TRI National Analysis 2017
www.epa.aov/trinationalanalysis/
March 2019
Comparing Industry Sectors
This section examines which sectors contributed the most to production-related waste managed
in 2017 and highlights several industry sectors to show trends occurring over time. It also
discusses the trends among federal facilities, which report to the Toxics Release Inventory (TRI)
regardless of sector. For analysis purposes, the TRI Program has aggregated the North
American Industry Classification System (NAICS) codes at the 3- and 4-digit levels, creating 29
industry sector categories. To learn more about which business activities are subject to TRI
reporting requirements, see this list of covered NAICS codes.
The industries that are 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 within a given industry sector often differ greatly from those of facilities in
other sectors. For facilities in the same sector, however, the processes, products, and
regulatory requirements are often similar, resulting in similar manufacture, processing, or other
use of chemicals. Looking at chemical waste management trends within a sector can highlight
progress made in improving environmental performance, identify emerging issues, and reveal
opportunities for better waste management practices.
vvEPA
Production-Related Waste Managed by Industry, 2017
30.57 billion pounds
Note: Percentages may not sum to 100% due to rounding.
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Seven industry sectors reported 89% of the quantities of TRI chemicals managed as
production;related waste in 2017. A majority of TRI chemical waste managed originated from
the chemical manufacturing sector (51%).
vvEPA
Total Disposal or Other Releases by Industry, 2017
3.88 billion pounds
All Others: 8%
Food: 3%
Paper: 4%
Hazardous Waste:
5%
Primary Metals: 8%
Electric Utilities: 9%
Chemicals:
Metal Mining: 50%
This pie chart shows that 80% of the quantities of TRI chemicals disposed of or otherwise
released originated from 4 of the 29 industry sectors that are subject to the TRI reporting
requirements: metal mining (50%), chemical manufacturing (13%), electric utilities (9%), and
primary metals (8%).
For more details on how the amounts and proportions of TRI chemicals managed as waste have
changed over time, see the production-related waste managed by industry trend graph.
For more information on the breakdown of these releases by medium, see land disposal by
industry, air releases by industry, and water releases by industry.
As with any dataset, there are several factors to consider when using the TRI data. Key factors
associated with data presented are summarized in the Introduction. For more information see
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TRI National Analysis 2017
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March 2019
Factors to Consider When Using Toxics Release Inventory Data. Also note that the list of TRI
chemicals has changed over the years. For comparability, trend graphs include only those
chemicals that were reportable for all years presented. Figures that focus only on the year 2017
include all chemicals reportable for 2017, therefore, values for a 2017-only analysis may differ
slightly from results for 2017 in a trend analysis.
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TRI National Analysis 2017
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March 2019
Manufacturing Sectors
What the Sector Does
The manufacturing sectors are goods-
producing industries that transform
materials into new products. These
sectors include businesses involved in
the production of food, textiles,
paper, chemicals, plastics,
petroleum products, metal
products, electronics,
furniture, vehicles,
equipment, and
other products.
THE SECTOR
EMPLOYS
11.1 MILLION
PEOPLE
U.S. Census Annual Survey of Manufactures 2016 data
THE SECTOR
CONTRIBUTES
$2.4 TRILLION
TO U.S. GDP
In value-added. U.S. Census Annual Survey of Manufactures 2016 data
This map shows the locations of the manufacturing facilities that reported to TRI for 2017.
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TRI National Analysis 2017
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March 2019
Edmonton
Winnipeg
Tofortoo.
states i-JtAjnS,
Orleans
Torroon
San Lu
Polosi
>uadala|ara
RETimUC
Sarto
Domingt
Kingsion
Manufacturing Facilities Reporting to TRI, 2017
For 2017, nearly 90% of the facilities that reported to TRI were in a manufacturing sector. The
manufacturing sector accounted for most (86%) of the 30.6 billion pounds of TRI production-
related waste reported to TRI for 2017. Two of the manufacturing sectors (paint and coating
and chemicals') are highlighted in more detail later in this section.
The TRI-covered industry sectors not categorized under manufacturing include metal mining,
coal mining, electric utilities, chemical wholesalers, petroleum terminals, hazardous waste
management, and others.
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TRI National Analysis 2017
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March 2019
Waste Management Trend
The following graph shows the annual quantities of TRI chemicals managed as waste by the
manufacturing sectors.
