Abstract |
The Toxics Release Inventory (TRI) is mandated by section 313 of the Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act (EPCRA) of 1986. The law is based on the premise that citizens have a right-to-know about chemicals in their communities. It has two main purposes: to provide planning for response to chemical accidents; and to provide the public and the government with information about possible chemical hazards. The purpose of this State Fact Sheet book is to provide a status of TRI data at the state level. Under section 313 of EPCRA, certain manufacturers must report on an annual basis the amounts of over 300 toxic chemicals, including those in 20 chemical categories, that they release directly to the air, water, or land, or that they inject underground. The reports also include information on amounts transferred to off-site locations for treatment or disposal. In 1991, for the first time, facilities also provided additional information mandated by the Pollution Prevention Act (PPA) of 1990, such as amounts recycled on- and off-site, amounts used for energy recovery on- and off-site, amounts treated on-site, and amounts released due to non-production related events (e.g., accidental spills). The reports are sent to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and to the states or tribes. The law specifies that the EPA must compile these reports into an annual inventory that is publicly available by computer telecommunication and other means on a cost-reimbursable basis. |