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2003 TRI Public Data Release Brochure
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A seven-page printable version (PDF) of the brochure is available. (7 pp, 2.6MB, About PDF)
- What is the Toxics Release Inventory?
- What are the benefits of TRI data?
- What are the limitations of the TRI data?
- What should I know about the different types of disposal or other releases?
- What should I know about persistent bioaccumulative toxic (PBT) chemicals?
- What do TRI data show for reporting year (RY) 2003?
- How did the TRI data change over time?
- What do TRI data show over a longer period of time?
- What other information is available on the public data release?
- How can I access TRI data?
- Where can I find contact information?
What is the Toxics Release Inventory?
The Toxics Release Inventory (TRI) is a database containing detailed information on nearly 650 chemicals and chemical categories that over 23,000 industrial and other facilities manage through disposal or other releases, recycling, energy recovery, or treatment.Figure 1: Information Collected Under TRI  |
This circular diagram consists of 4 quadrants which describe the types of data collected for TRI chemicals. The upper left quadrant shows disposal or other releases that occur on-site to surface water, air, land, and underground injection. The upper right quadrant shows other waste management that occurs on-site. This waste management may include recycling, energy recovery, and treatment. The lower left quadrant shows the disposal or other releases for transfer to off-site facilities. These include off-site transfers to underground injection, land, and Publicly-Owned Treatment Works - metals. The lower right quadrant shows other waste management for transfer to off-site. These include off-site waste management for recycling, energy recovery, treatment, and Publicly-Owned Treatment Works - non-metals. |
The data are collected from industries including manufacturing, metal and coal mining, electric utilities, commercial hazardous waste treatment, and other industrial sectors.
Section 313 of the Emergency Planning and Community Right to Know Act (EPCRA) of 1986 was enacted to facilitate emergency planning, to minimize the effects of potential toxic chemical accidents, and to provide the public with information on releases of toxic chemicals in their communities. The Pollution Prevention Act (PPA) of 1990 mandates collection of data on toxic chemicals treated on-site, recycled, and combusted for energy recovery. Together, these laws require facilities in certain industries, which manufacture, process, or use toxic chemicals above specified amounts, to report annually on disposal or other releases and other waste management activities related to these chemicals.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) maintains this information in a national database called the Toxics Release Inventory, which is available to the public via the Internet on TRI's Web site.
What are the benefits of TRI data?
The TRI provides the public with unprecedented access to information about toxic chemical releases and other waste management activities on a local, state, regional and national level.TRI data help the public, government officials and industry:
- Identify potential concerns and gain a better understanding of potential risks;
- Identify priorities and opportunities to work with industry and government to reduce toxic chemical disposal or other releases and potential risks associated with them; and
- Establish reduction targets and measure progress toward reduction goals.
TRI data are widely used across EPA programs. For example, the National Partnership for Environmental Priorities, an element of the Resource Conservation Challenge (RCC), uses TRI data to identify facilities that may present pollution prevention opportunities. EPA also uses TRI data in the Risk Screening Environmental Indicator (RSEI) tool, which provides users with additional understanding of chronic human health and potential exposures associated with TRI chemicals. You can search for other EPA programs and tools that utilize TRI data by visiting EPA’s Web site or from EPA’s publication How are the Toxics Release Inventory Data Used? (PDF). (76 pp, 791KB, About PDF)
What are the limitations of the TRI data?
Users of TRI data should be aware that TRI data reflect disposal or other releases and other waste management of chemicals, not whether (or to what degree) the public has been exposed to them. Both the toxicity of a chemical and exposure considerations should be taken into account when using the data.- TRI chemicals vary widely in toxicity, or their potential to produce toxic effects. Some high-volume releases of less toxic chemicals may appear to be more serious than lower-volume releases of highly toxic chemicals, when just the opposite may be true.
- The potential for exposure may be greater the longer the chemical remains unchanged in the environment. Sunlight, heat, or microorganisms may or may not decompose the chemical. Smaller releases of a persistent, highly toxic chemical may create a more serious problem than larger releases of a chemical that is rapidly converted to a less toxic form.
For more detailed information on this subject refer to Toxics Release Inventory (TRI) and Factors to Consider When Using TRI Data (PDF) . (29 pp, 196KB, About PDF)
What should I know about the different types of disposal or other releases?