Production-Related Waste Managed:
Manufacturing Sectors
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2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017
Year
Disposed of or Otherwise Released ^MTreated
Energy Recovery Recycled
> Value Added (billions, 2017 Dollars)
From 2007 to 2017:
• Production-related waste managed by the manufacturing sectors decreased through
2009, following the trend of reduced production resulting from the economic recession.
Since 2009, quantities of waste managed have increased.
o Quantities of waste released and treated decreased, while the quantity of waste
combusted for energy recovery and waste recycled increased.
• It is important to consider the influence the economy has on production and production-
related waste generation. This figure also includes the trend in manufacturing sectors'
"value added" (represented by the black line as reported by the Bureau of Economic
Analysis, Value Added bv Industry). Value added is a measure of production that is
defined as the contribution of these manufacturing sectors to the national gross
domestic product.
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o Production-related waste managed by the manufacturing sectors increased by
26%, while value added by the manufacturing sectors increased by 2%. The
large increase in recycled waste starting in 2014 was primarily due to an increase
in the quantity of cumene recycled by one facility and dichloromethane recycled
by another facility. Excluding these amounts, the total quantities of the
manufacturing sectors' production-related waste decreased by 1% since 2007,
even as value added increased.
From 2016 to 2017:
• Production-related waste managed increased by 12% (2.65 billion pounds). This
increase is largely due to a single facility that reported recycling 1.5 billion pounds of
dichloromethane on site in 2017. This facility did not previously report recycling this
chemical on site. Excluding this amount for 2017, the total quantity of the
manufacturing sectors' production-related waste increased by 5%.
• In 2017, only 6% of the manufacturing sectors' waste was released into the
environment, while the rest was managed through treatment, energy recovery, and
recycling.
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Manufacturing Releases Trend
The following graph shows the annual quantities of TRI chemicals released by the
manufacturing sectors.
Total Disposal or Other Releases:
Manufacturing Sectors
2,000
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2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017
Year
On-site Air Releases
i On-site Land Disposal
i On-site Surface Water Discharges
Off-site Disposal or Other Releases
From 2007 to 2017:
• Total releases by the manufacturing sectors decreased by 25%. This is primarily due to
a reduction in air emissions and off-site disposal or other releases.
• Releases to water also declined, while on-site land disposal increased by 12%.
From 2016 to 2017:
• Total releases decreased by 1% (18 million pounds).
• On-site land disposal, releases to air, and off-site disposal or other releases all
decreased.
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March 2019
Source Reduction in the Manufacturing Sectors:
In 2017, 8% of manufacturing facilities initiated more than 3,500 source reduction activities to
reduce TRI chemical use and waste generation. The most commonly reported types of source
reduction activities were good operating practices and process modifications. For example:
• A writing products manufacturing facility installed a level detection device such that
transfer pumps will shut down in case of high levels in the butanol tank, which
decreases the chances for spills and overflows. fClick to view facility details in the
Pollution Prevention rP21 Tooll
• A plastics and resin manufacturing facility reduced its methanol usage by changing its
mold release solvent and cleaning solvent from methanol to isopropyl alcohol. fClick to
view facility details in the P2 Tooll
You can learn more about pollution prevention opportunities in this sector bv using the TRI
Pollution Prevention fP21 Search Tool.
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TRI National Analysis 2017
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March 2019
Paint and Coating Manufacturing
What the Sector Does
The paint and coating sector
manufactures products that protect
and beautify the surfaces to which
they are applied
from homes, cars,
and manufactured
products to _ _
bridges and V f
other structures.
surfaces to which
o
THE SECTOR
EMPLOYS Mil
34,000 If
PEOPLE
U.S. Census Annual Survey of Manufactures 2016 data
THE SECTOR
CONTRIBUTES
$13 BILLION
TO U.S. GDP
In value-added. U.S. Census Annual Survey of Manufactures 2016 data
This map shows the locations of the paint and coating manufacturing facilities that reported
to TRI for 2017.
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Winnipeg
Sacramento
San •
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Monterrey
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San Luis
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Guadalajara
Mofer
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Kingston Domingo
Paint and Coating Manufacturing Facilities Reporting to TRI, 2017
Paint and Coating Manufacturing Waste Management Trend
The following graph shows the annual quantities of TRI chemicals managed as waste by the
paint and coating manufacturing industry.
