program are required to include information on any newly implemented P2
activities. Many facilities also choose to include optional details that further describe their P2
actions. As a result, TRI serves as a robust tool for identifying effective P2 practices and
highlighting pollution prevention successes.
2021 Highlights
• TRI facilities implemented 3,490 new source reduction activities to reduce pollution at its source,
an increase of 24% from 2020.
• TRI source reduction codes changed for 2021 reporting. Facilities now choose from a
streamlined and updated set of 24 codes to describe their source reduction activities.
As with any dataset, there are many factors to consider when using TRI data. Find a summary
of key factors associated with data used in the National Analysis in the Introduction. For more
information see Factors to Consider When Using Toxics Release Inventory Data.
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POLLUTION PREVENTION
REPORTING IN REVIEW
OVER THREE DECADES OF P2 REPORTING TO TRI
The Pollution Prevention Act of 1990 requires facilities to report
newly implemented source reduction activities to the TRI. Source
reduction activities eliminate, prevent, or reduce the generation of
toxic waste
Facilities report P2 activities by
selecting from a list of pre-
defined descriptions also referred
to as source reduction codes.
1991
Facilities report their newly
implemented source reduction
activities to TRI for the first time.
43 CODES
2012
Six codes are added to capture the
implementation of green chemistry at
facilities.
49 CODES
2021
The codes are updated and
streamlined. Ten codes track green
chemistry and engineering.
24 CODES
TRI is currently the most comprehensive P2 Resource
available at EPA.
457,939
SOURCE REDUCTION ACTIVITIES
WERE IMPLEMENTED BETWEEN
1991 AND 2020
400,000
: 300,000
; 200,000
1991-2000
¦ Cleaning and Degreasing
¦ Inventory Control
¦ Product Modifications
¦ Spill and Leak Prevention
191-2010 1991-2020
Good Operating Practices
§ Process Modifications
¦ Raw Material Modifications
¦Surface Preparation and Finishing
IN TOTAL, 3,490 NEW
SOURCE REDUCTION
ACTIVITIES WERE
IMPLEMENTED IN
2021.
¦ Inventory and Material Management
Material Substitutions and Modifications
Operating Practices and Training
Process and Equipment Modifications
* Product Modifications
Facilities reported process and
equipment modifications the most,
followed by improvements to
operating practices and training.
TOP POLLUTION PREVENTION
BY INDUSTRY
% of facilities w. P2 since 1991
BY CHEMICAL
No. of P2 activities since 1991
a. PAPER
^ 60%
|—| ELECTRONICS
58%
^ CHEMICALS
E 54%
TOLUENE
32,125
XYLENE
29,324
LEAD & LEAD COMPOUNDS
25,218
INNOVATION
from industry is needed to
find new substitutions and
process modifications.
These types of source
reduction activities are the
most effective ways to
reduce the generation of
pollution.
Use the resources below to
learn more.
MINNESOTA,
VERMONT, AND
MASSACHUSETTS
have the highest percentages
of facilities that have
implemented at least one
source reduction activity from
1991 to 2021 States with
higher implementation rates of
source reduction at facilities
often have very active state P2
programs.
Percent of facilities with P2 since 1991
Facilities reporting at least
ore SR activity
Need P2 assistance? The EPA runs the Pollution Prevention Grants program, which offers funding to
state and tribal organizations that provide technical assistance to facilities. Contact your state P2
coordinators to learn more about available opportunities.
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Source Reduction Activities
The Pollution Prevention Act of 1990 requires facilities to report to TRI source reduction
activities that they initiated or completed during the reporting year. Source reduction
information can help facilities learn from each other's best practices and potentially lead to
better environmental stewardship and implementation of more P2 actions. When reporting
source reduction activities to TRI, facilities choose from 24 types of activities grouped into the
five categories shown in the graph below. For more information, see the TRI Source Reduction
Reporting Fact Sheet.
Source Reduction Activities Reported, 2021
Process and Equipment
Modifications
Operating Practices and Training
¦ Inventory and Material
Management
Material Substitutions and
Modifications
¦ Product Modifications
Note: 1) Percentages do not sum to 100% due to rounding. 2) Facilities report their source reduction activities by selecting from a
list of 24 codes that describe their activities. These codes fall into one of five categories listed in the graph legend and are defined
in the TRI Reporting Forms and Instructions.
• In 2021, 1,630 facilities (8% of all facilities that reported to TRI) implemented a combined
3,490 new source reduction activities.
• The most reported source reduction category was Process and Equipment Modifications.
o For example, an aircraft parts manufacturer optimized their pipe cleaning process which
led to decreased ethylene waste. fClick to view facility details in the TRI P2 Search Tooll
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• Facilities also report the method they used to identify the source reduction activity. The
most reported methods for identifying source reduction opportunities were Participative
Team Management and Internal Pollution Prevention Audits.
Additional Resources
• See the TRI P2 Data Overview Factsheet for more information on source reduction reporting
in recent years.
• Facilities may have implemented source reduction activities in earlier years that are ongoing
or have been completed. To see details about these activities, use the TRI P2 Search Tool.
• Facilities interested in exploring source reduction opportunities can reach out to their EPA
Regional P2 Coordinator to arrange a free, confidential P2 assessment with a third-party P2
expert. Visit the P2 Resources for Business webpaae for more information.
o EPA's Pollution Prevention Grants provide technical assistance to businesses to help
them implement P2.
o Use the P2 Technical Assistance Resources tool to find resources in your area.
• The TRI Source Reduction Reporting Guide provides examples of source reduction activities
and opportunities at facilities.
• The TRI Green Chemistry and Green Engineering webpage has more information about
green chemistry and examples of green chemistry activities that facilities have reported to
TRI.
• EPA partners with the American Chemical Society's Green Chemistry Institute® to present
Green Chemistry Challenge Awards to organizations that have advanced green chemistry.
• The Solvent Substitutions Reported to TRI webpage provides information about specific
substitutions reported to TRI from hazardous solvent chemicals to less hazardous solvents
or solvent-free processes.
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Source Reduction Activities by Chemical and Industry
Source Reduction Activities by Chemical
This figure shows the number of source reduction activities for the chemicals with the highest
source reduction reporting rates over the last five years by the type of activity.
Source Reduction Activities by Chemical, 2017-2021
Operating Practices and Training Process and Equipment Modifications
Material Substitutions and Modifications ¦ Inventory and Material Management
¦ Product Modifications
600
~o
cu
Styrene n-Butyl Alcohol Antimony Methyl Isobutyl N-Methyl-2-
Ketone Pyrrolidone
Note: 1) Limited to chemicals with at least 100 reports of source reduction activities from 2017 to 2021. 2) In this figure, antimony
is combined with antimony compounds, although metals and compounds of the same metal are listed separately on the TRI list. 3)
Facilities report their source reduction activities by selecting from a list of 24 codes that describe their activities. These codes fall
into one of five categories listed in the graph legend and are defined in the TRI Reporting Forms and Instructions.
From 2017 to 2021:
• Facilities reported 16,859 source reduction activities for more than 240 chemicals and
chemical categories.
• Chemicals with the highest source reduction reporting rates included styrene, /7-butyl
alcohol, antimony and antimony compounds, methyl isobutyl ketone, and N-methyl-2-
pyrrolidone.
• The types of source reduction activities implemented for these chemicals varies depending
on the chemicals' characteristics and how they are used. For example:
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o Process and Equipment Modifications, including optimizing reaction conditions and
modifying equipment, layout, or piping, can help reduce the amount of solvents such as
/7-butyl alcohol needed for a process,
o Material Substitutions and Modifications include the use of alternative materials in
the manufacturing process, such as replacing styrene, a chemical used to make plastics,
and replacing antimony compounds, which are used as a component of flame
retardants, batteries, and electronics.
Facilities may also report additional details about their source reduction activities in an optional
text field of the TRI reporting form.
Examples of optional source reduction information for 2021:
• Styrene: A plastics plumbing fixture manufacturer updated several production lines to
replace a styrene-based resin with a dicyclopentadiene (DCPD)-based thermoset resin.
Emissions from the DCPD resins are much lower than those from styrene-based resins and
DCPD is not a hazardous air pollutant. fClick to view facility details in the TRI P2 Search
Tool!
• Antimony and antimony compounds: A motor vehicle brake system manufacturer used
alternative filler materials in its process which helped reduce the facility's antimony usage.
fClick to view facility details in the TRI P2 Search Tooll
• /7-Butyl alcohol: A kitchen cabinet manufacturer worked with their vendors to identify
coatings containing fewer hazardous air pollutants, including /7-butyl alcohol. fClick to view
facility details in the TRI P2 Search Tooll
You can compare facilities' waste management methods and trends for any TRI chemical bv
using the TRI P2 Search Tool.
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Source Reduction Activities by Industry
This figure shows the number of source reduction activities reported by the industries with the
highest source reduction reporting rates over the last five years.
Source Reduction Activities by Industry, 2017-2021
Operating Practices and Training Process and Equipment Modifications
Material Substitutions and Modifications ¦ Inventory and Material Management
¦ Product Modifications
1,200
Plastics and Rubber Computers and Miscellaneous Furniture Printing
Electronic Products Manufacturing
Note: 1) Limited to industries with at least 100 source reduction activities reported from 2017 to 2021. 2) Facilities report their
source reduction activities by selecting from a list of codes that describe their activities. These codes fall into one of five categories
listed in the graph legend and are defined in the TRI Reporting Forms and Instructions.
From 2017 to 2021:
• The five industry sectors with the highest source reduction reporting rates were plastics and
rubber products manufacturing, computers and electronic products manufacturing,
miscellaneous manufacturing, furniture manufacturing, and printing.
• For most sectors, Process and Equipment Modifications were the most frequently reported
types of source reduction activity. Other commonly reported source reduction activities
varied by sector. For example, computers and electronic products manufacturers frequently
reported Material Substitutions and Modifications, often associated with the elimination of
lead-based solder.
Facilities may also report additional details to TRI about their source reduction activities, as
shown in the following examples.
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Examples of optional source reduction information for 2021:
• Plastics and Rubber Products Manufacturing: A plastic products manufacturer
changed from a styrene monomer to a non-styrene monomer as parts of the company move
towards zero-styrene raw materials. fClick to view facility details in the TRI P2 Search Tooll
• Furniture Manufacturing: A wood cabinet manufacturer reduced its use of 1,2,4-
tri methyl benzene by adding a straight-line machine which is more efficient than hand
spraying. fClick to view facility details in the TRI P2 Search Tooll
• Printing: A commercial gravure printer scheduled print jobs in efficient blocks to reduce
toluene waste from changeovers. fClick to view facility details in the TRI P2 Search Tooll
You can view all reported pollution prevention activities and compare facilities' waste
management methods and trends for any TRI chemical bv using the TRI P2 Search Tool.
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Green Chemistry Activities
Green chemistry is the design of chemicals, products, and processes that use safer inputs,
minimal energy, and minimize the creation of waste. Advancements in green chemistry allow
industry to prevent pollution in innovative ways such as by designing or modifying
manufacturing processes to optimize use of resources and reduce the creation of chemical
waste.
Ten of the TRI source reduction codes that facilities can choose from are specific to green
chemistry activities, although green chemistry practices may also fit under other codes. The
figure below shows the chemicals with the highest green chemistry reporting rates over the last
five years by sector. Several examples follow the figure.
Green Chemistry Activities by Industry, 2017-2021
250
¦a
a>
t
o
a.
a>
cc
200
.2 150
+¦»
u
<
£•
£2
E
a> 100
a>
a>
15
4—
o
a>
si
E
50
Lead Zinc
I Fabricated Metals
Computers and Electronic Products
I Primary Metals
Methanol
Copper
Chemical Manufacturing
I Transportation Equipment
All others
Toluene
Note: In this figure, the metals (lead, zinc, and copper) are combined with their metal compounds, although metals and compounds
of the same metal are listed separately on the TRI list.
• Since 2017, facilities have reported 2,041 green chemistry activities for 155 TRI chemicals
and chemical categories.
o The chemical manufacturing and fabricated metals manufacturing sectors reported the
highest number of green chemistry activities.
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• Chemical manufacturers used green chemistry to reduce or eliminate their use of TRI
solvent and reagent chemicals, such as methanol and toluene. For example:
o A pharmaceutical preparation manufacturer substituted methanol with ethanol, which is
not a TRI-reportable substance, in several on-site cleaning processes. fClick to view
facility details in the TRI P2 Search Tooll
• Fabricated metal producers and transportation equipment manufacturers applied green
chemistry techniques to reduce or eliminate their use of metals. For example:
o A fabricated metal parts manufacturer made tooling changes to reduce the amount of
copper-containing stainless steel scrap produced as waste. fClick to view facility details
in the TRI P2 Search Tooll
Additional Resources
Source reduction practices such as green chemistry that prevent or reduce the creation of
chemical wastes are preferred to downstream pollution control technologies or waste
management activities. These resources have more information on green chemistry:
• EPA's TRI Toxics Tracker: green chemistry examples for a specific chemical and/or industry.
• EPA's Green Chemistry program: information about green chemistry and EPA's efforts to
facilitate its adoption.
• EPA's Safer Choice program: information about consumer products with lower hazard.
• For more details on the types of green chemistry activities reported to TRI and trends in
green chemistry reporting, see The Utility of the Toxics Release Inventory (TRI) in Tracking
Implementation and Environmental Impact of Industrial Green Chemistry Practices in the
United States.
• Solvent Substitutions Reported to TRI: information about specific substitutions reported to
TRI from hazardous solvent chemicals to less hazardous solvents or solvent-free processes.
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Reported Barriers to Source Reduction
Facilities have the option to inform EPA of barriers that prevented them from implementing new
source reduction activities. Analyzing the barriers to source reduction reported by facilities helps
identify where more research is needed, for example, to address technological challenges or
develop viable alternatives. It may also allow for better communication between those with
knowledge of source reduction practices and those seeking additional assistance. This figure
shows the types of barriers facilities reported for metals and for all other (non-metal) TRI
chemicals.
Barriers to Source Reduction Reported for Metals and All Other Chemicals,
2017-2021
T3
CD
+j
k_
O
Q.
CD
CD
Q.
100%
90%
80%
70%
60%
50%
40%
30%
20%
10%
0%
Metals
I Source Reduction Unsuccessful
Regulatory Barriers
I Reduction Not Technically Feasible
I Other Barriers
I No Known Substitutes
Non-metals
I Technical Information Needed
I Insufficient Capital
I Product Quality Concerns
I Further Source Reduction Not Feasible
Note: Facilities have the option to report barriers to source reduction by selecting from nine codes. These codes are defined in
the TRI Reporting Forms and Instructions.
From 2017 to 2021:
• Facilities reported barriers to implementing source reduction for 311 TRI chemicals and
chemical categories.
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• No Known Substitutes was the most frequently reported barrier for both metals and non-
o Excluding metals, the nitrate compounds category was the chemical for which No Known
Substitutes was most reported. Facilities often report that nitrate compounds are
produced during sanitization or waste treatment processes for which there are no
alternatives.
• For the No Known Substitutes barrier for metals, many facilities reported the presence of
the TRI metal in their raw materials (e.g., metal alloys) as the reason they could not
implement source reduction activities. Examples include:
o An HVAC and refrigeration equipment manufacturer reported that cast iron contains
small amounts of lead and cannot be substituted in their products. fClick to view facility
details in the TRI P2 Search Tooll
o A fats and oils refining and blending facility reported that there are no alternatives to the
nickel catalyst required to perform a hydrogenation reaction on vegetable fatty acids.
fClick to view facility details in the TRI P2 Search Tooll
• Further Source Reduction Not Feasible was the next most common barrier for both metals
and non-metals. Facilities select this barrier code when additional reductions do not appear
feasible. For example:
o A paint and coating manufacturer reformulated a product line to contain less methanol
but reported that further source reduction is not feasible due to substitution limitations
and supply chain issues relating to COVID-19. fClick to view facility details in the TRI P2
Search Tooll
• You can view source reduction barriers for any TRI chemical bv using the TRI P2 Search
Tool.
metals.
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Source Reduction Activities by Parent Company
Facilities are required to report their parent company information to TRI for each reporting
year. For TRI reporting, a parent company is defined as the highest-level company, located in
the United States, that directly owns at least 50% of the company's voting stock. EPA groups
facilities by parent company to assess waste management at the parent company level and
identify companies and industries that regularly implement source reduction activities.
The figure below shows the parent companies whose facilities implemented the most source
reduction activities for 2021. Facilities outside of the manufacturing sector, such as electric
utilities and coal and metal mines, are not included in this chart because those facilities'
activities do not lend themselves to the same source reduction opportunities as the activities at
manufacturing facilities.
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Source Reduction Activities for Top Parent Companies, 2021
Koch Industries Inc
Silgan Holdings Inc
Lyondellbasell
Industries
PPG Industries Inc
Gerdau USA Inc
Parker Hannifin Corp
Aggregate Industries
Management Inc
Delta Air Lines Inc
Berkshire Hathaway Inc
Valmont Industries Inc
RPM International Inc
0
60
10 20 30 40 50
Number of Source Reduction Activities Reported
Operating Practices and Training Process and Equipment Modifications
I Inventory and Material Management Material Substitutions and Modifications
I Product Modifications
70
Notes: 1) This figure uses EPA's standardized parent company names. 2) To view facility counts by parent company, hover over the
bar graph.