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March 2019
Production-Related Waste Managed:
Paint and Coating Manufacturing
140
120
2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017
Year
Disposed of or Otherwise Released
Energy Recovery
•Production
Treated
i Recycled
From 2007 to 2017:
• Production-related waste managed by the paint and coating sector decreased from 2007
through 2009, following the trend of reduced production resulting from the economic
recession. Since 2009, quantities of waste managed increased through 2014, at which
point production-related waste began to decrease. Overall, waste quantities have
decreased by 22%.
• Production (represented by the black line as reported by the Federal Reserve Board,
Industrial Production Index) increased by 2%.
From 2016 to 2017:
• Production-related waste decreased by 14% (16 million pounds). This is driven by one
facility that reported no recycling of methanol for 2017 but had reported over 15 million
pounds recycled per year in prior years.
• In 2017, only 4% of the sector's waste was released into the environment, while the
rest was managed through treatment, energy recovery, and recycling.
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Paint and Coating Manufacturing Releases Trend
The following graph shows the annual quantities of TRI chemicals released by the paint and
coating manufacturing industry.
Total Disposal or Other Releases:
Paint and Coating Manufacturing
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lli¦iI¦iiIi
1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1
2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017
Year
On-site Air Releases
On-site Land Disposal
i On-site Surface Water Discharges
Off-site Disposal or Other Releases
From 2007 to 2017:
• The sector's total disposal or other releases decreased by 26% (1.3 million pounds)
since 2007. This is primarily due to reductions in releases to air.
From 2016 to 2017:
• Total releases decreased by 11% (0.5 million pounds), driven by continued reductions in
air emissions.
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Solvent Use in the Paint and Coating Manufacturing Sector
Certain volatile organic chemicals (VOCs) are used in the paint and coating sector as solvents.
Solvents are used to dissolve or suspend other chemicals, such as pigments in paint. Organic
solvents are often used because they dry quickly when exposed to air, a property desirable for
most paint and coating applications. Many organic solvent chemicals used by the Paint and
Coating Manufacturing sector are included on the TRI chemical list. For years, the sector has
been implementing efforts to reduce the use and release of solvents. This graph shows the
trend in air releases of five solvents that this sector reported releasing in the largest quantities.
vvEPA
Air Releases of Key Solvents:
Paint and Coating Manufacturing
Year
Air releases • Production
Includes releases of xylene (mixed isomers), toluene, methanol, n-butyl alcohol, and 1,2,4-trimethylbenzene.
Production Index source: Federal Reserve Board
• Total releases of these five key solvents from the paint and coating industry have
dropped by 842 thousand pounds (37%) since 2007. This is largely due to a reduction in
air releases, which decreased 42% since 2007.
• Many facilities in this industry reported changing cleaning solvents or reformulating
products to reduce their use of TRI-reportable hazardous solvents. Facilities gave
various reasons for these changes, including VOC regulations, industry trends toward
lower-VOC products, and a continuing desire to reduce toxics in their products.
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Lead in the Paint and Coating Manufacturing Sector
Although lead was banned from consumer paints in the U.S. in 1978, it may still be used in
some paints and coatings, such as those for industrial use. Lead use by the paint and coating
sector has greatly declined over several decades, with continuing reductions in recent years.
vvEPA
Lead and Lead Compounds Released by Paint and
Coating Facilities
tn
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¦a
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v>EPA
TRI National Analysis 2017
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March 2019
In 2017:
• 59% of all lead releases in the sector were from facilities owned by PPG. PPG has
announced plans to phase out lead from its industrial paints bv 2020.
Source Reduction in the Paint and Coating Sector:
Eleven percent of paint and coating manufacturing facilities initiated source reduction activities
in 2017. The most commonly reported types of source reduction activitites were process
modifications and good operating practices. For example:
• A paint manufacturing facility reduced the amount of solvent used in its raw materials
and replaced it with more environmentally friendly material. \Click to view facility details
in the Pollution Prevention fP21 Tooll
• A coating manufacturer has seen decreases in its releases of lead compounds as it has
moved customers away from the use of leaded pigments. fClick to view facility details in
the P2 Tooll
You can learn more about pollution prevention opportunities in this sector bv using the TRI
Pollution Prevention fP21 Search Tool.
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March 2019
Chemical Manufacturing
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 Mii
745,000 f
PEOPLE
U.S. Census Annual Survey of Manufactures 2016 data
THE SECTOR
CONTRIBUTES
$400 BILLION
TO U.S. GDP
In value-added. U.S. Census Annual Survey of Manufactures 2016 data
This map shows the locations of the chemical manufacturing facilities that reported to TRI for
2017.
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March 2019
* m .-v—
MEXICO
San Luis
Polosi
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Kingston Domingo
Chemical Manufacturing Facilities Reporting to TRI, 2017
For 2017, the chemical manufacturing sector had the most facilities (3,449, 16% of facilities
that reported for 2017) report to the Toxics Release Inventory (TRI) and reported 51% of all
production-related waste managed, more than any other sector,
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Chemical Manufacturing Waste Management Trend
The following graph shows the annual quantities of TRI chemicals managed as waste by the
chemical manufacturing industry.
vvEPA
Production-Related Waste Managed:
Chemical Manufacturing
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2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017
Year
Disposed of or Otherwise Released Treated
Energy Recovery Recycled
Production
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From 2007 to 2017:
• Production-related waste managed by the chemical manufacturing sector increased by
51%, while production (represented by the black line as reported by the Federal
Reserve Board, Industrial Production Indexl decreased by 19%.
o The large increase in recycled waste starting in 2014 was primarily due to an
increase in the quantity of cumene recycled by one facility and dichloromethane
recycled by another facility.
o Excluding those two facilities, total production-related waste managed by the
sector decreased by 6%.
• Quantities of TRI chemicals released, treated, or combusted for energy recovery
decreased, while the quantities of TRI chemicals recycled increased.
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From 2016 to 2017:
• Production-related waste managed at chemical manufacturing facilities increased by 2.5
billion pounds (20%), largely due to a 1.5 billion pound increase in the quantity of
dichloromethane recycled by one plastics manufacturing facility.
• In 2017, only 3% of this sector's waste was released into the environment, while the
rest was managed through treatment, energy recovery, and recycling.
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Chemical Manufacturing Releases Trend
The following graph shows the annual quantities of TRI chemicals released by the chemical
manufacturing industry.
600
500 g ¦ | I l I I | |
100
0 H 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1
2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017
Year
On-site Air Releases ¦ On-site Surface Water Discharges
¦ On-site Land Disposal ¦ Off-site Disposal or Other Releases
From 2007 to 2017:
• Total releases by the chemical manufacturing sector decreased by less than 1%.
• The distribution of releases has changed during this time period with reduced releases
to air and increased disposal to land. This change has been driven largely by decreased
air releases of common chemicals including methanol, carbonvl sulfide, and hydrochloric
acid, and increased land disposal of many metal compounds such as barium compounds
and zinc compounds.
From 2016 to 2017:
• Total releases decreased by 0.5 million pounds (<1%).
• For 2017, the chemical manufacturing sector reported larger air release quantities than
any other sector, accounting for 25% of all reported quantities of TRI chemicals emitted
to air.
vvEPA
Total Disposal or Other Releases:
Chemical Manufacturing
¦ ¦ i i j I i i i i
H+hHH+HH
i 1 1 1 1 1 r
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Source Reduction in the Chemical Manufacturing Sector:
Although chemical manufacturing has consistently been the sector with the most production-
related waste managed, 10% of facilities (over 300 facilities) in this sector initiated source
reduction activities in 2017 to reduce their TRI chemical use and waste generation. The most
commonly reported types of source reduction activities were good operating practices and
process modifications. For example,
• An artificial and synthetic fibers and filaments manufacturing facility reduced waste by
changing from soft water to demineralized water in a process solution bath. The
previous water supply was found to be high in sulfates, which interfered with reactivity
and catalysis, and the change improved bath solution quality and efficiency. fClick to
view facility details in the Pollution Prevention rP21 Tooll
• A synthetic dye and pigment manufacturing facility reduced its nitrate compound use by
developing a new dissolution process replacing nitric acid with hydrochloric acid. fClick
to view facility details in the P2 Tooll
Resources
EPA's Smart Sectors Program is partnering with chemical manufacturing trade associations to
develop sensible approaches that better protect the environment and public health.