Operating Practices and Training, such as improving maintenance or scheduling and installing
quality monitoring systems, were the most reported types of source reduction activities for
these parent companies. Process and Equipment Modifications were also commonly reported.
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Some of the facilities in these parent companies submitted additional text in their TRI reporting
forms to describe their pollution prevention activities. Examples include:
• A basic organic chemical manufacturing facility owned by Koch Industries Inc. implemented
a new technology that significantly lowered the use of benzene. fClick to view facility details
in the TRI P2 Search Tooll
• A rubber products manufacturing facility owned by Parker Hannifin Corp implemented a new
process to shut off water refilling valves during off-shifts to eliminate unnecessary refilling
and reduce waste generation. fClick to view facility details in the TRI P2 Search Tooll
You can find P2 activities reported bv a specific parent company and compare facilities' waste
management methods and trends for any TRI chemical bv using the TRI P2 Search Tool.
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Waste Management
Each year, the Toxics Release Inventory (TRI) Program receives information from more than
21,000 facilities on the quantities of TRI-listed chemicals they recycle, combust for energy
recovery, treat, and dispose of or otherwise release as part of their normal operations. These
quantities are collectively referred to as production-related waste manased.or^waste.managed.'.
Looking at waste managed over time helps track facilities' progress in reducing the amount of
chemical waste they manage. Additionally, these trends show if facilities are shifting toward
waste management practices that are preferable to disposing of or otherwise releasing waste
into the environment.
EPA encourages facilities to first reduce or eliminate
the use of TRI-listed chemicals and the creation of
chemical waste through source reduction. For waste
that is generated, the preferred management method
is recycling, followed by combustion for energy
recovery, treatment, and, as a last resort, safe
disposal or release of chemical waste into the
environment. This order of preference, called the
Waste Management Hierarchy, is consistent with the
national policy established by the Pollution Prevention
Act (PPA) of 1990.
2021 Highlights
• Facilities managed 29.3 billion pounds of TRI chemical waste, 89% of which was not released
due to preferred waste management practices such as recycling.
• Production-related waste managed increased by 5.3 billion pounds (22%) since 2012, driven by
a 6.1 billion pound (68%) increase in recycling.
As with any dataset, there are many factors to consider when using TRI data. Find a summary
of key factors associated with data used in the National Analysis in the Introduction. For more
information see Factors to Consider When Using Toxics Release Inventory Data.
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Production-Related Waste Managed
Waste streams generated during normal industrial operations may be released, treated, used
for energy recovery, or recycled. For example, facilities report the recovery of solvents as a
recycling method, or the destruction of a chemical waste through incineration as treatment.
This figure shows the 10-year trend in on-site and off-site recycling, combusting for energy
recovery, treating for destruction, and releasing into the environment, collectively referred to as
production-related, waste .managed.
35
30
25
l/>
T3
§20
O
Q.
ol5
u)
I*
CO
5
0
Production-Related Waste Managed
25
mm
2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021
Year
20
-i
15 |
V)
0)
3
Q_
in
10 O
m
0)
n
5 5
I Disposal and Other Releases Treatment Energy Recovery Recycling 9 Facilities
Note: For comparability, trend graphs include only those chemicals that were reportable to TRI for all years presented.
From 2012 to 2021:
• Production-related waste managed increased by 5.3 billion pounds (22%), driven by
increased recycling.
o Disposal and other releases decreased by 402 million pounds (-11%).
o Treatment decreased by 644 million pounds (-7%).
o Energy recovery increased by 273 million pounds (10%).
o Recycling increased by 6.1 billion pounds (68%), a trend largely driven by several
facilities that each reported recycling one billion pounds or more annually in recent
years.
• The number of facilities that report to TRI has declined by 5% since 2012. Reasons for this
decrease include facility closures, outsourcing of operations to other countries, and facilities
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reducing their manufacture, processing, or other use of TRI-listed chemicals to below the
reporting thresholds.
Facilities report both on- and off-site waste management. The following chart shows the relative
quantities of on-site and off-site waste management methods for 2021.
On-site and Off-site Waste Management, 2021
26%
10%
' 44%
I Off-site Recycling
I On-site Recycling
Off-site Energy Recovery
I On-site Energy Recovery
Off-site Treatment
On-site Treatment
Off-site Releases
I On-site Releases
Note: Percentages do not sum to 100% due to rounding.
For 2021, 87% of production-related waste was managed on site.
• Most production-related waste managed off site is recycled. Most of this recycling is
reported by the primary and fabricated metals sectors. Facilities in these sectors often send
scrap metal containing TRI chemicals such as zinc and copper off site for recycling.
• The 2021 distribution of waste managed on site and off site is similar to previous years.
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Waste Management by Chemical and Industry
Waste Managed by Chemical
This figure shows the TRI chemicals managed as waste in the greatest quantities from 2012 to
2021.
Production-Related Waste Managed by Chemical
¦ Cumene Dichloromethane 1 Methanol ¦ Toluene Hn-Hexane
¦ Zinc l Ethylene ¦ Hydrochloric Acid ¦ Lead ¦ All Others
35
2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021
Year
Note: 1) For comparability, trend graphs include only those chemicals that were reportable to TRI for all years presented. 2) In this
figure, the metals (lead and zinc) are combined with their metal compounds, although metals and compounds of the same metal
are listed separately on the TRI list.
From 2012 to 2021:
• Facilities reported production-related waste managed for more than 500 chemicals and
chemical categories. The chart above shows the nine chemicals managed as waste in the
largest quantities. Together, these chemicals represent 52% of the total waste managed
reported to TRI.
• Of the chemicals shown above, facilities reported increased quantities of waste managed
for: cumene, dichloromethane (methylene chloride), ethylene, and /7-hexane.
o Cumene recycling increased over 20-fold. This increase was mostly driven by one facility
that reported recycling over 3 billion pounds of cumene annually from 2014 to 2021.
fClick to view facility details in the TRI P2 Search Tooll
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o Dichloromethane waste managed increased over 10-fold, due to 2 facilities that started
recycling large quantities of the chemical after 2012.
o Ethylene waste managed increased by 721 million pounds (66%), driven by increased
treatment.
o /7-Hexane waste managed increased by 603 million pounds (64%). This was mostly
driven by one soybean processing facility which increased their /7-hexane recycling by
almost 600 million pounds since 2012. fClick to view facility details in the TRI P2 Search
Tool!
From 2020 to 2021:
• Quantities of TRI chemical waste managed increased for several chemicals including:
o Ethylene increased by 350 million pounds (24%).
o /7-Hexane increased by 115 million pounds (8%).
o Methanol increased by 81 million pounds (4%).
o Hydrochloric acid increased by 63 million pounds (7%).
• Quantities of TRI chemical waste managed decreased for cumene.
• Quantities of TRI chemical waste managed remained about the same for zinc, lead,
dichloromethane, and toluene.
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Waste Managed by Industry
This figure shows the industry sectors that managed the most TRI chemical waste from 2012 to
2021.
Production-Related Waste Managed by Industry
I Chemical Manufacturing ¦ Primary Metals ¦ Petroleum Products Manufacturing
¦ Metal Mining ¦ Food Manufacturing ¦ Paper Manufacturing
Electric Utilities ¦ Hazardous Waste Management BAN Others
35
2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021
Year
Note: For comparability, trend graphs include only those chemicals that were reportable to TRI for all years presented.
From 2012 to 2021:
• The eight sectors in this chart consistently reported managing the most production-related
waste since 2012. The amount of waste managed by these sectors has changed year to
year, especially for the chemical manufacturing sector. The chemical manufacturing sector
accounted for 40% of all production-related waste managed in 2012 and increased to 56%
in 2021.
• Three of the sectors shown in the graph increased their quantities of waste managed:
o Chemical manufacturing increased by 6.8 billion pounds (71%).
o Food manufacturing increased by 715 million pounds (53%).
o Hazardous waste management increased by 126 million pounds (18%).
• The quantity of waste generated in some industries fluctuates considerably from year to
year due to changes in production or other factors. For example, quantities of waste
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managed reported by metal mining facilities can change significantly based on differences in
the composition of waste rock.
From 2020 to 2021:
• Industry sectors that reported the greatest changes in waste management quantities were:
o Chemical manufacturing increased by 299 million pounds (2%).
o Hazardous waste management increased by 134 million pounds (20%).
o Electric utilities increased by 132 million pounds (15%).
o Food manufacturing increased by 129 million pounds (7%).
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Non-Production-Related Waste Managed
Sometimes, chemical waste is created by one-time events like remedial actions and natural
disasters rather than normal production processes. Waste generated this way is referred to as
non-production-related waste. Non-production-related waste is reported separately from
production-related waste because it is largely unpredictable and less amenable to pollution
prevention. Non-production-related waste is included in a facility's "total disposal or other
releases" but not in its "production-related waste managed." The following graph shows the
quantities of non-production-related waste reported to TRI for 2021.
Non-Production-Related Waste Managed by Industry, 2021
38 million pounds
All Others: 6%
Primary Metals: 1%
Fabricated Metals: 1%
Electrical Equipment:
14%
Chemical
Manufacturing: 78%
• For 2021, 473 facilities reported managing a total of 38 million pounds of non-production-
related waste. This represents 0.13% of the total amount of TRI waste managed in 2021.
• In recent years, non-production-related waste reported by all TRI facilities has totaled less
than 10 million pounds per year. One facility reported managing a large amount of zinc
compounds as non-production-related waste in 2021 due to a remediation effort, increasing
the non-production-related waste total for 2021.
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Waste Managed by Parent Company
Facilities that report to the Toxics Release Inventory (TRI) provide information about their
parent company. For TRI reporting purposes, the parent company is the highest-level company
located in the United States. For TRI reporting, a parent company is defined as the highest-level
company, located in the United States, that directly owns at least 50% of the company's voting
stock. EPA groups facilities by parent company to assess waste management at the parent
company level and identify companies and industries that regularly implement source reduction
activities.
This figure shows the parent companies whose facilities reported the most production-related
waste managed for 2021. Note that most of these companies manage most of their waste
through EPA's preferred waste management methods-recycling, energy recovery, ortreatment-
rather than releasing it into the environment.
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Production-Related Waste Managed by Parent Company, 2021
Sabic US Holdings LP
-
Advansix Inc
-
Incobrasa Industries Ltd
-
Dow Inc
¦II
-
The Chemours Co
-
Teck American Inc
Syngenta Corp
—
Nevada Gold Mines LLC
Koch Industries Inc
Illl
Westlake Chemical Corp
¦II
0 12 3 4
Billions of Pounds
¦ Disposal and Other Releases ¦ Treatment ¦ Energy Recovery ¦ Recycling
Notes: 1) This figure uses EPA's standardized parent company names. 2) To view facility counts by parent company, hover over
the bar graph. 3) Incobrasa Industries Ltd does not report a parent company but it is included in this figure because it reported a
comparable quantity of production-related waste managed.
These parent companies' TRI-reporting facilities mostly operate in the following industry
sectors:
• Chemical manufacturing: Sabic US Holdings LP, Advansix Inc, Dow Inc, The Chemours
Company, Syngenta Corp, Westlake Chemical Corp
• Soybean processing: Incobrasa Industries Ltd
• Metal mining: Teck American Inc, Nevada Gold Mines LLC
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• Multiple sectors, e.g., pulp and paper, petroleum refining, and chemicals: Koch Industries
Inc
You can find information about a specific parent company and compare facilities' waste
management methods and trends for any TRI chemical bv using the TRI P2 Search Tool.
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Releases of Chemicals
Release or disposal, of Toxics Release Inventory (TRI) chemicals into the environment occurs in
several ways. Facilities may release chemical waste directly into the air or water or dispose of it
to land. Some facilities also transfer waste that contains TRI chemicals to off-site locations for
disposal. Facilities releasing or disposing of TRI chemical waste must comply with a variety of
regulatory requirements and restrictions that are designed to minimize potential harm to human
health and the environment.
Facilities must report the quantities of TRI-
listed chemicals they release into the
environment. Analyzing these release data
along with data from other sources helps
to:
• Identify potential concerns in
communities.
• Better understand potential risks
chemical releases may pose.
• Identify opportunities to engage with
facilities or provide technical assistance
to lessen potential risks.
However, it is important to understand
that the quantity of chemical releases alone is not necessarily an indicator of health outcomes
or environmental impacts from the chemicals. Other important factors that contribute to
potential harm and risks from releases of chemicals are discussed in the section Risks from TRI
Chemicals.
Use the chart below to explore the 2021 TRI chemical releases by industry sector, chemical, or
state/territory. Visit the full TRI National Analysis data visualization dashboard to explore even
more information about releases of chemicals.
Helpful Concepts
What is a release?
In the context of TRI, a "release" of a chemical
generally refers to a chemical that is emitted to
the air, discharged to water, or disposed of in
some type of land disposal unit. Most TRI
releases happen during routine production
operations at facilities. To learn more about what
EPA is doing to help limit the release of toxic
chemicals into the environment, see the EPA
laws and regulations webpage.
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No selections applied
//
Industry
Chemical
State/Territory
Releases, 2621
3,045,486,4361b
Water
and
2021 Highlights
• Facilities released 3.3 billion pounds of TRI chemicals, a 10% decrease since 2012.
• Air releases decreased 26% in the last 10 years, driven by reductions from electric utilities.
As with any dataset, there are many factors to consider when using TRI data. Find a summary
of key factors associated with data used in the National Analysis in the Introduction. For more
information see Factors to Consider When Using Toxics Release Inventory Data.
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Trends in Releases
The following graph shows the latest 10-year trend in total releases (also referred to as "total
disposal or other releases"). Many factors can affect the trend in releases over time, including
changes in production rates, waste management practices, the composition of raw materials,
and pollution control technologies.
o 3
Q.
2
Total Disposal and Other Releases
1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1
2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021
Year
On-site Air Releases
i On-site Land Disposal
• Reporting Facilities
i On-site Surface Water Discharges
Off-site Disposal or Other Releases
25
20 2
15
10 =¦
Note: For comparability, trend graphs include only those chemicals that were reportable to TRI for all years presented.
From 2012 to 2021:
• Total releases of TRI chemicals decreased by 10%.
o Reduced releases to air from electric utilities were the most significant contributor to the
decline.
• Air releases decreased by 26%, surface water discharges decreased by 10%, on-site land
disposal decreased by 5%, and off-site disposal decreased by 6%.
o The number of facilities that reported to TRI declined by 5%.
From 2020 to 2021:
• Total releases increased by 8%, driven by an 8% increase in land disposal.
• Air releases increased by 3%, water discharges increased by 1%, and quantities transferred
off site for disposal increased by 14%.
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Releases by Chemical and Industry
Releases by Chemical
Release quantities of 8 chemicals made up 73% of total releases.
Total Disposal and Other Releases by Chemical, 2021
3.3 billion pounds
Zinc:
17%
Note: 1) In this figure, metals are combined with their metal compounds, although metals and compounds of the same metal are
listed separately on the TRI list (e.g., lead is listed separately from lead compounds). 2) Percentages do not sum to 100% due to
rounding.
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Releases by Industry
The metal mining sector accounted for 44% of releases (1.44 billion pounds), which were
primarily in the form of on-site land disposal. Learn more about this sector in the Metal Mining
sector profile.
Total Disposal and Other Releases by Industry, 2021
3.3 billion pounds
All Others: 10%
Food Manufacturing:
5%
Paper
Manufacturing: 5%
Hazardous Waste
Management: 5%
Electric Utilities: 7%
Metal Mining: 44%
Primary Metals: 8%
Chemical
Manufacturing: 16%
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Potential Risks from TRI Chemicals
Health risks that may result from exposure to chemicals are determined by many factors. The
quantities of chemicals released into the environment are not an indicator of risks to human
health because these quantities alone do not indicate the extent of exposure to these
chemicals. Factors listed in the figure below must be considered in order to assess the potential
risk of a chemical release causing an adverse effect.
TRI data can be used as a starting point—along with other resources such as EPA's Risk-
Screening Environmental Indicators (RSEI) model—to evaluate potential exposure and risks to
human health.
EPA developed the Risk-Screening Environmental Indicators fRSEP model to help identify
geographic areas, industry sectors, and chemical releases that may be associated with
significant human health risks and examine how these potential risks change over time. RSEI
incorporates information from TRI on the amount of chemicals released along with factors such
as how chemicals change and where they go as they move through the environment, each
chemical's relative toxicity, and the potential for human exposure.
People are most likely to be exposed to TRI chemicals through the air or water, so RSEI focuses
on releases to air and water, including releases to air from waste incinerators and releases to
water following transfers to publicly owned treatment works (POTWs). Using these waste
management quantities reported to TRI, the RSEI model produces two primary results—hazard-
Overview of Factors that Influence Risk
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based values (RSEI Hazard) and risk-related scores (RSEI Score)—that enable screening-level
comparisons of relative potential harm and potential risks to human health from TRI chemicals.
• RSEI Hazard consists of the pounds of
a chemical released or transferred
multiplied by the chemical's toxicity
weight.
• A RSEI Score is a calculated estimate
of relative potential human health risk.
It is a unitless value that accounts for
the amount of a chemical released to
air or water, what happens to the
chemical in the environment, size, and
location(s) of potentially exposed
populations, and the chemical's toxicity
weight.
Both RSEI Score and RSEI Hazard provide
greater insight on potential health impacts
than TRI release quantities alone. However,
RSEI Hazard or RSEI Score values do not provide estimates of human health risks from
industrial emissions of TRI chemicals. Rather, these values are used for relative comparisons,
such as the analysis of trends over time or comparison of sectors. Studies and analysis using
RSEI data can be used to help establish priorities for further investigation and to look at
changes in potential human health impacts over time. More information on RSEI and its
applications is available at EPA's RSEI website.