TRI's Pollution Prevention Search Tool can help you learn more about pollution prevention
opportunities in this sector.
For more information on how this and other industry sectors can choose safer chemicals, visit
EPA's Safer Choice Program pages for Alternatives Assessments and the Safer Choice
Ingredients List.
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Metal Mining
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,
silver, gold,
and several A
other metals. ©
THE SECTOR
EMPLOYS
38,000
PEOPLE
U.S. Census County Business Patterns 2016 data
VALUE OF MINE
PRODUCTION
$26 BILLION
USGS Mineral Commodities Summary 2017 data
Note: Both metrics include all metal mining sectors; not limited to
those covered by TRI.
This map shows the locations of the metal mining facilities that reported to TRI for 2017.
Mines are shown on this map based on their longitude/latitude which may be miles from the
city 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 reports.
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March 2019
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Metal Mines Reporting to TRI, 2017
For 2017, 85 metal mining facilities reported to TRI. They tend to be in western states where
most of the copper, silver, and gold mining occurs; however, zinc and lead mining tend to occur
in Missouri and Tennessee, as well as Alaska. Metals generated from U.S. mining operations are
used in a wide range of products, including automobiles and electric and industrial equipment,
as well as jewelry and decorative objects. The extraction.and benefvciat4on or other processing
of these minerals generate large amounts of on-site land disposals, primarily of metals included
on the TRI list of chemicals contained in the ore and waste rock. Metal mining operations are
subject to federal and state regulations.
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Metal Mining Waste Management Trend
The following graph shows the annual quantities of TRI chemicals managed as waste by the
metal mining industry from 2007 to 2017, mainly in the form of on-site land disposal.
2,500
Production-Related Waste Managed,
Metal Mining
3.0 e.
2.4 o
1.8
1.2
-- 0.6 y
o
Q.
0.0 ?.
2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017
Year
m Disposed of or Otherwise Released Treated
¦ Energy Recovery Recycled
•—Mine Production
From 2007 to 2017:
• While metal mining production (as reported in the United States Geological Survey1)
remained relatively steady, the quantity of waste managed fluctuated.
• Besides production, one factor commonly cited by facilities as a contributor to the
changes in quantities of waste managed is the chemical composition of the extracted
ore and waste rock, which can vary substantially from year to year. In some cases, small
changes in the waste rock's composition can impact whether chemicals in waste rock
qualify for a concentration-based exemption from TRI reporting in one year but not in
the next year or vice versa.
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From 2016 to 2017:
• The quantity of TRI chemical waste disposed of or otherwise released by this sector
increased by 434 million pounds (29%) between 2016 and 2017, largely driven by a 326
million pound increase reported by one facility.
• During 2017, 97% of the metal mining sector's production-related waste was disposed
of or otherwise released. The majority of this waste consisted of metals, which were
primarily disposed of to land on site.
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Metal Mining Releases Trend
The following graph shows the annual quantities of TRI chemicals released by the metal mining
industry, primarily through on-site land disposal.
Total Disposal or Other Releases,
Metal Mining
2,500
2,000
o 1,500
Q-
O 1,000
500
~i 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1
2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017
Year
On-site Air Releases
i On-site Land Disposal
i On-site Surface Water Discharges
Off-site Disposal or Other Releases
From 2007 to 2017:
More than 99% of the metal mining sector's releases were in the form of on-site land
disposal. The quantity of on-site land disposal by metal mines has fluctuated in recent
years.
Several mines have reported that changes in production and changes in the chemical
composition of the deposit being mined are the primary causes of fluctuations in the
amount of chemicals reported as disposed of on site.
Metal mining facilities typically handle large volumes of material, and even a small
change in the chemical composition of the deposit being mined can lead to big changes
in the amount of TRI chemicals reported.
The quantity of TRI chemicals released is not an indicator of health risks posed by the
chemicals as described in the Introduction. For more information, see the TRI
document, Factors to Consider When Using Toxics Release Inventory Data.
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In 2017:
• The metal mining sector reported the largest quantity of total disposal or other releases,
accounting for 50% of total TRI releases and 72% of on-site land disposal for all
industries.