Helpful Concepts
The hazard of a chemical is its inherent ability
to cause an adverse effect on health (e.g.,
cancer, birth defects).
Exposure is how a person comes into contact
with a chemical (e.g., inhalation, ingestion)
and can be described in terms of its magnitude
(how much), frequency (how often), and
duration (how long).
The likelihood that a toxic chemical will cause
an adverse health effect is often referred to as
risk. Risk is a function of hazard and
exposure.
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Hazard Trend
RSEI Hazard values provide additional insight on the potential human health impacts of TRI
chemicals beyond consideration of release quantities alone. The following graph shows the 10-
year trend in calculated RSEI Hazard compared to the trend in the unweighted quantity of
chemicals used to calculate RSEI Hazard (corresponding pounds).
RSEI Hazard and Corresponding Pounds
16
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1,600
1,400
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1,000
800
600
400
200
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2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017
Year
Air Releases (Hazard) ¦
Transfers to POTWs (Hazard) ¦
•Corresponding Pounds Released or Transferred
2018
2019
2020
2021
I Water Releases (Hazard)
I Transfers to Incineration (Hazard)
Note: For comparability, trend graphs include only those chemicals with toxicity weights that were reportable to TRI for all years
presented. RSEI Hazard values and corresponding pounds include only on-site air releases, on-site water releases, transfers to
publicly owned treatment works (POTWs), and transfers to incineration.
From 2012 to 2021:
• The calculated RSEI Hazard values shown in the figure above decreased by 17%, while their
corresponding pounds decreased by 9%. This suggests that TRI facilities are not only
releasing or transferring fewer pounds of TRI chemicals for these activities but are also
releasing or transferring less of the more toxic chemicals.
• The 14% increase in RSEI Hazard from 2020 to 2021 was driven in part by an increase in
air releases of chromium from one facility in Indiana.
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Risk-Screening Trend
RSEI Scores are estimates that describe relative potential risk to human health for use in
comparative analysis. RSEI Scores consider the location of TRI chemical releases and the
number of people living in the surrounding areas. RSEI Scores also account for what happens to
the chemical in the environment, where the chemical might travel, and how much of the
chemical people might be exposed to.
The following graph shows the 10-year trend in calculated RSEI Score compared to the trend in
the corresponding pounds of TRI chemicals released or transferred that are used to calculate
the RSEI Score.
RSEI Score and Corresponding Pounds
600
£ 500
o
400
a;
¦¦g 300
3
CD
o 200
u
00
£ 100
1,600
1,400 «
o
1,200 1
1,000
800
600
400
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200
o
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2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017
Year
Air Releases (Score) H
Transfers to POTWs (Score) H
¦ Corresponding Pounds Released or Transferred
2018
2019
2020
2021
I Water Releases (Score)
iTransfers to Incineration (Score)
Note: For comparability, trend graphs include only those chemicals that were reportable to TRI for all years presented. RSEI Score
values and corresponding pounds include only on-site air releases (Air Releases), on-site water releases (Water Releases), transfers
to POTWs, and transfers to incineration.
From 2012 to 2021:
• The overall calculated RSEI Score decreased by 32%, while corresponding pounds
decreased by 9%. This suggests that TRI reporting facilities are: releasing or transferring
fewer pounds of TRI chemicals; or releasing fewer pounds of the more toxic TRI chemicals;
or that releases are occurring in areas that are less populated.
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• While RSEI Score does not describe actual risks to human health from TRI chemicals, the
overall decrease in RSEI Score indicates that, at the national level, the relative potential risk
from toxic chemicals reported to TRI has declined from 2012 to 2021.
• Of the types of releases modeled by RSEI, air releases contribute the most to potential
human health risks based on calculated RSEI Scores.
• The decrease in RSEI Score from 2012 to 2021 was driven by large decreases in air releases
of ethylene oxide.
• Use EPA's EasvRSEI Dashboard to view the national trend in RSEI Hazard and RSEI Score,
or use the Dashboard's filter capabilities to view other RSEI information for a specific
chemical or location of interest.
RSEI Dashboard
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Air Releases
Releases of TRI chemicals into the air have declined notably over the last 10 years, driving the
decrease in total releases. These releases include both fu^itive.air.emissions and stack.air
emissions.
This graph shows the 10-year trend in the quantity of chemicals released into the air. EPA
regulates air emissions under the Clean Air Act, which requires facilities to comply with
permitting requirements if they meet certain criteria such as size and pollutant release
minimums.
900
800
700
"O
c
3
0
*s 600
V)
1 500
S 400
300
200
100
0
Air Releases (Pounds Released)
Fugitive Air Emissions ¦ Stack Air Emissions Pounds Released
O RSEI Score
I I I I ¦ I I I I
2012
2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021
Year
Note: For comparability, trend graphs include only those chemicals that were reportable to TRI for all years presented.
From 2012 to 2021:
• Releases into the air decreased by 26% (-204 million pounds).
o Since 2012, air releases of hydrochloric acid, sulfuric acid, hydrogen fluoride, methanol,
and toluene decreased the most,
o This decrease was driven by electric utilities due to: decreased releases of hydrochloric
acid and sulfuric acid to air; a shift from coal to other fuel sources (e.g., natural gas);
and the installation of pollution control technologies at coal-fired power plants,
o Note that only those electric utilities that combust coal or oil to generate power for
distribution into commerce are covered under TRI reporting requirements. Electric
utilities that shift from combusting coal or oil to entirely using other fuel sources (such
as natural gas) are not required to report to TRI.
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• Air releases of chemicals classified as carcinogens by the Occupational Safety and Health
Administration (OSHA) also decreased; see the Air Releases of OSHA Carcinogens figure.
• For trends in air releases of chemicals of special concern, including lead and mercury, see
the Chemical Profiles section.
In 2021:
• The TRI chemicals released into the air in the largest quantities were ammonia and
methanol.
• Air releases of TRI chemicals increased by 3% since 2020.
o The largest increase in air releases was reported by electric utilities. More information
about this sector is available in the Electric Utilities sector profile.
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This graph shows the 10-year trend in RSEI Scores for TRI air releases.
Air Releases (RSEI Score) 1 _ 1 Pounds Released
(§) RSEI Score
¦ Fugitive Air Emissions ¦ Stack Air Emissions
600
500
£
o
^ 400
l/>
_0J
300
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Air Releases by Chemical
This pie chart shows which TRI chemicals were released into the air in the greatest quantities
during 2021.
On-site Air Releases by Chemical, 2021
571 million pounds
All Others:.
35%
Hydrochloric Acid:.
4%
Styrene:
5%
-7!
n-Hexane:
7%
.Ammonia:
23%
I
Methanol:
17%
.Sulfuric Acid:
9%
• Ammonia: Facilities that manufacture nitrogen-based fertilizers accounted for 43% of the
ammonia released to air during 2021.
• Methanol: Paper manufacturing facilities released the most methanol to air.
• Sulfuric acid: In 2021, facilities in the electric utilities sector released more sulfuric acid and
hydrochloric acid to air than any other industry sector.
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Air Releases by Industry
This pie chart shows the TRI-covered industry sectors that reported the largest quantities of air
releases during 2021.
Air Releases by Industry, 2021
571 million pounds
All Others: 15%
Primary Metals:
5% \
Plastics and
Rubber: 6%
Petroleum
Products
Manufacturing: 6%
Food
Manufacturing: 8%
ric Utilities:-/
Chemical
Manufacturing:
29%
Paper
Manufacturing:
20%
• Facilities in the chemical manufacturing, paper manufacturing, and electric utility
sectors accounted for the largest air releases of TRI chemicals during 2021.
o Chemical manufacturing: Air releases were mostly of ammonia (46%) and ethylene
(10%).
o Paper manufacturing: Air releases were primarily of methanol (66%).
o Electric utilities: Air releases were mostly of sulfuric acid (61%).
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Water Releases
TRI chemicals released into streams or other water bodies are referred to as "water releases" or
"surface water discharges." They are regulated under the Clean Water Act, which often requires
facilities to obtain permits under the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System fNPDESI.
The following graph shows the 10-year trend in the amount of TRI chemicals directly released
into water bodies.
250
Surface Water Discharges (Pounds Released)
@Pounds Released
¦ o rse| Sc°re
o
Q.
200
150
100
50
2012
2013
2014
2015
2016 2017
Year
2018
2019
2020
2021
Note: For comparability, trend graphs include only those chemicals that were reportable to TRI for all years presented.
From 2012 to 2021:
• Discharges of TRI chemicals into surface water decreased by 22 million pounds (-10%).
Most of this decline was due to reductions in releases of nitrate compounds.
o Nitrate compounds are often formed as byproducts during wastewater treatment
processes such as neutralization of nitric acid, or when nitrification takes place to meet
standards under EPA's effluent guidelines.
In 2021:
• Nitrate compounds alone accounted for 90% of total releases of TRI chemicals to water.
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o Nitrate compounds are released by many sectors, with the most releases of nitrate
compounds reported by facilities in the food manufacturing sector.
The following graph shows the 10-year trend in RSEI Scores for TRI chemicals directly released
into water bodies.
Surface Water Discharges (RSEI Score) Q Pounds Released
(J) RSEI Score
U)
2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021
Year
Note: For comparability, trend graphs include only those chemicals that were reportable to TRI for all years presented and
calculated RSEI Score values for on-site water releases (Water Releases).
• While total water releases have been fairly steady from 2012 through 2021, associated RSEI
Scores have fluctuated substantially. The total pounds of water releases are driven by
nitrate compounds, which are relatively low in toxicity; the annual quantities of nitrate
compounds released have been fairly constant. RSEI Scores are driven by chemicals that
are more toxic. Relatively small changes in the releases of these chemicals can have large
impacts on RSEI Scores even though they have little impact on the trend in pounds.
• The biggest chemical contributors to the RSEI Scores for water releases from 2012 to 2021
were arsenic compounds and nitroglycerin.
• The decreased RSEI Score since 2012 was driven in part by a large decrease in
hexachlorobenzene. Decreased releases of arsenic compounds were also an important
contributor.
• The increase from 2020 to 2021 was driven in part by increases in discharges of mercury
compounds and nitroglycerin.
• For a complete, step-by-step description of how EPA's RSEI model derives and models RSEI
Score values from surface water discharges of TRI chemicals, see "Section 5.4: Modeling
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Surface Water Releases" of EPA's Risk-Screening Environmental Indicators fRSED
Methodology.
• For general information on how RSEI Scores are estimated, see Potential Risks from TRI
Chemicals.
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Water Releases by Chemical
This pie chart shows which TRI-listed chemicals facilities released into water bodies in the
largest quantities during 2021.
Water Releases by Chemical, 2021
196 million pounds
All Others
Manganese
Barium
Methanol
Sodium Nitrite
Ammonia
Zinc
Note: 1) In this chart, metals are combined with their metal compounds, although metals and compounds of the same metal are
listed separately on the TRI list (e.g., manganese is listed separately from manganese compounds). 2) The nitrate compounds
category in TRI includes only water dissociable nitrate compounds. 3) Percentages do not sum to 100% due to rounding.
Nitrate compounds accounted for 90% of the
total quantity of TRI chemicals released to water
in 2021. Nitrate compounds are commonly
formed as part of facilities' on-site wastewater
treatment processes. The food manufacturing
sector contributed 42% of total nitrate
compound releases to water, due to the
treatment required for biological materials in
wastewater, such as from meat processing
facilities.
After nitrate compounds, methanol, ammonia,
and manganese compounds were released in the
largest quantities, and in terms of combined
mass, accounted for 7% of the chemicals released
What Are Nitrate
ComDOunds?
Nitrate compounds are a group of
chemicals with relatively low toxicity
to humans, but in nitrogen-limited
waters, nitrates have the potential to
cause increased algal growth
leading to eutrophication in the
aquatic environment. See EPA's
Nutrient Pollution webpage for more
information about the issue of
eutrophication.
into water.
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Water Releases by Industry
This pie chart shows the TRI-covered industry sectors that reported the largest quantities of
TRI water releases during 2021.
Water Releases by Industry, 2021
196 million pounds
All Others: 13%
Note: Percentages do not sum to 100% due to rounding.
• Facilities in the food manufacturing sector accounted for 38% of water releases of TRI
chemicals for 2021 and approximately one-third of annual water releases over the past ten
years.
o Nitrate compounds accounted for 99% of the total quantity of water releases from the
food manufacturing sector. Compared to many other TRI chemicals discharged into
surface waters, nitrate compounds are less toxic to humans. They are formed in large
quantities by this sector during wastewater treatment processes due to the high
biological content of wastewater.
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Land Disposal
Facilities report the quantities of TRI chemical waste disposed in landfills, underground injection
wells, surface impoundments, and other types of containment. Land disposal of chemicals is
often regulated by EPA under the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act fRCRAY RCRA
design standards for hazardous waste landfills and surface impoundments include a double
liner, a leachate collection and removal system, and a leak detection system. Operators of these
disposal units must also comply with RCRA inspection, monitoring, and release response
requirements.
This graph shows the 10-year trend in on-site land disposal of TRI chemicals. The metal mining
sector accounts for most of this disposal.
On-site Land Disposal
3,000
(§) Land Disposal, All Sectors
1 ) Land Disposal, Excluding Metal Mining
2,000
§ 1,000
2012
2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021
Surface Impoundments ¦ Landfills
Year
Underground Injection
All Other Land Disposal
Note: For comparability, trend graphs include only those chemicals that were reportable to TRI for all years presented.
From 2012 to 2021:
• On-site land disposal has fluctuated over the last ten years.
• Metal mines have driven the decrease in on-site land disposal since 2017.
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Helpful Concepts
• "All Other Land Disposal" in the figure includes
application of waste to land such as in agricultural
fertilizer, spills and leaks to land, and any other land
disposal, such as in waste rock piles at metal mines.
Land releases from metal mines:
The metal mining sector generally drives trends in land
disposal. In 2021, this sector accounted for 68% of land
disposal quantities. Select the "Land Disposal, Excluding
Metal Mining" button to view the land disposal trend
without data from metal mines.
• The TRI chemicals disposed to land by metal mines
in 2021 were primarily zinc compounds (28%), lead
compounds (27%), and arsenic compounds (22%).
• Metal mining facilities typically handle large volumes
of material. Besides production volume, one factor
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
concentration-based exemption from TRI reporting
in one year but not in the next year or vice versa.
• Regulations require that waste rock, which contains TRI chemicals, be placed in engineered
piles, and may also require that waste rock piles, tailings impoundments, and heap leach
pads be stabilized and re-vegetated to provide for productive post-mining land use.
• For more information on the mining industry, see the Metal Mining sector profile.
This graph shows the 10-year trend in on-site land disposal, excluding quantities reported by
the metal mining sector. The metal mining sector accounts for about 70% of the quantities of
TRI chemicals disposed to land in most years.
What is underground iniection?
Underground injection involves
placing fluids underground in porous
formations through wells. EPA
regulates underground injection
through its Underground Injection
Control Program under the Safe
Drinking Water Act.
What is a surface impoundment?
Surface impoundments are natural or
artificial depressions, excavations, or
diked areas used to hold liquid waste.
Construction of surface
impoundments must follow criteria
including having a double liner and
leak detection system. Surface
impoundments are sometimes
regulated through the Resource
Conservation and Recovery Act.
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On-site Land Disposal Excluding Metal Mine Lanc' Disposal, All Sectors
Land Disposal, Excluding Metal Mining
2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021
Year
¦ Surface Impoundments "Landfills ¦ Underground Injection i All Other Land Disposal
Note: For comparability, trend graphs include only those chemicals that were reportable to TRI for all years presented.
From 2012 to 2021:
• Total on-site land disposal for all industries other than metal mining was relatively steady
from 2012 to 2018.
• Since 2018, the decrease in land disposal for industries other than metal mining was driven
by reduced releases to land reported by electric utilities and primary metal manufacturing
facilities.
In 2021:
• Land releases in 2021 were about the same as in 2019, indicating that the drop in land
releases in 2020 may have been a temporary reduction related to the Covid-19 public health
emergency.
• Excluding the quantities of TRI chemicals disposed of to land by metal mines, the chemicals
disposed of on site to land in the largest quantities were: barium and barium compounds
(15%), manganese and manganese compounds (11%), zinc and zinc compounds (9%), and
copper and copper compounds (7%).
• Excluding metal mines, most on-site land disposal quantities were reported by the chemical
manufacturing, electric utilities, hazardous waste management, and primary metals sectors.
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Land Disposal by Chemical
This pie chart shows the chemicals disposed of to land on site in the greatest quantities during
2021. The metal mining sector accounts for most of this disposal. To view the chemicals
disposed of to land by sectors other than metal mining, toggle to the "Land Disposal, Excluding
Metal Mining" chart.
(§) Land Disposal, All Sectors
On-Site Land Disposal by Chemical, 2021 |_anc| Disposal, Excluding Metal Mining
2.1 billion pounds
Note: In this chart, metals are combined with their metal compounds, although metals and compounds of the same metal are listed
separately on the TRI list (e.g., lead is listed separately from lead compounds).