Source Reduction in the Metal Mining Sector:
None of the 85 metal mining facilities reported initiating source reduction activities for TRI
chemicals in 2017. Unlike manufacturing, the nature of mining—the necessary movement and
disposal of TRI chemicals present in large volumes of earth to access the target ore—does not
lend itself to source reduction. TRI's Pollution Prevention Search Tool can help you learn more
about pollution prevention opportunities in this sector.
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Electric Utilities
What the Sector Does
Electric utilities generate, transmit,
and distribute electric power. Electric-
generating facilities use a variety of
fuels to generate electricity; however,
only those electricity generating
facilities that combust coal or.^^
oil to generate power
for distribution in
commerce are subject
to TRI reporting
requirements.
II
7
THE SECTOR
EMPLOYS
507,000
PEOPLE
U.S. Census County Business Patterns 2016 data. Includes all fuel types
for electricity generation; not limited to those fuels covered by TRI
THE SECTOR
GENERATES
909 MILLION
MWh
U.S. Department of Energy 2017 data by electric utilities that combust
coal or oil for electricity generation
This map shows the locations of the electric utilities that combust coal or oil to generate power
for distribution in commerce and reported to TRI for 2017.
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Electric Utilities Reporting to TRI, 2017
For 2017, 474 electricity generating facilities that combust coal or oil reported to TRI.
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TRI National Analysis 2017
www.epa.aov/trinationalanalysis/
March 2019
Electric Utilities Waste Management Trend
The following graph shows the annual quantities of TRI chemicals electric utility facilities
manage as waste.
vvEPA
Production-Related Waste Managed,
Electric Utilities
1.5
1.2
2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017
Year
Disposed of or Otherwise Released Treated
Energy Recovery Recycled
< Electricity Generation
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From 2007 to 2017:
• Production-related waste managed decreased by 557 million pounds (29%) since 2007,
driven by reduced releases.
• Net electricity generation decreased by 41% (in terms of electricity generated by electric
utilities using coal and oil fuels as reported by the U.S. Department of Energy's Energy
Information Administration1). The recent production decrease (beginning in 2014) was
driven by the industry's transition to natural gas, as only facilities that combust coal or
oil to produce power are covered under TRI reporting requirements.
In 2017:
• Approximately three-quarters of the production-related waste was treated, while one-
quarter was released to the environment.
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TRI National Analysis 2017
www.epa.aov/trinationalanalysis/
March 2019
o This is in contrast to 2007, when over half of the waste was released. This trend
is largely due to an increase in scrubbers at electric utilities that treat (or
destroy) TRI-reportable acid gases that would otherwise be released on site to
the air.
vvEPA
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oEPA
TRI National Analysis 2017
www.epa.aov/trinationalanalysis/
March 2019
Electric Utilities Releases Trend
The following graph shows the annual quantities of TRI chemicals electric utility facilities
released or disposed.
Total Disposal or Other Releases:
Electric Utilities
1,250
IS)
1,000
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C
3
O
O.
750
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500
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2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017
Year
On-site Air Releases ¦ On-site Surface Water Discharges
i On-site Land Disposal ¦ Off-site Disposal or Other Releases
From 2007 to 2017:
• Releases from the electric utilities sector decreased by 66%. This decrease was driven
by an 87% decrease in on-site air releases. On-site land disposal, on-site surface water
discharges, and off-site disposal also decreased, but to a lesser extent.
From 2016 to 2017:
• Releases by electric utilities decreased by 6% (20 million pounds). This decrease was
driven by reductions in on-site land disposal, off-site disposal, and continued reductions
in air emissions.
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v>EPA
TRI National Analysis 2017
www.epa.aov/trinationalanalysis/
March 2019
Source Reduction in the Electric Utilities Sector:
In the electric utilities sector, 10 facilities (2% of the electric utility facilities reporting to TRI)
initiated source reduction activities in 2017 to reduce their use of TRI chemicals and generation
of wastes that contain TRI chemicals. Note that adding treatment equipment is considered a
control technology for TRI chemical waste that is generated, and is not a source reduction
activity that prevents waste from being generated. The most commonly reported types of
source reduction activities for this sector were good operating practices and spill and leak
prevention. TRI's Pollution Prevention Search Tool can help you learn more about pollution
prevention opportunities in this sector.