The metal mining sector alone was responsible for 92% of the zinc, lead, and arsenic disposed
of to land in 2021. These three chemicals made up 57% of the total quantities of TRI chemicals
disposed of to land. Toggle to the "Land Disposal, Excluding Metal Mining" chart to see the
chemicals released in the greatest quantities by other sectors, which shows a wider array of
chemicals.
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This pie chart shows the chemicals disposed of on site to land in the greatest quantities during
2021, excluding quantities from facilities in the metal mining sector.
O Land Disposal, All Sectors
—(5) Land Disposal, Excluding Metal Mining
On-Site Land Disposal Excluding Metal Mining, by Chemical, 2021
685 million pounds
6%
Note: In this chart, metals are combined with their metal compounds, although metals and compounds of the same metal are listed
separately on the TRI list (e.g., lead is listed separately from lead compounds).
• When the metal mining sector is excluded, a wider variety of chemicals contribute to most
of the land releases. For example, seven different chemicals made up 58% of land releases
when metal mining facilities are excluded, whereas three chemicals made up a comparable
57% of land releases when these facilities are included (as shown on the "Land Disposal, All
Sectors" chart).
• Barium: Most land releases were from the electric utilities sector.
• Manganese: Most land releases were from the chemical manufacturing, electric utilities, and
primary metals sectors.
• Zinc: Most land releases were from the primary metals sector.
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Land Disposal by Industry
This pie chart shows the industry sectors that reported the greatest quantities of on-site land
disposal of TRI chemicals during 2021.
On-site Land Disposal by Industry, 2021
2.1 billion pounds
Chemical
Manufacturing: 12%
Metal Mining: 68%
Electric Utilities: 7%
Hazardous Waste
Management: 6%
Primary Metals: 5%
All Others: 3%
Note: Percentages do not sum to 100% due to rounding.
• Metal mines accounted for most of the TRI chemicals disposed of to land in 2021.
• The relative contribution by each industry sector to on-site land disposal has not changed
considerably in recent years.
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Chemical Profiles
In this section, we take a closer look at some of the Toxics Release Inventory (TRI) chemicals
of interest to the public, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), lawmakers, and industry.
These profiles include persistent bioaccumulative toxic (PBT) chemicals that are classified by
TRI as chemicals of special concern. Other profiles focus on carcinogens (chemicals that cause
cancer) and per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS, persistent chemicals that were recently
added to TRI).
PBTs are toxic, break down very slowly in the environment, and tend to build up in organisms
throughout the food web. These organisms are food sources for other organisms, including
humans, which are sensitive to the toxic effects of PBT chemicals. Reporting thresholds for the
PBTs on the TRI chemical list are either 10 pounds or 100 pounds, lower than for most TRI
chemicals. For dioxin and dioxin-like compounds, the reporting threshold is even lower, at 0.1
gram. The PBTs covered here are lead and lead compounds, mercury and mercury compounds,
and dioxin and dioxin-like compounds.
You can generate a fact sheet for any chemical using TRI Explorer.
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Lead
This chemical profile focuses on releases of lead and lead compounds.
o
<
LU
What is lead?
Lead is a naturally occurring element that can
be harmful to health even at low levels,
especially for children. While some uses of lead
have been eliminated or substantially reduced,
such as in gasoline and paint, it is still used in
some industrial operations in products like
metal alloys and batteries.
Lead does not degrade and
can remain in contaminated
soil for a long time.
ATSDR Toxicological Profile for Lead
Health effects of exposure
""jl" Affects almost every organ and system
Targets the nervous system (brain)
Impairs children's mental development
May cause cancer
ATSDR Toxicological Profile for Lead
Lead releases in TRI
The metal mining sector reports
the most releases, mostly to land. A A A
The primary metals manufacturing sector
reports the most releases to air and water.
U.S. EPA TO), Reporting Year 2021
7,436 facilities submitted TRI forms for lead for 2021
Facilities initiated 1,837 source reduction activities for lead in the past 5 years.
U.S. EPA TKI, Reporting Year 2021
Facilities report their management of both lead and lead compounds in waste to TRI. For TRI,
"lead" only includes pure lead, while "lead compounds" includes any chemical that contains
lead. Although facilities may report for lead compounds separately from lead, the two are
combined and referred to simply as "lead" in this analysis.
This map shows the locations of the facilities that reported lead to TRI for 2021, sized by their
relative release quantities. Zoom in to view demographic data for communities around these
facilities. Click on a facility for more details on its reporting.
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Click on any one of the locations on the map to see detailed information.
View Larger Map
More TRI forms are received for lead each year than any other chemical. This graph shows the
10-year trend in lead disposed of or otherwise released by facilities in all TRI reporting industry
sectors.
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Total Disposal or Other Releases of Lead
1,000
(§) All Sectors
Excluding Metal Mining
2012 2013 2014 2015
On-site Air Releases
¦ On-site Land Disposal
2016 2017
Year
2018 2019 2020 2021
i On-site Surface Water Discharges
Off-site Disposal or Other Releases
Learn more about
lead
From 2012 to 2021:
• Total releases of lead fluctuated between 2012 and
2021.
• Land disposal by metal mines drives annual lead
releases. For 2021, metal mines reported 86% of all
releases of lead, which was almost all disposed of to
land.
From 2020 to 2021:
• Total releases of lead stayed about the same.
Visit EPA's lead homepage for
more information about lead and
EPA's actions to reduce lead
exposures.
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This graph shows the 10-year trend in lead released, but excludes quantities reported by the
metal mining sector. q a|| SectQrs
(§) Excluding Metal Mining
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i On-site Land Disposal
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Off-site Disposal or Other Releases
From 2012 to 2021:
• For sectors other than metal mining, total releases of lead fluctuated between 2012 and
2021.
• Among sectors other than metal mining, most releases of lead came from the primary
metals and hazardous waste management sectors.
From 2020 to 2021:
• Off-site disposal of lead increased by 94% driven by several facilities that reported large
increases in off-site lead disposal for 2021. For two of these facilities, the increase was due
to lead remediation activities. Two other facilities commented that reduced options to ship
off site in 2020 due to COVID delayed shipments until 2021.
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Lead Air Releases
This graph shows the 10-year trend in lead released to air.
Air Releases of Lead
1,000
2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021
Year
Fugitive Air Emissions ¦ Stack Air Emissions
From 2012 to 2021:
• Air releases of lead decreased by 56%. Most of the decrease comes from reduced stack
emissions.
• The primary metals sector, which includes copper smelting and iron and steel
manufacturing, released the largest quantities of lead to air. This sector has also been the
biggest driver of reduced air releases since 2012, although lead air releases have decreased
in most sectors.
From 2020 to 2021:
• Air releases of lead decreased by 13%. The primary metals and plastics and rubber products
manufacturing sectors accounted for the largest reductions.
• In 2021, the primary metals sector accounted for 33% of lead released into the air.
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Mercury
This chemical profile focuses on releases of mercury and mercury compounds.
What is Mercury?
Mercury is a naturally occurring element that
travels far when released into the air and can
become concentrated in organisms, especially
in water-dwelling organisms like fish and rice.
Industry mines and processes
mercury to make dental
products, electronics, and
fluorescent lights.
ATSDR Toxicological Profile for Mercury
Health effects of exposure
Impacts on the nervous system
«ll» Impacts on kidney function
Other impacts depend on form of mercury,
length and route of exposure, and
person's age.
ATSDR Toxicological Profile for Mercury
Mercury releases in TRI
The metal mining sector reports
the most releases, mostly to land.
The primary metals manufacturing sector
reports the most releases to air.
U.S. EPA TRI, Reporting Year 2021
1,329 facilities submitted TRI forms for mercury for 2021
Facilities initiated 210 source reduction activities for mercury in the past 5 years.
U.S. EPA TRI, Reporting Year 2021
Facilities report waste management of both mercury and mercury compounds to TRI. For TRI,
"mercury" only includes pure mercury, while "mercury compounds" includes any chemical that
contains mercury. Although facilities may report for mercury compounds separately from
mercury, the two are combined and referred to simply as "mercury" in this analysis.
This profile focuses on air releases of mercury as they are the type of release most likely to
impact human health.
This map shows the locations of the facilities that reported mercury to TRI for 2021, sized by
their relative release quantities to air. Zoom in to view demographic data for communities
around these facilities. Click on a facility for more details on its reporting.
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Mercury
Air Releases
• > 750 lbs
• 300 • 750 lbs
• 100 - 300 lbs
• 10 -100 lbs
• < 10 lbs
0 125 250 500 750 1,000
Click on any one of the locations on the map to see detailed information.
View Larger Map
This graph shows the 10-year trend in mercury released to air.
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Air Releases of Mercury
100,000
75,000
o
Q.
50,000
25,000
Htm
2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021
Year
Fugitive Air Emissions ¦ Stack Air Emissions
Learn more about
mercury
From 2012 to 2021:
• Releases of mercury to air decreased by 56%.
• Electric utilities drove the decline in mercury air
emissions, with an 85% reduction (-41,000 pounds).
The decrease was driven by a shift from coal to other
fuel sources (e.g., natural gas) and by the installation
of pollution control technologies at coal-fired power
plants.
o Note that only those electric utilities that combust
coal or oil to generate power for distribution into
commerce are covered under TRI reporting requirements. Electric utilities that shift from
combusting any coal or oil to entirely using other fuel sources (such as natural gas) are
not required to report to TRI.
From 2020 to 2021:
• Releases of mercury to air increased by 9% but were only slightly higher than quantities
released in 2019.
• For 2021, the primary metals sector, which includes iron and steel manufacturers,
accounted for 39% of the air emissions of mercury and the electric utilities sector accounted
for 21% of mercury air emissions.
Visit EPA s mercury homepage for
more information about mercury and
EPA's actions to reduce mercury
exposures.
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Dioxins
This chemical profile focuses on releases of dioxin and dioxin-like compounds.
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X
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D
What are dioxins?
Dioxins are a group of chlorinated chemicals
that are produced unintentionally as
byproducts of combustion, incineration,
and other industrial processes including
metal production. Dioxins
break down very slowly in
the environment and can
last for years or decades
in soil.
AT5DR Toxicological Profile for chlorinated diben/o-p-dioxins
Health effects of exposure
^ Cancer
JtW Liver damage
Impacts on hormones and other
?! systems
ATSDR ToxicoJogjca/ Profile for chlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins
Dioxin releases in TRI
The chemical manufacturing sector r2 e
reports the most releases.
The primary metals sector reports the most
toxic dioxin releases.
U.S. EPA TO), Reporting Year 2021
799 facilities submitted TRI forms for dioxins for 2021
0 Facilities initiated 46 source reduction activities for mercury in the past 5 years.
U.S. EPA TRI, Reporting Year 2021
Dioxins are typically produced in very small quantities compared to other chemicals, but are
toxic at much lower concentrations than most other chemicals. Additionally, they persist in the
environment and bioaccumulate in the food web. Therefore, dioxins have a lower reporting
threshold and are reported in grams instead of pounds to capture smaller amounts of these
chemicals.
This map shows the locations of the facilities that reported dioxins to TRI for 2021, sized by
their relative release quantities. Zoom in to view demographic data for communities around
these facilities. Click on a facility for more details on its reporting.
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March 2023
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Click on any one of the locations on the map to see detailed information.
View Larger Map
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March 2023
Dioxin and dioxin-like compounds ("dioxins") are persistent
bioaccumulative toxic (PBT) chemicals characterized by EPA as
probable human carcinogens.
TRI requires facilities to report data on the 17 individual members
(congeners) of the TRI dioxin and dioxin-like compounds category.
While each of the dioxin congeners causes the same toxic effects,
some cause these effects at lower levels of exposure than others
because congeners have different toxicities. As a result, one
mixture of dioxins can have a very different toxic potency than the
same amount of a different mixture. Facilities in different sectors
release different mixtures of dioxins depending on their
operations, so the potential for harm from their releases may also
be different.
EPA accounts for the different toxicities of the dioxin congeners by
using Toxic Equivalency (TEQ) values. TEQs help to understand
the toxicity of dioxin releases. They are most useful when
comparing releases of dioxins from different sources or different
time periods, where the mix of congeners may vary.
Helpful Concepts
Toxic Equivalent Factor (TEF)
Each dioxin congener is assigned
a TEF that compares that
compound's toxicity to the most
toxic dioxin in the category.
Toxic Equivalency (TEQ)
A TEQ is calculated by
multiplying the reported grams of
each congener by its
corresponding TEF and summing
the results, referred to as grams-
TEQ.
Learn more about dioxins.
This graph shows the 10-year trend in the quantity of dioxins that facilities released from 2012
to 2021. Note that the dioxins chemical category is reported in grams while all other TRI
chemicals are reported in pounds.
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Total Disposal or Other Releases of Dioxins
120,000
80,000
to
UJ
40,000
Ill|||t1ll
( M 1111111
1,200
800
ro
400
UJ
0
2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021
Year
On-site Air Releases On-site Surface Water Discharges
m On-site Land Disposal Off-site Disposal or Other Releases
~— Grams-TEQ
From 2012 to 2021:
• Dioxin releases increased by 27%. Most of this increase can be attributed to increased
releases from two organic chemical manufacturing facilities and one hazardous waste
management facility.
o Toxicity equivalents (grams-TEQ) decreased by 8%, indicating that the overall toxicity
of dioxin releases decreased despite an increase in the quantity released. This is due to
changes in which dioxin congeners were released.
From 2020 to 2021:
• Releases of dioxins decreased by 25%, driven by decreased releases reported by one
hazardous waste management facility in Alabama.
o Toxicity equivalents (grams-TEQ) decreased by 3%, indicating changes in the dioxin
congener composition reported from 2020 to 2021. Although facilities released lower
total quantities of dioxins, a higher proportion of dioxin releases were more toxic
congeners.
• In 2021, 61% of dioxin releases were disposed off site, primarily in landfills.
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Dioxins Releases by Industry
The following two pie charts compare the industry sectors that reported the greatest releases of
dioxins (in units of grams) to those that reported the greatest releases of dioxins based on
toxicity equivalency (in units of grams-TEQ).
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Releases of Dioxin and Dioxin-like Compounds
by Industry, 2021
Grams - Total
Primary Metals:
12%
All Others:
2%
Hazardous Waste
Management:
14%
Chemical
Manufacturing: -
72%
All Others:
Grams-TEQ
Paper
Manufacturing:
4%
Chemical
Manufacturing:
22%
Primary Metals:
46%
Hazardous Waste
Management:
23%
Various industry sectors may release very different mixes of dioxin congeners.
The chemical manufacturing industry accounted for 72% and the primary metals sector for
12% of total grams of dioxins released.
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• In terms of toxicity equivalents, however, the primary metals sector accounted for 46% and
the chemical manufacturing sector for 22% of the total grams-TEQ.
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Ethylene Oxide
This section focuses on ethylene oxide, a human carcinogen.
What is ethylene oxide?
Ethylene oxide is a flammable gas
produced by industry. Ethylene oxide
is used to make other chemicals
and is used to sterilize medical
supplies and food
products like spices.
AT5DR Toxicoiogicai Profile for Ethylene Oxide
Health effects of exposure
Q Cancer
4^1 Impacts on the nervous system
Impacts on kidney function
ATSDR Toxicoiogicai Profile for Ethylene Oxide
Ethylene oxide releases in TRI
The chemical manufacturing sector
reports the most releases.
Most ethylene oxide is release to air.
U.S. EPA TRI, Reporting Year 2021
118 facilities submitted TRI forms for ethylene oxide for 2021
Facilities initiated 38 source reduction activities for ethylene oxide in the past 5 years.
U.S. EPA TRI, Reporting Ysw 2021
This map shows the locations of the facilities that reported ethylene oxide to TRI for 2021, sized
by their relative release quantities to air. Zoom in to view demographic data for communities
around these facilities. Click on a facility for more details on its reporting.
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Click on any one of the locations on the map to see detailed information.
View Larger Map
The figure below presents the 10-year trend in air releases of ethylene oxide.
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Air Releases of Ethylene Oxide
350,000
300,000
250,000
« 200,000
S. 150,000
100,000
50,000
2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021
Year
Fugitive Air Emissions
I Stack Air Emissions
From 2012 to 2021, releases of ethylene oxide to air
decreased by 142,000 pounds (-48%).
From 2020 to 2021, air releases of ethylene oxide
increased by 7%, driven by increased releases from
facilities in the chemical manufacturing sector.
Two chemical manufacturers in Texas reported that
they had large one-time (non-production-related)
releases of ethylene oxide to air in 2018 and 2019,
driving the increase from 2017 to 2018 and the
decrease in 2019 and 2020.
Learn More About
Ethylene Oxide
Ethylene oxide is a human
carcinogen, meaning that it is
known to cause cancer in humans.
Recently, EPA extended TRI
reporting requirements to certain
contract sterilization facilities that
use ethylene oxide. This action is
effective for the 2022 reporting
year with the first reporting forms
due from facilities by July 1, 2023.
Learn More about Ethylene Oxide.
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Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA)
Carcinogens
Some chemicals that are reportable to the TRI Program are included on OSHA's list of
carcinogens. EPA refers to these chemicals as TRI OSHA carcinogens. These chemicals are
either known or believed to cause cancer in humans. A list of the TRI carcinogens can be found
in the TRI basis of OSHA carcinogens technical document.
This map shows the locations of the facilities that reported carcinogens to TRI for 2021, sized
by their relative release quantities to air. Zoom in to view demographic data for communities
around these facilities. Click on a facility for more details on its reporting
Port-au-Prince
4
Carcinogens
Air Releases
0 > 50,000 lbs
0 35,000 - 50,000 lbs
• 20,000 - 35,000 lbs
• 10,000 - 20,000 lbs
• < 10,000 lbs
Calgary
Esrj. Ganrun, FAO. NQAA.