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TRI National Analysis 2017
www.epa.gov/trinationalanalvsis/
March 2019
Federal Facilities
This map shows the locations of the federal facilities that reported to Toxics Release Inventory
(TRI) in 2017.
Federal Facilities Reporting to TRI, 2017
The 1993 Executive Order 12856, "Federal Compliance with Right-to-Know Laws and Pollution
Prevention Requirements," established the requirement that all federal facilities, including
facilities operated by the U.S. EPA, are subject to the Toxics Release Inventory (TRI) reporting
requirements, regardless of the type of operations at the facility as described by their NAICS
code. This executive order has been reaffirmed by subsequent administrations.
103
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oEPA
TRI National Analysis 2017
www.epa.aov/trinationalanalysis/
March 2019
Federal Facilities by Industry
The following chart shows the number of federal facilities reporting to TRI by sector for 2017.
Police Protection
(e.g., firing range):
5%
Correctional
Institutions (e.g.,
federal prison):
13%
Federal Facilities by Sector, 2017
458 facilities
Electric Power
Generation (e.g.,
coal power plant):
3% \
All Others: 17%
National Security
(e.g., US Army
Base): 63%
Note: Percentages may not sum to 100% due to rounding.
For 2017, 458 federal facilities in 39 different types of operations (based on their 6-digit NAICS
codes) reported to TRI. Almost two-thirds of these facilities were in the National Security sector,
which includes Department of Defense facilities such as Army and Air Force bases. All federal
facilities are subject to TRI reporting requirements regardless of their sector. Therefore, for
some industry sectors, the TRI database only includes data from federal facilities. More than
three-quarters of federal facilities are in such sectors, including Military Bases (63%);
Correctional Institutions (13%); and Police Protection, such as training sites for Border Patrol
stations (5%).
As with non-federal facilities, activities at federal facilities drive the types and quantities of
waste managed that is reported. Some of the activities at federal facilities that are captured by
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v>EPA
TRI National Analysis 2017
www.epa.aov/trinationalanalysis/
March 2019
TRI reporting are similar to those at non-federal facilities, such as hazardous waste treatment.
In other cases, federal facilities may report waste managed from specialized activities that are
not usually performed by non-federal facilities. For example, all of the federal facilities included
under Police Protection and Correctional Institutions only reported for lead and lead
compounds, likely due to the use of lead ammunition on firing ranges at these facilities.
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oEPA
TRI National Analysis 2017
www.epa.aov/trinationalanalysis/
March 2019
Waste Management by Federal Facilities
The following pie chart shows the percentages of TRI chemicals managed as waste by federal
government organizations in 2017.
Production-Related Waste by
Government Organization, 2017
146.8 million pounds
All Others:
Department of
the Treasury:
11%
Tennessee Valley.
Authority:
40%
Department of
Defense:
47%
Note: Percentages may not sum to 100% due to rounding.
• The types of waste reported by federal facilities vary by the type of operation.
o The Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) is a government-owned electric utility that
provides power to southeastern states. Out of the 18 TVA facilities that reported
to TRI for 2017, virtually all of the TRI production-related waste comes from the
fossil fuel plants that report in the Fossil Fuel Electric Power Generation sector.
Nearly 80% of their reported waste was hydrochloric and sulfuric acid aerosols
which were mostly treated on site.
o The Department of the Treasury facilities reporting to TRI are mints for
manufacturing currency and, accordingly, they report metals (e.g., copper and
nickeO to TRI. All of their metal waste is recycled off site.
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v>EPA
TRI National Analysis 2017
www.epa.aov/trinationalanalysis/
March 2019
Source Reduction at Federal Facilities:
Since federal facilities are subject to TRI reporting regardless of their industry sector
classification, their operations are diverse and few focus on manufacturing processes. Due to
their unique functions, some federal facilities may face challenges in implementing source
reduction strategies to reduce chemical waste. For the 2017 reporting year, 13 federal facilities
(3%) reported implementing source reduction activities.
Federal facilities have often indicated barriers in reducing use of lead because it is contained in
ammunition used at National Security and Park Service facilities. In 2017, several federal
facilities reported using green ammuntion in accordance with National Park Service policy to use
nonlead ammunition where feasible. To find more examples of federal facilities' source
reduction activities and the barriers they face to implementing source reduction, visit TRI's
Pollution Prevention 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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