U5G5> EPA, Esrt USGS
fen, WQ, NOAA, USGS, tin.
USGS
Guadalajara
Mexico City
0 125 250 500
I Miles
Click on any one of the locations on the map to see detailed information.
View Larger Map
This graph shows the 10-year trend in air releases of TRI OSHA carcinogens.
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Air Releases of TRI OSHA Carcinogens
80
70
2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021
Year
¦ Fugitive Air Emissions ¦ Stack Air Emissions
Note: For comparability, trend graphs include only those chemicals that were reportable to TRI for all years presented.
From 2012 to 2021:
• Air releases of these carcinogens showed little overall change since 2012.
• Air releases of many OSHA carcinogens decreased, with reductions in most sectors.
However, these decreases were partially offset by increased releases of styrene by the
plastics and rubber products manufacturing sector and the transportation equipment
manufacturing sector.
• In 2021, TRI OSHA carcinogens with the highest air releases were styrene, acetaldehyde,
and formaldehyde.
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Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS)
Recently, 176 per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) were added to the list of chemicals
covered by TRI. The TRI program reviews newly available information each year and adds PFAS
to the TRI reporting list if they meet certain criteria.
What are PFAS?
Health effects of exposure
to
PFAS (per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances) are
synthetic chemicals that do not occur naturally.
Strong carbon-fluorine bonds in PFAS make
them resistant to degradation and thus highly
persistent in the environment. Industry uses
PFAS to make a wide variety of products such
Most people in the United States have been
exposed to PFAS. Current scientific research
suggests that exposure to high levels of certain
PFAS may lead to adverse health outcomes.
However, research to assess the health effects
of exposure to PFAS is still ongoing.
US. EPA, "Our Current Understanding of the Human Health and
Environmental Risks of PFAS"
as apparel, paper, plastics, and food
PFAS releases in TRI
Q.
packaging.
The hazardous waste management
sector reports the most releases.
Most PFAS releases are disposed of
in regulated landfills.
U.S. EPA TRI, Reporting Year 2021
44 facilities submitted TRI forms for PFAS for 2021
Facilities initiated 11 source reduction activities for PFAS in the past 2 years.
US. EPA TRI, Reporting Year 2021 |
Facilities reported their releases and other waste management practices for these PFAS for the
first time for 2020. Four additional PFAS were added to the TRI chemical list for 2021. The TRI
reporting threshold for these PFAS is 100 pounds, which is lower than the thresholds for most
TRI chemicals. Note that definitions of which chemicals are considered PFAS vary, and the 176
PFAS on the TRI chemical list do not include all PFAS. See EPA's PFAS Explained page for more
information about these chemicals and EPA actions related to PFAS.
This map shows the locations of the facilities that reported a PFAS to TRI for 2021, sized by
their relative release quantities. Zoom in to view demographic data for communities around
these facilities. Click on a facility for more details on its reporting.
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Los Angeles
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PFAS
Releases
• > 10,000 lbs
• 1,000 - 10,000 lbs
• 100 - 1,000 lbs
• 10 - ICO lbs
• < 10 lbs
Port-au-Prince
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This chart shows the number of facilities in each sector reporting any of the 176 PFAS for 2021.
Number of Facilities Reporting PFAS by Sector, 2021
• Most facilities reporting PFAS were in the chemical manufacturing sector or the hazardous
waste management sector.
• Facilities reported 44 different PFAS for 2021. The most reported PFAS were
perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), hexafluoropropylene oxide dimer acid (HFPO-DA), and
perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS).
All Others: 6
Chemical
Manufacturing: 22
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PFAS Waste Management
This chart shows how facilities managed PFAS waste. For more details on quantities released,
toggle to the "Releases only" figure.
PFAS Waste Managed
@ All Waste Managed
O Releases Only
-a
a>
m
ro
o
U)
T3
1,400,000
1,200,000
1,000,000
800,000
600,000
400,000
200,000
0
2020
I Disposal or Other Releases
Treatment
Energy Recovery
I Recycling
2021
fij Disposal or Other Releases - New
0 Treatment - New
'6 Energy Recovery - New
SI Recycling - New
Note: The dashed areas in this chart show waste of PFAS that were newly added to the TRI chemical list for 2021 and were not
reportable for 2020.
• The quantity of PFAS managed as waste increased by 59% (483,000 pounds).
o The increase was driven by one facility in the chemical manufacturing sector that
reported recycling a large quantity of perfluorooctyl iodide. This PFAS was added to the
TRI chemical list for 2021 and was not reportable for 2020.
o Considering only PFAS that were reportable in both 2020 and 2021, there was little
change in the quantity of PFAS waste reported.
• The hazardous waste management, chemical manufacturing, and plastics and rubber
sectors managed the most PFAS waste.
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This chart shows PFAS releases by environmental medium.
PFAS Releases
All Waste Managed
@ Releases Only
120,000
60,000
a>
cc
o
a.
= 40,000
3
S 80,000
100,000
U) '
20,000
0
2020
2021
Air Emissions
¦ Water Discharges
¦ On-site Land Disposal
¦ Off-site Disposal or Other Releases
Air Emissions - New
tt Water Discharges - New
SK On-site Land Disposal - New
0 Off-site Disposal or Other Releases - New
Note: The dashed areas in this chart show releases of PFAS that were newly added to the TRI chemical list for 2021 and were not
reportable for 2020.
• Releases of PFAS increased about five-fold from 2020 to 2021.
o Releases of PFAS newly added to the TRI chemical list for 2021 accounted for only a
small portion of the increase.
o The increase in PFAS releases was mainly driven by the hazardous waste management
sector, especially one facility that reported 68,500 pounds of PFAS released to a landfill
during 2021.
o The hazardous waste management sector reported 82% of all PFAS releases for 2021.
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Comparing Industry Sectors
This section examines how industry sectors manage Toxics Release Inventory (TRI) chemical
waste. Looking at data from individual sectors can highlight progress made in improving
environmental performance 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 use and
handling of TRI chemicals.
This section presents trends in key sectors' production-related, waste .managed, including TRI
chemical releases into the environment. For analytical purposes, the TRI Program has combined
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 total quantities of TRI chemical waste managed through
recycling, energy recovery, treatment, and disposal or other release by sector. For more details
on quantities released, toggle to the "Releases Only" figure.
Production-Related Waste Managed by Industry, 2021
Paper
Manufacturing:
4%
Electric Utilities:
4%
Petroleum Products
Manufacturing:
5%
Metal Mining:
5%
Food Manufacturing:
7%
Primary Metals:
8%
29.3 billion pounds
All Others:
.11%
@ All Waste Managed
O Releases Only
Chemical
Manufacturing:
56%
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Seven industry sectors reported 89% of the TRI production-related waste managed in 2021.
Most of this waste originated from the chemical manufacturing sector (56%). See the Chemical
Manufacturing Sector Profile for more information on this sector.
The following pie chart shows the industry sectors that reported the most releases for 2021.
Food
Manufacturing: 5%
Paper
Manufacturing:
5%
Hazardous Waste
Management: 5%
Total Disposal or Other Releases by Industry, 2021
All others: 10%— 3.3 billion pounds
Electric Utilities:
7%
All Waste Managed
(#) Releases Only
Metal Mining:
44%
Primary Metals:
8%
Chemical
Manufacturing:
16%
This pie chart shows that four of the 29 TRI sectors accounted for 76% of the quantities of TRI
chemicals disposed of or otherwise released: metal mining (44%), chemical manufacturing
(16%), primary metals (8%), and electric utilities (7%).
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 multiple factors to consider when using the TRI data. Find a
summary of key factors associated with data used in the National Analysis in the Introduction.
For more information see Factors to Consider When Using Toxics Release Inventory Data.
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Manufacturing Sectors
This section examines how TRI chemical wastes are managed in manufacturing sectors (defined
as facilities reporting their primary NAICS codes as 31-33).
o
z
QC
What the Sector Does
The manufacturing sectors are goods-producing
industries that transform materials into new
products. Businesses in these sectors produce
food, textiles, paper, chemicals, plastics,
petroleum products, metal ^ 1
products, electronics,
furniture, vehicles,
equipment, and
other products.
THE SECTOR
EMPLOYS I
11.4 MILLION I
PEOPLE
US, Census Annual Survey of Manufactures
2020 data
•••
Vt
THE SECTOR
CONTRIBUTES W?
2.5 TRILLION jHI
TO U.S. GDP
In value-added. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Year 2021 data.
i
18,886 facilities in the sector report to TRI
U.S. EPA TRI, Reporting Year 2021
This map shows the locations of the manufacturing facilities that reported to TRI for 2021, sized
by their releases. Click on a facility for details on its TRI reporting.
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»•*.
A' A -
'Mr ¦¦ ¦ 1 \
ft;. • *'• ..
• •\ .#¦" ~u
Guadalajara
All Manufacturing
Releases
4) >7 million lb
• 3.5 million - 7 million lb
• 200,000 - 3.5 million lb
• 15,000 - 200,000 lb
• < IS,000 lb
Manufacturing Facilities Reporting to TRI, 2021
View Larger Map
For 2021, 90% of the facilities that reported to TRI were in a manufacturing sector.
Manufacturing sectors accounted for most (88%) of the 29.3 billion pounds of production-
related waste managed for 2021. Two manufacturing sectors, chemicai manufacturing and
plastics product manufacturing, are highlighted in more detail later in this section.
TRI-covered industry sectors not categorized under manufacturing include metal mining, coal
mining, electric utilities, hazardous waste management, and others.
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Manufacturing Waste Management Trend
The following graph shows the 10-year trend in 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: (§> am waste Managed
Manufacturing Sectors Releases only
30
25
« 20
c
3
O
a- 15
11111 f 11II!
1,000 £
l-l-l-l-l-l-l-l-l-l -I
.2 io —| ¦ ¦ ¦ 1HB ¦ ¦ r W00
' L11J J L1111
2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021
Year
Disposal or Other Releases Treatment Energy Recovery
Recycling < Value Added (2021 Dollars)
3,000
Note: For comparability, trend graphs include only those chemicals that were reportable to TRI for all years presented.
From 2012 to 2021:
• Quantities of production-related waste managed by the manufacturing sectors generally
increased from 2012 to 2018. Since then, these quantities have fluctuated.
• Releases and treatment of chemical waste decreased, while recycling and combustion for
energy recovery increased.
• It is important to consider how the economy influences waste generation at facilities. This
figure includes the trend in the manufacturing sectors' value added (represented by the
black line, as reported by the Bureau of Economic Analysis, Value Added bv Industry).
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What is Value
Added?
o Since 2012, value added by the manufacturing
sectors increased by 17% while waste
managed increased by 29%, driven by
increased recycling. The large increase in
recycled chemical waste started in 2014 and
was driven by several facilities that each
reported recycling one billion pounds or more
annually in recent years,
o The increase in waste managed is greater than
the increase in value added, which may
suggest that manufacturing facilities managed
more waste per unit of product in 2021 than in
2012.
From 2020 to 2021:
• Production-related waste managed increased by 594 million pounds (2%), while value
added increased by 7%.
o Manufacturing activity increased more than waste managed, which may suggest that
manufacturers managed less waste per unit of product in 2021 than in 2020.
• In 2021, only 5% of the manufacturing sectors' waste generated was released into the
environment, while the rest was managed through treatment, energy recovery, and
recycling.
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 its
inputs. Value added for all U.S.
industries combined is equal to
the nation's gross domestic
product.
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Manufacturing Releases Trend
The following graph shows the 10-year trend in quantities of TRI chemicals released by facilities
in manufacturing sectors.
Total Disposal or Other Releases: O All Waste Managed
Manufacturing Sectors ® Releases only
2,000
1,500
2 i;ooo
500
I I I I I I I I I |
| I | | | | | | M
2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021
Year
On-site Air Releases ¦ On-site Surface Water Discharges
On-site Land Disposal ¦ 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 2012 to 2021:
• TRI chemical releases from manufacturing sectors decreased by 6%, primarily due to
reductions in releases to air (71 million pounds) and water (20 million pounds).
• Off-site disposal or other releases increased slightly (2%). On-site land disposal remained
about the same (<1% decrease).
From 2020 to 2021:
• Releases increased by 92 million pounds (7%), driven by the chemical manufacturing and
primary metal manufacturing sectors.
Source Reduction in the Manufacturing Sectors:
In 2021, 8% of manufacturing facilities initiated over 3,200 source reduction activities to reduce
TRI chemical use and waste creation. The most reported type of source reduction activity was
Process and Equipment Modifications. For example:
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• A paperboard box manufacturer replaced process components and performed maintenance
activities to improve cleaning system efficiency, which reduced the amount of N-methyl-2-
pyrrolidone managed as waste. \Click to view facility details in the TRI P2 Search Tooll
• A motor vehicle parts manufacturer introduced technological upgrades, including the use of
radio frequency identification (RFID) tracking, to eliminate waste when spray painting parts.
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. Facilities interested in exploring pollution prevention opportunities at their site can
contact their Regional P2 Coordinator to arrange a free on-site P2 assessment.
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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).
UK
LU LL
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
761,000
PEOPLE
U.S. Census Annual Survey of Manufactures
2020 data
THE SECTOR
CONTRIBUTES
$440 BILLION
TO U.S. GDP
In value-added. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Year 2021 data
3,404 facilities in the sector report to TRI
US. EPA TRI, Reporting Year 2021
This map shows the locations of the chemical manufacturing facilities that reported to TRI for
2021, sized by their releases. Click on a facility for details on its TRI reporting.
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Vancouver
o
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^.eottle
... ••
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v
>
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Chemical Manufacturing
Releases
9 >7 million lb
• 3.5 million - 7 million lb
• 200,000 - 3.5 million lb
• 15,000 - 200,000 lb
• < 15,000 lb
Chemical Manufacturing Facilities Reporting to TRI, 2021
View Larger Map
For 2021, more facilities reported to TRI from the chemical manufacturing sector than from any
other industry sector (3,404 facilities; 16% of all facilities that reported to TRI for 2021). This
sector reported 56% of all TRI-reported 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 2021.
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Chemical Manufacturing Facilities by Subsector, 2021
3,404 total facilities
Pharmaceuticals: 5%
Pesticides and
Resins and
rubbei
Operations in the chemical manufacturing sector include:
• Basic chemicals facilities produce chemicals in large quantities through processes such as
thermal cracking and distillation, often for use in the production of other products. Basic
chemicals include petrochemicals, industrial gases, synthetic dyes and pigments, and many
other organic and inorganic chemicals.
• Coatings and adhesives facilities mix pigments, solvents, and binders into architectural and
industrial paints; manufacture paint products such as paint removers and thinners; and
manufacture adhesives, glues, and caulking compounds.
• Resins and synthetic rubber facilities manufacture resins, plastic materials, synthetic rubber,
and fibers and filaments.
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Chemical Manufacturing Waste Management Trend
The following graph shows the 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.
21
18
15
V)
"O
§12
Q.
M-
o
v) Q
c ^
O
Production-Related Waste Managed:
Chemical Manufacturing
(Q All Waste Managed
£ Releases Only
I I I I I I I I I I
2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021
Year
i Disposal or Other Releases
i Recycling
Treatment
¦Value Added (2012 Dollars)
Energy Recovery
400
350
300
>
250 a
200 =;
150
100 M
50
Note: For comparability, trend graphs include only those chemicals that were reportable to TRI for all years presented.
From 2012 to 2021:
• Quantities of production-related waste managed by the chemical manufacturing sector
increased by 71%, while the sector's value added (represented by the black line), as
reported by the Bureau of Economic Analysis. Value Added bv Industry1) increased by 10%.
o Trends in waste recycled by chemical manufacturers were driven by a few facilities. For
example, the large increase in chemical waste recycled in 2014 compared to previous
years was primarily due to an increase in the quantity of cumene recycled by one
petrochemical manufacturing facility.
• Quantities of TRI chemicals recycled and treated increased, while the quantities of TRI
chemicals released decreased slightly. The quantity of chemicals combusted for energy
recovery stayed about the same.
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From 2020 to 2021:
• Production-related waste managed at chemical manufacturing facilities increased by 299
million pounds (2%).
• In 2021, 3% of this sector's waste was released into the environment, while the rest was
managed through treatment, energy recovery, and recycling.
Chemical Manufacturing Releases Trend
The following graph shows the 10-year trend in quantities of TRI chemicals released by facilities
in the chemical manufacturing sector.
cnn
Total Disposal or Other Releases:
Chemical Manufacturing
O All Waste Managed
(®) Releases Only
Millions of Pounds
NJ UJ -P* U"l C
O O O O O C
D O O O O O C
1 1 1 1 1 1 1
I
I
—
¦
|
—
—
2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021
Year
On-site Air Releases ¦ On-site Surface Water Discharges
¦ On-site Land Disposal ¦ 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 2012 to 2021:
• Releases reported by facilities in the chemical manufacturing sector increased by 2%.
• Quantities of off-site releases and other disposal and on-site land releases increased, while
on-site air releases and surface water discharges decreased.
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From 2020 to 2021:
• Releases increased by 63 million pounds (13%), driven by one facility reporting a large
increase in land disposal of hydrogen fluoride and another facility reporting a large increase
in off-site disposal of zinc compounds.
• For 2021, 1,119 of the 3,404 chemical manufacturing facilities were in the basic chemicals
manufacturing subsector, which accounted for almost half (49%) of the chemical
manufacturing sector's releases.
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, 325 facilities (10% of facilities) in this sector initiated
866 source reduction activities in 2021. The most common types of source reduction activities
were Process and Equipment Modifications and Operating Practices and Training. For example:
• A pharmaceutical preparation manufacturer gradually reduced its 1,2,4-trimethylbenzene
inventory and migrated to a just-in-time (JIT) material supply process. fClick to view facility
details in the TRI P2 Search Tooll
Chemical Manufacturing Sector Releases by Subsector, 2021
544 million pounds
Pharmaceuticals:
0.8%
Pesticides and
fertilizers: 26.9%
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• A basic organic chemical manufacturer used less nitrobenzene by developing a production
schedule that minimized equipment and material changes. fClick to view facility details in
the TRI P2 Search Tooll
Several chemical manufacturing facilities reported source reduction activities that resulted in
reducing both TRI chemical wastes and greenhouse gas emissions. For example, one facility
discontinued use of a coal-fired boiler, which resulted in a reduction in hydrochloric acid
released to the environment fClick to view facility details in the TRI P2 Search Tooll
Additional Resources
• To find more examples of chemical manufacturers' source reduction activities and the
source reduction barriers they reported, visit TRI's P2 Search Tool.
• 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.
• For more information on how this and other industry sectors can choose safer chemicals,
visit EPA's Safer Choice Program.
• EPA supports the adoption of green chemistry practices that reduce the environmental
impacts from this sector, including reductions in the use of toxic chemicals, water, and
electricity.
• Facilities interested in exploring P2 opportunities or getting technical assistance can contact
their regional P2 coordinator. Find the P2 coordinators for vour state and region.
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Greenhouse Gas Reporting in the Chemical Manufacturing Sector
While many chemical releases are required to be reported to the TRI, the TRI Program does not
cover all chemicals released by industrial activities. Notably, most greenhouse gas (GHG)
emissions are not reported to the TRI. Greenhouse gas emissions increase the concentration of
these gases in the atmosphere, which alter the amount of heat trapped by the Earth's
atmosphere and contribute to climate change. These elevated concentrations and their effect
on climate are reasonably anticipated to endanger the public health and welfare of current and
future generations.
EPA's Greenhouse Gas Reporting Program (GHGRP) tracks facility-level emissions from the
largest U.S. sources of GHGs. The chart below shows GHG emissions reported to the GHGRP by
facilities in the chemical manufacturing sector from 2012 to 2021.
Chemical Manufacturing Greenhouse Gas Emissions
250
& 200
0
U
V)
£
,2 150
_u
Z
+¦»
0)
1 100
o
^ 50
0
Year
• Note that while TRI typically collects chemical release data in units of pounds, the GHGRP
collects GHG emissions data in units of metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalents (MTCCke).
This chart shows GHG emissions in MTCCke.
2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021
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What are carbon
dioxide equivalents
(C02e)?
|—i j 2021TRI National Analysis
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• The chemical manufacturing sector reported emissions
of 186.5 million MTCC^e for 2021, an 8% increase since
2012.
• For 2021, 3,404 facilities in this sector reported to the
TRI and 459 facilities in the sector reported to the
GHGRP. Of the 459 facilities in this sector that reported
to the GHGRP, most also reported to the TRI Program.
Additional Resources
• To explore the data reported to EPA on GHG emissions,
see the Facility Level Information on GreenHouse gases
Tool fFLIGHT).
• EPA's Understanding Global Warming Potentials
webpage provides further information on GWPs, how
they are used, and how they differ by GHG.
• For more details on the chemical manufacturing sector's GHG emissions, visit GHGRP
Chemicals.
• The TRI P2 Search Tool lets you compare facilities' waste management reported to TRI and
their GHG emissions reported to the GHGRP.
Different GHGs can have different
effects on the Earth's warming;
Global Warming Potential (GWP)
values allow for comparisons of
the global warming impacts of
different gases. MTCC>2e is a
weighted measurement that
considers the tonnes of the gases
and their associated global
warming potentials.
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Plastics Product Manufacturing
This section examines how TRI chemical wastes are managed within the plastics product
manufacturing sector (defined as facilities reporting their primary NAICS code as 3261).
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What the Sector Does
Facilities in the plastics product manufacturing
sector process new or recycled plastic resins
to make products such as bags, films,
packaging, pipes, and bottles.
THE SECTOR
EMPLOYS
638,000
PEOPLE
U.S. Census Annual Survey of Manufactures
2021 data
•••
11
THE SECTOR
CONTRIBUTES
$115 BILLION
TO U.S. GDP
U.S. Census Annual Survey of Manufactures 2021 data
981 facilities in the sector report to TRI
U.S. EPA TRI, Reporting Year 2021
The plastics lifecycle consists of many steps, including petroleum and natural gas extraction;
petrochemical refining; chemical, polymer, and plastic product manufacturing; the use of
plastics by consumers, industry, and others; and end-of-life scenarios such as waste
management or disposal into the environment outside of waste management systems. This
profile is focused on the management of TRI chemical waste and environmental releases from
the plastic product manufacturing stage of the plastics lifecycle.
Facilities in the plastics product manufacturing sector make intermediate products (e.g., rolls of
laminated sheets or casings for TVs and radios) as well as products we use every day, such as
bottles and bags for packaging, and pipes and flooring for construction, among many others.
The sector takes new or recycled polymers and forms them into plastic products using a variety
of molding or casting processes. Other sectors use intermediate products from the plastic
products manufacturing sector to make consumer products like medical devices, electronics,
and furniture.
This profile does not include the manufacture or assembly of plastic goods in other sectors such
as battery casings, diapers, or appliances. It also does not address the management of plastic
waste, discarded plastic products in the environment, or other end of life scenarios for plastic
products. Additionally, this profile does not address management of TRI chemical waste from
upstream processes such as the manufacturing of monomers or chemical additives like flame
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retardants or plasticizers such as phthalates. As with all TRI analyses, the Information in this
profile is limited to facilities that meet TRI reporting requirements and manage listed chemicals
in excess of certain thresholds.
Inclusion of plastics product manufacturing in the National Analysis provides insights into how
TRI chemical wastes are managed during the product manufacturing phase of the plastics
lifecycle. This analysis highlights opportunities to learn more, including examples of successful
pollution prevention and how TRI chemicals are managed in communities across the country.
This map shows the locations of the plastics product manufacturing facilities that reported to
TRI for 2021, sized by their releases. Click on a facility for details on its TRI reporting.
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9
Plastics Product Manufacturing Facilities Reporting to TRI, 2021
View Larger Map
For 2021, 981 facilities in the plastics product manufacturing sector reported to TRI. The
majority of the sector's releases of TRI chemicals were to air (89% for 2021), a higher
proportion than almost any other sector. Releases were dominated by styrene, which accounted
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for about half of the sector's air releases each year from 2012 to 2021. The chart below shows
the number of facilities by plastics products subsector that reported to TRI for 2021.
Plastics Products Manufacturing Facilities by Subsector, 2021
981 total facilities
Laminated Plastics Plates, Polystyrene Foam
Sheets, and Shapes: 7% Products: 2%
Plastics Pipes, Pipe Fitting,
and Unlaminated Profile
Shapes: 6%
Plastics Packaging
Materials and Unlaminated
Films and Sheets: 10%
Urethane and Other
Foam Products: 21%
Plastics Bottles: 0.3%
Other Plastics
Products: 53%
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Plastics Product Manufacturing Waste Management Trend
The following graph shows the 10-year trend in quantities of TRI chemical waste managed
through recycling, energy recovery, treatment, and disposal or other releases by facilities in the
plastics product manufacturing sector. For more details on quantities released, toggle to the
"Releases only" graph. @ ah waste Managed
Releases Only
Production-Related Waste Managed: Plastics Product
Manufacturing
250 120
200
P 150
o ioo
llllllllll
QJ_
100 m
>
Q_
80 |
60 f
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40 r?
so ¦ ¦ ¦ ¦ ¦ ¦ ™ M
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¦ ¦¦¦¦¦
2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021
Year
Disposal or Other Releases Treatment Energy Recovery
Recycling Value Added (2012 Dollars)
Note: For comparability, trend graphs include only those chemicals that were reportable to TRI for all years presented.
From 2012 to 2021:
• Quantities of production-related waste managed by the plastics product manufacturing
sector fluctuated from 2012 to 2019 before decreasing from 2019 to 2020. Value added by
the sector increased by 26% from 2012 to 2021.
• Waste managed decreased by 7.1 million pounds (-4%) since 2012, mainly driven by an 11-
million-pound decrease in quantities of waste recycled over this time period.
o The decrease in recycling from 2019 to 2020 was largely driven by decreased quantities
of trichloroethylene recycled at one plastic film and sheet manufacturing facility,
o Quantities of TRI chemical waste recycled, combusted for energy recovery, and disposed
of or otherwise released decreased, while quantities treated increased.
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From 2020 to 2021:
• Total waste managed at plastics product manufacturing facilities increased by 8.4 million
pounds (5%), driven by increases in treatment and disposal or other releases. Meanwhile,
value added by this sector increased by 16%.
• In 2021, the top chemicals contributing to production-related waste were styrene, n-
hexane, and xylene.
Plastics Product Manufacturing Releases Trend
The following graph shows the quantities of TRI chemicals released by facilities in the plastics
product manufacturing industry. Q 4|| WasK Managed
Releases Only
Total Disposal or Other Releases: Plastics Product Manufacturing
40
30
o
Q.
M-
o
£ 20
O
10
.. ¦
2012
2013
2014
2015
2016
Year
2017
2018
2019
2020
2021
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 2012 to 2021:
• TRI chemical releases by the plastics product manufacturing sector have fluctuated, with an
overall increase of 2.1 million pounds (6%) driven mainly by releases to air.
• Air releases increased by 1.8 million pounds (6%) and off-site disposal increased by 387,000
pounds (12%). Releases to water and to land combined made up less than 1% of the
sector's releases.
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• About 90% of the plastics product manufacturing sector's releases have been to air each
year since 2012.
From 2020 to 2021:
• Releases increased by 2.4 million pounds (8%).
• A few facilities tend to drive releases. For example, almost one-fifth of the sector's air
releases in 2021 came from just two facilities.
• In 2021, over half of releases reported by the plastics product manufacturing sector were of
styrene (57%).
Source Reduction in the Plastics Product Manufacturing Sector:
In 2021, 113 facilities in the sector initiated 178 source reduction activities to reduce TRI
chemical use and waste creation. The most reported type of source reduction activity was
Operating Practices and Training, followed by Process and Equipment Modifications. For
example:
• A plastics product manufacturer reduced the number of formulas in its process, resulting in
less styrene-containing waste being generated during formula changeovers. I"Click to view
facility details in the TRI P2 Search Tool!
• Another plastics product manufacturer is reducing methyl methacrylate emissions by
implementing a closed molding process. I"Click to view facility details in the TRI P2 Search
Comments submitted by facilities also point to consideration of sustainable design and the use
of alternative chemicals and materials to reduce or eliminate the use of TRI chemicals. To learn
more about the reporting and implementation of green chemistry at TRI facilities, see the TRI
Green Chemistry and Green Engineering Reporting page.
To learn about reductions in styrene releases from facilities in the plastic products
manufacturing sector, see the Pollution Prevention Spotlight.
To find other examples of the sector's source reduction activities and the source reduction
barriers they face, visit TRI's P2 Search Tool.
Tool"!
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Metal Mining
This section examines how TRI chemical wastes are managed by facilities in the metal mining
sector (defined as facilities reporting their primary NAICS code as 2122),
o
2
LU
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 |
39,000 1
PEOPLE
U.S. Census County Business Patterns
2020 data
•••
Vt
VALUE OF MINE
PRODUCTION R*
$34 BILLION
USGS Mineral Commodities Summary 2021 c/ata ®
Note: Both metrics include all metal mining sectors; not limited tc
those covered by TRI.
i
87 facilities in the sector report to TRI
U.S. EPA TRI, Reporting Year 2021
Although the number of metal mines reporting to TRI makes up only a small portion of the total
number of facilities that report to TRI, the sector accounted for 44% of all releases reported to
TRI for 2021.
This map shows the locations of the metal mining facilities that reported to TRI for 2021, sized
by their releases. Click on a facility for details on its TRI reporting.
Note: 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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Montreal
» m
San Francifco
!fc f »
Great Plains
UNITED
STATES
Chicago o
Toronto ^
o<
Detroit Boston
o
New York
a
Washington
Los Angeles V
• 0
Mania
Monterrey
Guadalajara
Metal Mining Releases
£ >7 million lb
• 3.5 million - 7 million lb
• 200,000 - 3.5 million lb
• 15,000 - 200,000 lb
• < 15,000 lb
Metal Mines Reporting to TRI, 2021
View Larger Map
For 2021, 87 metal mining facilities reported to the TRI. Most are in the western states, where
copper, silver, and gold mining are most common. Farther east, some metal mines in Missouri
and Tennessee extract zinc and lead. U.S. mining operations generate metals that 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 disposal, primarily of metal-
bearing rock (called ore) and waste rock. To learn more
about metal mining operations and their TRI reporting,
explore the interactive metal mining diagram.
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Metal Mining Waste Management Trend
The following graph shows the quantities of TRI chemical waste managed by the metal mining
industry from 2012 to 2021, 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:
Metal Mining
(§> All Waste Managed
O Releases Only
2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021
Year
i Disposal or Other Releases ^^Treatment Energy Recovery
i Recycling # Mine Production
Note: For comparability, trend graphs include only those chemicals that were reportable to TRI for all years presented.
From 2012 to 2021:
• The quantity of waste managed by the metal mining sector fluctuated year to year and does
not closely follow the sector's production fas reported bv the United States Geological
Survey).
• Mining facilities often cite changes in the chemical composition of the ore they extract as
one reason for annual fluctuations in the quantities of waste they manage. In some cases,
small changes in the ore's composition can impact whether TRI chemicals in ore qualify for
a concentration-based TRI reporting exemption in one year but not in the next year or vice
versa.
From 2020 to 2021:
• The quantity of TRI chemical waste managed by this sector increased by 67 million pounds
(5%).
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• During 2021, 96% of the metal mining sector's production-related waste 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.
Metal Mining Releases Trend
The following graph shows the 10-year trend in quantities of TRI chemicals released by the
metal mining industry, primarily through on-site land disposal.
All Waste Managed
2,500
2,000
g 1,500
Cl
o 1,000
500
Total Disposal or Other Releases:
Metal Mining
@ Releases Only
2012
2013
2014
2015
2016 2017
Year
2018
2019
2020
2021
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 2012 to 2021:
• More than 99% of the metal mining sector's releases of TRI chemicals were on site and to
land. Quantities of on-site land disposal by metal mines have fluctuated from year to year.
o Facilities have the option to indicate whether reported land releases represent disposal
of TRI chemicals in waste rock piles. For 2021, waste rock piles accounted for at least
44% of the on-site land disposal of TRI chemicals at metal mines.
• The quantity of TRI chemicals released alone is not an indicator of health risks posed by the
chemicals, as described in the Potential Risks from TRI Chemicals section. For more
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information, see the document, Factors to Consider When Using Toxics Release Inventory
Data.
• Among the sectors reporting to TRI, the metal mining sector reported the largest quantity of
waste disposed of or otherwise released, accounting for 44% of total TRI releases and 68%
of on-site land disposal for all industries.
• The chemicals released in the greatest quantities by metal mines were zinc, lead, and
arsenic compounds.
Source Reduction in the Metal Mining Sector:
Unlike manufacturing, the nature of mining—the necessary movement and disposal of large
volumes of rock to access the target ore—does not lend itself to source reduction. To find
examples of metal mining source reduction activities and the source reduction barriers mining
facilities face, visit the TRI P2 Search Tool.
EPA's Smart Sectors Program is partnering with the mining sector to develop sensible
approaches to better protect the environment and public health.
In 2021:
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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).
t/>
111
y
ck
u
uj
m
What the Sector Does
Electric utilities generate and distribute
electric power. These facilities use
a variety of fuels, but only those
that combust coal or oil to
THE SECTOR
EMPLOYS Mil
501,000 W
PEOPLE
U.S. Census County Business Patterns 2020 data. Includes all fuel types
for electricity generation; not limited to those fuels covered by TRI
generate power for
distribution in
commerce are
subject to
TRI reporting
requirements.
~
THE SECTOR
GENERATES
689 MILLION l@\
U.S. Department of Energy 2021 data by electric utilities that
combust coal or oil for electricity generation
V
\
431 facilities in the sector report to TRI
U.S. EPA TRI, Reporting Year 2021
This map shows the locations of the electric utilities that reported to TRI for 2021, sized by their
releases. Click on a facility for details on its TRI reporting.
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'» •
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^ ^Atlanta ~
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Monterrey
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Electric Utilities
Releases
4) >7 million lb
• 3.5 million - 7 million lb
• 200,000 - 3.5 million lb
• 15,000 - 200,000 lb
• < IS,000 lb
Electric Utilities Reporting to TRI, 2021
View Larger Map
For 2021, 431 electricity generating facilities reported to TRI. Facilities in the sector use
different fuels to produce electricity, but only those that combust coal or oil to generate
electricity for distribution in commerce are subject to TRI reporting requirements.
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Electric Utilities Waste Management Trend
The following graph shows the 10-year trend in 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.
2,000
„ 1,500
TS
E
3
O
Q_
o 1,000
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c
o
2 500
Production-Related Waste Managed:
Electric Utilities
@) All Waste Managed
C Releases Only
1,500
„ ,r
ii iiiiiii
2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021
1,000
500 3
<
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to
3
n>
-*
0)
i Disposal or Other Releases
i Recycling
Year
Treatment
¦Electricity Generation
Energy Recovery
Note: For comparability, trend graphs include only those chemicals that were reportable to TRI for all years presented.
From 2012 to 2021:
• Quantities of waste managed decreased by 584 million pounds (-36%) since 2012, driven
by reduced releases and treatment.
• Net electricity generation by electric utilities from coal and oil fuels decreased by 41% (as
reported by the U.S. Department of Energy's Energy Information Administration1). Note that
only facilities that combust coal or oil to generate electricity are covered under TRI reporting
requirements.
o Data from the Energy Information Administration indicate that the mix of energy sources
for U.S. electricity generation has changed over time. 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.
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In 2021:
• Three-quarters of the sector's production-related waste was treated, while approximately
one-quarter was released into the environment.
o This contrasts with 2012, when about one-third of the waste from this sector was
released into the environment. This trend is due in part to increased installation of air
pollution control devices that treat TRI-reportable chemicals.
Electric Utilities Releases Trend
The following graph shows the annual quantities of TRI chemicals released by electric utilities.
Total Disposal or Other Releases: ~ ah waste Managed
r (#) Releases Only
Electric Utilities
750
500
o
CL
0
1 250
m
¦
iiiin
2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021
Year
On-site Air Releases ¦ On-site Surface Water Discharges
¦ On-site Land Disposal i 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 2012 to 2021:
• Releases from the electric utilities sector decreased by 266 million pounds (-52%). This
decrease was driven by a 129-million-pound (-67%) decrease in air releases and a 111-
million-pound (-44%) decrease in on-site land disposal. Surface water discharges and off-
site disposal also decreased, but to a lesser extent.
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From 2020 to 2021:
• Releases by electric utilities increased by 23 million pounds (10%), driven by increased
disposal of barium compounds in on-site landfills.
Source Reduction in the Electric Utilities Sector:
In the electric utilities sector, 13 facilities (3%) initiated source reduction activities in 2021 to
reduce their use of TRI chemicals and creation of wastes containing TRI chemicals. Some
facilities reported process improvements to increase efficiency, which may lead to reduced
greenhouse gas emissions as well as reduced TRI chemical wastes.
To find examples of electric utilities' source reduction activities and the source reduction
barriers they face, visit TRI's P2 Search Tool.
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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Greenhouse Gas Reporting in the Electric Utilities Sector
While many chemical releases are required to be reported to the TRI, the TRI Program does not
cover all chemicals released by industry. Notably, most greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions are
not reported to the TRI. Greenhouse gas emissions increase the concentration of these gases in
the atmosphere, which alter the amount of heat trapped by the Earth's atmosphere and
contribute to climate change. These elevated concentrations and their effect on climate are
reasonably anticipated to endanger the public health and welfare of current and future
generations.
EPA's Greenhouse Gas Reporting Program (GHGRP) tracks facility-level emissions from the
largest U.S. sources of GHGs. Under the GHGRP, the Power Plants Sector consists
predominantly of facilities that produce electricity by combusting fossil fuels, such as coal, oil,
and natural gas, or biomass. The sector also includes facilities that produce steam, heated air,
or cooled air by combusting fuels. The chart below shows GHG emissions reported to the
GHGRP by facilities in the Power Plants sector from 2012 to 2021.
Electric Utilities (Power Plants) Greenhouse Gas Emissions
2,500
m m m
iiiiiiini
2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021
Year
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What are carbon
dioxide equivalents
(C02e)?
• Note that while TRI typically collects chemical release
data in units of pounds, the GHGRP collects GHG
emissions expressed in quantities expressed as metric
tons of carbon dioxide equivalents (MTC02e). This
chart shows GHG emissions in MTC02e.
• In 2021, 1,326 facilities in the Power Plants sector
submitted GHG reports while 431 facilities in this
sector reported to TRI. Some facilities report to only
one of these programs due to different applicability
requirements. In particular, TRI covers only electric
utilities that combust coal or oil to generate electricity
(i.e., natural gas power plants are not covered by TRI)
while the GHGRP covers all power plants that meet the
applicability requirements, including natural gas-fueled
power plants.
• Total reported GHG emissions from the sector were 1,589 million MTCC^e in 2021, which
represented more than half of total direct emissions reported to the GHGRP.
• From 2012 to 2021, GHG emissions from this sector have decreased by 24%. According to
data from the U.S. Department of Energy's Energy Information Administration, use of
renewables, such as wind and solar, and of natural gas increased during this time while the
use of coal decreased. These trends likely contributed to the decreased emissions from this
sector.
Additional Resources
• To explore the data reported to EPA on GHG emissions, see the Facility Level Information
on GreenHouse gases Tool (FLIGHT).
• EPA's Understanding Global Warming Potentials webpage provides further information on
GWPs, how they are used, and how they differ by GHG.
• For more details on the electric utility sector's GHG emissions, visit GHGRP Power Plants.
• The TRI P2 Search Tool lets you compare facilities' waste management reported to TRI and
their GHG emissions reported to the GHGRP.
Different GHGs can have different
effects on the Earth's warming;
Global Warming Potential (GWP)
values allow for comparisons of
the global warming impacts of
different gases. MTC02e is a
weighted measurement that
considers the tonnes of the gases
and their associated global
warming potentials.
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Federal Facilities
All federal facilities, including facilities operated by the EPA, the Department of Defense, and
the Department of the Treasury, are subject to TRI reporting requirements, regardless of the
type of operations at the facility.
This map shows the locations of 446 federal facilities that reported to TRI for 2021, sized by
their releases. Click on a facility for details on its TRI reporting.
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Federal Facilities
Releases
® > 7 million lb
9 3.5 million - 7 million lb
• 200,000 • 3.5 million lb
• 15,000 - 200,000 lb
• < 15,000 lb
Federal Facilities Reporting to TRI, 2021
View Larger Map
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Federal Facilities by Industry
The following chart shows the number of federal facilities reporting to TRI by sector for 2021.
Police Protection
(e.g., firing
range): 7%
Correctional
Institutions (e.g.,
federal prison):
12%
Federal Facilities by Sector, 2021
446 facilities
Electric Utilities:.
3% All Others: 17%
National Security
(e.g., US Army
Base): 61%
For 2021, 446 federal facilities in 39 different types of operations (based on their 6-digit NAICS
codes) reported to TRI. All federal facilities are subject to TRI reporting requirements regardless
of industry sector, so the TRI database only includes data from federal facilities for some
sectors. Most federal facilities are in such sectors, including military bases; correctional
institutions; and police protection, such as training sites for border patrol stations. Almost two-
thirds of federal facilities were in the National Security sector, which includes Department of
Defense facilities such as Army and Air Force bases.
As with non-federal facilities, the type of activities occurring at federal facilities determines the
amount of chemical waste managed and the management methods used. Some activities
occurring at federal facilities are similar to those at non-federal facilities, such as electricity
production. In other cases, federal facilities may report waste managed from specialized
activities. For example, the federal facilities included under police protection and correctional
institutions almost exclusively reported for 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 total TRI chemical waste managed through
recycling, energy recovery, treatment, and disposal or other releases by federal government
organizations in 2021. For more details on quantities released, toggle to the "Releases Only"
graph.
Production-Related Waste Managed by
Government Organization, 2021 an waste Managed
All othersu^^ 135 million pounds O Releases Only
3%
Department of the
Treasury:
6%
Tennessee Valley.
Authority:
35%
Department of
Defense:
56%
• The types of waste reported by federal facilities vary by the type of operation. For example:
o The Tennessee Valley Authority, a government-owned electric utility, provides power to
southeastern states. 84% of its reported waste was hydrochloric and sulfuric acid, 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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Releases by Federal Facilities
The following graph shows the percentages of TRI chemicals released by federal government
organizations in 2021.
Total Disposal or Other Releases by
Government Organization, 2021
43 million pounds
National Aeronautics and Space
Administration: ^—All Others:
3% ^2%
Department of Energy
4%
Tennessee Valley
Authority:
21%
O All Waste Managed
@ Releases Only
Department of
Defense:
70%
• 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 the
varied functions, operations at some federal facilities are better suited to source reduction
strategies than others. For the 2021 reporting year, 27 federal facilities (6%) 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 2021,
several federal facilities reported using non-lead ammunition in accordance with National Park
Service policy to do so where feasible.
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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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Where You Live
Use the geographical selections bar above the map to show the releases of Toxics Release
Inventory (TRI) chemicals reported throughout the United States for 2021.
Show map by: ® States O Metropolitan Areas OWatersheds OTribal
O Community Profile
Search: State: Select...
v or Zip Code.
j City: l(Optional) | County: [(Optional)
Data to Display:
a Basemap ~
Vancouver
MEXICO
Gu adalajara
o
oMexico City
Port-au-
'~'r'n~'5 0 Santg Domin
Havana
o
CUE A
Click on any location on the map to see detailed information.
View Larger Map
You can also view TRI facility locations along with the demographic characteristics of the
communities where they are located. Use the toggle option to display the "Community Profile,"
which shows community demographics using EPA's demograp hj c Jndex or supplemental
demographic index. Use the Data to Display dropdown to select the metric to display. Use the
Search bar to generate a fact sheet about an area of interest.
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In addition to viewing maps based on release quantities, you can also view maps based on risk-
screening scores, which are estimates of relative potential risks to human health following
exposure to TRI chemicals. These unitless risk-screening scores (RSEI Score) are generated by
EPA's Risk-Screening Environmental Indicators fRSED model and allow you to compare the
relative potential for human health impacts across various locations. For more on RSEI, see the
Potential Risks from TRI Chemicals section.
TRI Data Considerations
As with any dataset, there are many factors to consider when using the TRI data. Find a
summary of key factors associated with data used in the National Analysis in
the Introduction. For more information see Factors to Consider When Using Toxics Release
Inventory Data.
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EPA Regions
EPA has 10 regional offices, each of which is responsible for multiple states and in some cases,
territories and tribes.
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OR
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CA
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EPA regions vary in size, population, and the types of facilities located in each. This results in
significant differences in TRI chemical waste management practices and quantities, as shown in
the figure below.
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Production-Related Waste Managed by Region, 2021
7
E 6
0
tXO r-
Q) 5
cc
1 4
LLI
3
2
1
0.0 2.0 4.0 6.0 8.0
Billions of Pounds
¦ Disposal or Other Releases I Treatment ¦ Energy Recovery ¦ Recycling
The differences in quantities of production-related waste managed among the regions are
largely explained by the types and number of industrial facilities located in each region. For
example:
• Region 10 reported more releases for 2021 than any other region, amounting to 777
million pounds.
o Release quantities in this region were driven by one metal mine in Alaska.
• In Regions 8, 9, and 10, the metal mining sector accounted for more releases than any
other sector.
o Metal mines tend to report high releases due to the large quantities of metals disposed
of on site to land. The extraction and processing of minerals generates large amounts of
on-site land disposal, as large amounts of metal-bearing rock (called ore) and waste
rock are moved and processed,
o Metal mines manage very little of their waste through treatment, combustion for energy
recovery, or recycling. As a result, regions with significant metal mining operations tend
to have higher releases but lower production-related waste compared to other regions.
• Releases in Region 7 were also driven in part by metal mines, although only five metal
mining facilities in the region reported to TRI for 2021.
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• Region 6 reported the most waste managed, driven by facilities in the chemical
manufacturing sector. This sector also accounted for more of the region's releases than any
other sector.
• Production-related waste managed in Regions 3,4, and 5 was driven by recycling in the
chemical and food manufacturing sectors. These regions all have one or two facilities
reporting high quantities (i.e., more than a billion pounds) of chemicals recycled on site for
2021.
• Regions 4 and 5 had the most facilities reporting for 2021: 4,569 and 5,253 facilities,
respectively. Combined, almost half of all facilities that reported to TRI are in these two
regions.
• Regions 1 and 2 had the lowest releases and total production-related waste managed.
Nationally, most releases and waste managed are reported by facilities in the metal mining,
chemical manufacturing, primary metals manufacturing, electric utilities, food
manufacturing, or hazardous waste sectors. Relatively few facilities in these sectors operate
in Regions 1 and 2, contributing to lower release and waste management quantities in
these two regions.
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States and Metropolitan Areas
For TRI purposes, "states" includes all U.S. territories. For 2021, facilities located in all 56 states
and territories reported to the TRI Program. Texas, Ohio, and California had the most facilities
report to TRI, and together accounted for 20% of the total number of facilities that reported for
2021.
Approximately 81% of the U.S. population and many of the industrial and federal facilities that
report to TRI are in urban areas. "Metropolitan Statistical Areas" (MSAs) are defined by the
Office of Management and Budget (OMB) and consist of one or more socially and economically
integrated adjacent counties, cities, or towns.
Total Disposal or Other Releases in the 10 Most Populous
MSAs, 2021
Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI
Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA
Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX
Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Alpharetta, GA ¦
Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH ¦
Miami-Fort Lauderdale-Pompano Beach, FL I
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV I
0 1,000 2,000 3,000 4,000 5,000 6,000 7,000 8,000 9,00010,000
Pounds perSq. Mile
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Watersheds
To assess U.S. water resources, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) divides the nation into 22
hydrologic regions, or watersheds, based on the flow of water throughout the country. Each
watershed represents a major river drainage area (e.g., the Missouri region) or combines rivers'
drainage areas (e.g., the Texas-Gulf region which includes several rivers draining into the Gulf
of Mexico).
Even locations that are far from bodies of water are part of a hydrologic region because
chemicals released to groundwater, land, or air can be washed or carried long distances to
surface waters. These discharges can affect living resources within an aquatic ecosystem. For
example, some chemicals can persist in the environment and accumulate in the tissues of fish
and other wildlife. These chemicals can become more concentrated as predators farther up the
food chain eat these organisms, which may ultimately cause health problems for wildlife and
humans.
All 22 watersheds are displayed in the Where You Live map. The chart below shows the ten
watersheds with the most TRI chemical releases for 2021. Releases were the greatest in the
Alaskan and Great Basin regions. In these regions, most releases were from metal mines.
TRI Disposal or Other Releases by Watershed, 2021
Air ¦ Water ¦ Land i Total Off-site Disposal or Other Releases
Alaska (698
Great Basin (640
South Atlantic-Gulf (343
Ohio (248
Great Lakes (213
Lower Mississippi (183
Texas-Gulf (177
Missouri (135
Upper Mississippi (134
Pacific Northwest (114
0 200 400 600
Millions of Pounds
Note: Chart shows the ten watersheds with the most TRI chemical releases in pounds.
million
pounds)
million
pounds)
million
pounds)
million
pounds)
million
pounds)
million
pounds)
million
pounds)
million
pounds)
million
pounds)
million
pounds)
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The chart below shows the ten watersheds with the most TRI chemical releases per square
mile. Releases per square mile are greatest in the Great Basin region, which encompasses much
of Nevada and Utah. Releases from metal mines make up 91% of the releases in this region.
Total Disposal or Other Releases by Watershed per Square
Mile, 2021
Great Basin
Lower Mississippi
Ohio
Tennessee
South Atlantic-Gulf
Alaska
Texas-Gulf
Caribbean
Upper Mississippi
Great Lakes
500 1,000 1,500 2,000 2,500 3,000 3,500 4,000 4,500 5,000
Pounds perSq. Mile
Note: Chart shows the ten watersheds with the most TRI chemical releases in pounds per square mile.
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Tribal Communities
Under EPA policy, the agency works with federally recognized tribes on a government-to-
government basis to protect the land, air, and water in Indjan.Country and Alaska Native
villages and to support tribal assumption of program authority. Facilities located in Indian
Country that meet TRI reporting requirements must indicate the appropriate three-digit Bureau
of Indian Affairs (BIA) tribal code on annual TRI reporting forms. These codes identify which
tribal land the facility is located on.
In 2021, 39 facilities located on the land of 18 different federally recognized tribes reported to
TRI. These facilities collectively managed over 41 million pounds of production-related waste,
9.4 million pounds (23%) of which was disposed of or otherwise released. Of these releases,
54% were disposed on site to land by electric utilities and metal mining facilities. These facilities
primarily disposed of metal compounds such as lead and barium. Lead is often present in the
mineral ore disposed of by metal mines, and barium is present in coal and oil combusted at
electric utilities.
Many more facilities are located within a 10-mile radius of tribal land. 1,997 facilities on or
within 10 miles of tribal land reported to TRI for 2021, representing 232 different federally
recognized tribes. These facilities collectively managed over 1.18 billion pounds of waste, 193
million pounds (16%) of which were disposed of or otherwise released. Of the releases
reported, 56% were released on site by chemical manufacturing, metal mining, and primary
metals manufacturing facilities.
The table below provides more details about the types of releases and other waste
management reported by facilities on federally recognized tribal lands.
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Quick Facts for 2021: Facilities on Tribal Lands
Measure
Facilities on Tribal
Land
Facilities on or
within 10 miles of
tribal land
Number of Facilities that Reported to TRI
39
1,997
Number of Tribes with TRI Facilities on Their Lands
18
232
Production-Related Waste Managed
41.20 million lb
1.18 billion lb
Recycling
20.62 million lb
431 million lb
Energy Recovery
3.25 million lb
132 million lb
Treatment
7.94 million lb
429 million lb
Disposal or Other Releases
9.38 million lb
193 million lb
Total Disposal or Other Releases
9.38 million lb
193 million lb
On-site
5.79 million lb
156 million lb
Air
0.52 million lb
59.2 million lb
Water
2,800 lb
12.1 million lb
Land
5.26 million lb
85.2 million lb
Off-site
3.59 million lb
36.8 million lb
The TRI Toxics Tracker provides an easy way to explore information about waste management
and releases of TRI chemicals from facilities on or near tribal lands. An example of the type of
TRI information in the Tribal Lands section of the TRI Toxics Tracker is shown in the interactive
chart below. Use the buttons in the top row to filter the data by industry sector, chemical,
and/or tribe.
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Releases by Tribe
4v Top 10 Tribes
H All Tribes
Tribe
San Carlos Apache Tri...
Three Affiliated Tribes...
Ely Shoshone Tribe of...
The Muscogee (Creek)...
Cowlitz Indian Tribe
Cherokee Nation
Muckleshoot Indian Tr...
Puyallup Tribe of the P...
TohonoO'odham Nati...
Winnebago Tribe of N...
Other Tribes (240)
Other Tribes (248)
Winnebago Tribe of Nebraska
Tohono O'odham Nation of Arizo...
San Carlos Apache Tri be of the..
Three Affiliated Tribe..
Ely Shoshone Tribe of Nev..
The Muscogee (Creek) Nation
The interactive table below lists the federally recognized tribes that had at least one Un-
reporting facility on their lands, along with the total releases and waste managed on the tribe's
lands.
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Total Disposal or Other Releases on Tribal Lands by Tribe, 2021
Totals
Releases (lb)
Waste Managed (lb)
Totals
9,381,980
41,198,361
© CoeurD'Alene Tribe
132,709
132,709
© Confederated Tribes and Bands of the Yakama Nation
121,325
125,283
© Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians
30,416
53,190
© Fort McDowell Yavapai Nation, Arizona
0
22
© Gila River Indian Community of the Gila River Indian Reseivation,
Arizona
119
82,415
© Navajo Nation, Arizona, New Mexico, & Utah
1,932,501
5,271,331
© Nez Perce Tribe
6
6
© Northern Arapaho Tribe of the Wind River Reservation, Wyoming
1,825
1,825
© Oneida Nation
1,050
69,979
© Puyallup Tribe of the PuyalLup Reservation
3,722,529
30,354,654
© Ri nco n Ba nd of Lu iseno M issi on 1 nd i a ns of Rin con Reservaitio n,
California
0
0
© Saginaw Chippewa Indian Tribe of Michigan
1,171
402,141
© Salt River Pima-Marirnna Indian rnm m i initv of the Salt River
You can also view a fact sheet for each tribe using TRI Explorer-
Additional resources for tribes are available on the TRI for Tribal Communities webpaae.
including more detailed analyses of TRI data, links to other online tools, and contact
information for EPA's Tribal Program Managers.
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TRI Connections
The TRI is a powerful resource that provides the public with information about how toxic
chemicals are managed by certain facilities in the United States. Beyond the TRI, there are
many other EPA programs that also collect information about TRI-listed chemicals and other
regulated chemicals. The figure below is an overview of key laws that EPA implements with
some associated regulated activities or industrial processes.
While many EPA programs focus on one environmental medium, the TRI Program is unique in
that it covers all environmental media by tracking toxic chemical releases to air, water, and
land, as well as chemical waste transfers. TRI also tracks other waste management and the
implementation of pollution prevention at facilities. Since facilities report annually, TRI is one of
EPA's most up-to-date sources of data. The data can be used with other datasets to provide a
more complete understanding of national trends in chemical waste management practices.
Pollution
Prevention Act
(PPA)
Underground
Injection
¦ Toxic Substances
Control Act (TSCA)
¦ Clean Air Act (CAA)
Chemical
Manufacturing
and Processing
> Toxic Substances
Control Act (TSCA)
• Federal Insecticide,
Fungicide, and
Rodenticide Act (FIFRA)
Air Emissions
Products
Water
Discharges
Waste
Transfers
• Clean Water Act (CWA)
• Ocean Dumping Act
(ODA)
Disposal
• Resource
Conservation and
Recovery Act (RCRA)
• Comprehensive Environmental
Response, Compensation, and
Liabilty Act (CERCLA)
• Resource Conservation and
Recovery Act (RCRA)
• Safe Drinking Water
Act (SDWA)
The Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act (EPCRA) established
requirements for emergency planning, preparedness, and reporting on hazardous and
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toxic chemicals. EPCRA requires facilities to report environmental releases, waste
transfers, quantities of chemicals on site, the type and location of storage of those
chemicals, and their use to EPA (via the TRI Program) and to state and local officials. The
Pollution Prevention Act (PPA) of 1990 expanded TRI to include information on waste
management activities like recycling, combustion for energy recovery, and treatment. The
PPA also requires facilities to report newly implemented source reduction activities to TRI.
See the More on EPCRA section for details.
Offices across the EPA use TRI data to support their work to protect human health and the
environment. These uses include technical analysis for regulation, informing program priorities
and projects, and providing information to internal and external stakeholders.
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TRI Around the World
In 1986, with the enactment of the Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act
(EPCRA), the TRI was established as the first national Pollutant Release and Transfer Register
(PRTR) in the world. Since then, environmental agencies in other countries have implemented
their own PRTR programs modeled after the TRI Program. Currently, at least 50 countries have
fully established PRTRs or have implemented pilot programs (see map below). With assistance
from international organizations like the United Nations Institute for Training and Research
(UNITAR), more countries are expected to develop PRTRs, particularly in Asia, South America,
and Africa.
Source: United Nations Institute for Training and Research PRTR Global Map
As global PRTR implementation continues to grow, the TRI Program will continue to work with
international organizations to:
• Assist in the development of new PRTR programs.
• Promote data standards and core data elements to improve PRTR comparability and
harmonization and allow global scale analyses.
• Showcase the usefulness of PRTR data for assessing progress towards sustainability.
See the TRI Around the World webpage for more information on the TRI Program's
international partners.
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International Project Spotlight: Using PRTR Data to Assess
Progress toward the U.N. Sustainable
Development Goals
Background. The TRI Program collaborates with the
Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development
(OECD) on PRTR projects, including a project to use global
PRTR data to assess progress toward the United Nations'
(UN.) Sustainable Development Goals fSDGs). These goals
are designed to "shift the world on to a sustainable and
resilient path" by setting targets that encompass the economic, environmental, and social
dimensions of sustainability. As stakeholders work toward the SDGs, the LJ.N. will measure
progress using existing data where possible. Existing data sources for tracking some of the
SDGs may include countries' PRTR data.
Project Focus. The U.N. SPG Target 12.4 t3gTi was identified as most relevant to PRTR data;
it focuses on reducing chemical releases to the environment.
Project Status. OECD published the project report EMIT (including Spanish and Japanese
versions of the Executive Summary) based on aggregated data for 14 chemicals from multiple
countries to assess progress toward achieving SDG Target 12.4. EPA is working with OECD to
define the next steps for building this work. Users can explore the report's underlying data
using the interactive data tool on the OECD PRTR webpaae.
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Releases by PRTR =
20C
lllllllll.
llMlllll!
2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017
# United States # E-PRTR Australia Canada
% Chile # Japan % Mexico
Note: PRTRs included in the analyses-, Australia - National Pollutant Inventory (NPI), Canada - National Pollutant Release Inventory
(NPRI), Chile - Registro de Emisiones y Transferencia de Contaminantes (RETC), European Union - European Pollutant Release and
Transfer Register (E-PRTR), Japan Pollutant Release and Transfer Register (PRTR), Mexico - Registro de Emisiones y Transferencia
de Contaminantes (RETC), United States - Toxics Release Inventory (TRI). Chemicals included in the analyses-. 1,2-Dichloroethane,
Benzene, Cadmium, Chromium, Di-(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate, Dichloromethane, Ethyl benzene, Mercury, Nickel, Particulate matter,
Styrene, Sulfur oxides, Tetrachloroethylene, Trichloroethylene.
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Mapping Cross-Border Transfers
Facilities must report on the TRI chemicals in wastes they transfer off site for further
management at other facilities, including how the chemicals are managed off site and the name
and address of the receiving facility. This interactive map shows states with TRI facilities that
shipped waste containing TRI chemicals outside of the U.S. Click on a state for more
information on these cross-border transfers. Explore the data in more depth in the full TRI
National Analysis Dashboard.
ONTARIO
• Transfers of TRI chemical waste to Mexico and Canada accounted for 78% of all cross-
border transfers by weight for 2021.
o Almost all TRI chemical waste transfers (99%) to Mexico were for recycling, primarily of
metals and metal compounds. Zinc made up 74% of all transfers to Mexico by weight,
o Most transfers to Canada were from northeastern and midwestern states. About two-
thirds of the TRI chemicals sent to Canada were transferred for recycling. Transfers to
Canada were mostly of metals (e.g., copper, manganese) and chemicals commonly used
as solvents (e.g., methanol, acetonitrile).
• The North American Commission for Environmental Cooperation (CEC) is an international
collaboration between the U.S., Canada, and Mexico focused on environmental issues of
common interest. Among other activities, the CEC maintains a database of cross-border
transfers among Canada, the U.S., and Mexico based on data from TRI and similar
programs in Canada and Mexico.
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More on EPCRA
The Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act (EPCRA) was created in response
to what is widely considered the worst industrial chemical disaster in history. Beginning on
December 2, 1984, methyl isocyanate gas was accidentally released from a chemical plant in
Bhopal, India. That night, thousands of people died and many more were injured. In the
following months and years, thousands more died, and survivors of the accident continue to
suffer with permanent disabilities. Approximately six months after the Bhopal accident, a serious
chemical release occurred at a similar plant in West Virginia. These two events raised concern
about lack of local preparedness for chemical emergencies and the availability of information on
toxic chemicals.
EPCRA establishes requirements for federal, state and local governments, Indian tribes, and
industry regarding emergency planning and "Community Right-to-Know" reporting on
hazardous and toxic chemicals. These requirements are specified in EPCRA's four major
provisions, as shown in the figure below. Information collected under EPCRA helps states,
tribes, and local communities understand potential chemical hazards at individual facilities and
in surrounding neighborhoods. The TRI supports the goals of EPCRA by making information
about the management of toxic chemicals available to the public. This information supports
informed decision-making by companies, government agencies, non-governmental
organizations, communities, and others.
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Key Elements of the Emergency Planning
and Community Right-to-Know Act (EPCRA)
WHO PLANS FOR
EMERGENCIES?
Section 301 of EPCRA established a
structure to help the federal
government, states, tribes, and
communities prepare for emergencies
Q P State Emergency
O E l\ wResponse Commission
TP |3^Tribal Emergency
^ I C F%wResponse Commission
I p Df* Local Emergency
L.C. i W Planning Committee
TC Tribal Emergency
^ I CI \# Planning Committee
ma
Designate Appoint,
emergency oversee, and
planning coordinate
districts with LEPCs
and TEPCs
302-303
EMERGENCY PLANNING
NOTIFICATION AND EMERGENCY
RESPONSE PLANS
304
EMERGENCY RELEASE
NOTIFICATION
Members
include local
officials, facility
4.
¦
Develop
Disseminate
emergency
Information
response
to public
plans and
about
review them
chemicals
annually
present in
community
311-312
HAZARDOUS
CHEMICAL INVENTORY
REPORTING
313
TOXICS RELEASE
INVENTORY
CERCLA
g Quantity
Compensation and Liability Acl
SulMttne*
WHAT DO FACILITIES REPORT UNDER EPCRA?
302-303
304
311-312
313
One-time notification of EHS
Emergency notification of
Submit SDSs or a list of
Annual Toxics Release
above TPQ on site within 60
accidental releases
hazardous chemicals:
inventory report
days of receiving chemicals
required immediately
submit an annual inventory
COVERS
COVERS
COVERS
COVERS
355 EHSs
355 EPCRA EHSs
All hazardous chemicals for
767 chemicals
&00+ CERCLA HSs
which an SDS is required by
33 chemical categories
OSHA
THRESHOLDS (TPQ)
THRESHOLDS
THRESHOLDS
1-10,000 lbs.
1-5,000 lbs.
THRESHOLDS
25.0-00 lbs. manufactured or
The lower of 500 lbs. or TPQ
processed; or 10.000 lbs.
for EHSs. 10.000 lbs. for
otherwise used for most
most other chemicals.
chemicals.
US EPA
SERC OR TERC & LEPC OR TEPC
WHAT'S IN A
FACILITY'S TRI REPORT?
Section 313 requires facilities thai meet the
reporting criteria to submit annual TRI reports
that include data on the quantities of chemicals
they released into four environmental media
AIR
WATER
LAND
OFF-SITE
In 1990 EPA's Pollution Prevention Act
expanded the TRI report to include information
on facilities' activities to prevent or minimize
waste generation and changes in production.
In addition to releases, facilities are required to
report the quantifies of chemical wastes
managed through:
6 i t ^
RECYCLING ENERGY TREATMENT RELEASES
RECOVERY
WHAT'S IN AN EMERGENCY
RESPONSE PLAN?
Section 303 requires LEPCs and TEPCs to develop emergency
response plans, which dictate what should happen in Ibe case
of a chemical accident These plans are reviewed annually and
include:
1.1
Facilities with EHSs
above TPQs
Routes for transporting
EHSs W
Other facilities at risk
or contributing to risk
v Community and Facility
ax emergency coordlnator(s)
Methods to determine
affected area and
population
Methods and timing to
practice response drills
ma Evacuation plan
| Training for emergency
fttii responders
(M) Emergency notification
procedures
Emergency equipment
with responsible
facilities and persons
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TSCA and TRI
The Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA), as amended by the Frank R. Lautenberg Chemical
Safety for the 21st Century Act, is the nation's primary chemicals management law and requires
EPA to evaluate the safety of chemicals in commerce. Many of the chemicals EPA selects for
evaluation are from the 2014 Update to the TSCA Work Plan, which helps focus and direct EPA's
activities. The Agency is required to conduct a transparent, risk-based evaluation process. TRI
data serve as an important source of chemical and environmental information for assessing and
managing chemicals under TSCA.
The three stages of EPA's process for evaluating the safety of existing chemicals (shown in the
graphic below) are prioritization, risk evaluation, and risk management. EPA first prioritizes
chemicals in commerce through a risk-based screening process. The agency then evaluates
those chemicals to determine if they present unreasonable risks, and—if EPA identified
unreasonable risks—manages these risks to protect health and the environment. TRI data may
be used for each step in this process.
TRI Data Use in TSCA Chemical Evaluations
PRIORITIZATION
RISK EVALUATION
RISK MANAGEMENT
TRI data can help to inform
prioritization efforts:
EXPOSURE
HAZARD
RISK
• TRI chemical list includes
MANAGEMENT
approximately 2/3 of the TSCA
Work Plan Chemicals
• TRI data are:
—Annual
—Multi-media
—Releases & waste
management activities
General
population
Occupational
Environmental
TRI data (along
with other
sources of
information)
TRI data provides
chemical use information
and both voluntary and
mandatory P2 information
that may help inform risk
management decisions.
—Facility-level
—Certified
Prioritization. Approximately two-thirds of the chemicals identified in the 2014 update of
the TSCA Work Plan are also included on the TRI list of chemicals. TRI data can inform EPA's
prioritization of chemicals for risk evaluation because the data are collected annually and
include facility locations and quantities of TRI chemicals released to air, water, and land, and
transferred to off-site locations. In addition, trend analyses of TRI data can help identify
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changes over time in the location and quantities of releases, and the types of industrial sectors
managing these chemicals.
Risk evaluation. A TSCA risk evaluation of a chemical is a comprehensive evaluation of the
risks the chemical poses to human health and the environment. EPA evaluates how the
chemical is used during its life cycle, which may include manufacturing, importing, processing,
use, distribution in commerce, and disposal. During risk evaluation, EPA is required to assess
hazards of and exposures to the chemical in the workplace, to the general population and to
environmental receptors (such as plants and animals). TRI and other data are used to support
these assessments under TSCA.
Risk Management. If EPA determines that the chemical or certain uses of the chemical pose
an unreasonable risk to health or the environment, EPA will manage the risk through
regulations or other risk management strategies. These regulatory actions and options may
include labels with warnings and instructions for use, recordkeeping or notice requirements,
restrictions on certain uses or activities to reduce exposure or environmental releases, or a ban
of the chemical entirely. EPA may use TRI data, such as on chemical use and pollution
prevention practices, to help inform these risk management decisions.
TSCA Risk Evaluation Update
In 2017, EPA published the scope documents for the initial ten chemicals undergoing risk
evaluation under the amended TSCA, of which nine are TRI-reportable chemicals. EPA
completed final risk evaluations for these chemicals in 2020 and is currently in the process of
developing risk management rulemakings. This marks a major milestone for EPA in its efforts to
ensure the safety of existing chemicals in the marketplace through its updated chemical
management program.
In 2019, EPA also designated 20 high-priority chemicals to undergo risk evaluation. These
chemicals are moving through the process required by TSCA to evaluate any unreasonable risks
they may present to human health or the environment. In 2020, EPA published the final scope
documents for these 20 high-priority chemical substances, of which 13 are TRI-reportable
chemicals.
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