The TRI Program collects data on a number of different types of disposal or other releases, as well as on certain waste management and recycling practices. Disposal or other releases of chemicals into the environment occur through a range of practices that may ultimately affect the potential for human exposure to the toxic chemicals. Facility releases may include discharges to air, water, and land. Facilities limit contamination and human exposure by disposing of or otherwise releasing waste in certain ways. For example:
- Disposal of harmful materials to Class I Underground Injection wells located in isolated formations beneath the lowermost underground source of drinking water, which limits potential for contamination; and
- Disposal to landfills that are designed with liners, covers, leak-detection systems, and groundwater monitoring systems also limit the potential for human exposure to the contents of the landfill.
Most disposal or other release practices are subject to a variety of regulatory requirements designed to limit environmental harm. Please refer to the Toxics Release Inventory (TRI) and Factors to Consider When Using TRI Data (PDF, 29pp,196 KB, About PDF)for more information on the differences of these data elements.
What should I know about persistent bioaccumulative toxic (PBT) chemicals?
Starting in 2000, EPA established more stringent reporting thresholds for persistent bioaccumulative toxic (PBT) chemicals originally on, or added to, the TRI chemical list. PBT chemicals are of particular concern not only because they are toxic but also because they remain in the environment for long periods of time, are not readily destroyed, and build up or accumulate in body tissue. The TRI PBT chemicals include dioxin and dioxin-like compounds, lead and lead compounds, mercury and mercury compounds, polycyclic aromatic compounds (PACs), polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), and certain pesticides, among other chemicals.
For more detailed information about the Agency’s multimedia strategy for priority PBT chemicals, visit EPA’s Office of Prevention, Pesticides, and Toxic Substances Web site.
What do TRI data show for reporting year (RY) 2003?
For RY 2003, 23,811 facilities, including federal facilities, reported to EPA’s TRI Program. They reported 4.44 billion pounds of on-site and off-site disposal or other releases of the almost 650 toxic chemicals, as shown in Table 1. Over 88 percent of the total was disposed of or otherwise released on-site; almost 12 percent was sent off-site for disposal or other releases, as shown in Figure 2.
Persistant bioaccumulative toxic (PBT) chemicals accounted for 464.8 million pounds or 10% of reported on- and off-site disposal or other releases in RY 2003. Of that total, lead and lead compounds accounted for 93% or 432.0 million pounds. Total disposal or other releases for mercury and mercury compounds were 7.4 million pounds and, for dioxin and dioxin-like compounds, they were 269,050 grams. PCBs accounted for 5% or 22 million pounds of the total disposal or other releases of PBT chemicals in 2003.
All federal facilities, whether operated by federal agencies or contractors (e.g. military bases), are directed to report to EPA’s TRI Program. For RY 2003, a total of 295 federal facilities submitted 977 forms and reported 78.1 million pounds of total on-site and off-site disposal or other releases.
How did the TRI data change over time?
From RY 2002 to RY 2003, total disposal or other releases on- and off-site decreased by 305.9 million pounds or 6%. On-site disposal or other releases decreased by 7%, while off-site disposal or other releases increased by less than 1%. Total production-related waste managed decreased by 1.5% over the same period. While the total number of facilities reporting decreased by 4% (888 facilities) from 2002, there was also a 3% decrease in the average quantities of releases per facility.The metal mining and primary metals sectors accounted for 29% of total disposal or other releases in 2003. If combined reporting by these two sectors is excluded, total disposal or other releases and total production-related waste managed decreased by less than 1% nationally.
Disposal or other releases of PBT chemicals increased by 11% in 2003. Disposal or other releases for lead and lead compounds increased 7% from 2002 to 2003. Without metal mining, disposal or other releases of lead and lead compounds decreased by 3%. Total disposal or other releases of mercury and mercury compounds increased by 41% from 2002 to 2003, although air emissions of mercury and its compounds decreased by 1%. Total disposal or other releases of dioxin and dioxin-like compounds increased by 129,433 grams from 2002 to 2003. Excluding one facility that reported an increase of 134,269 grams, total disposal or other releases of dioxin and dioxin-like compounds decreased by 4%. Disposal or other releases of PCBs increased by 20.4 million pounds from 2002 to 2003.
Federal facilities showed an overall decrease in disposal or other releases of 7.4 million pounds or 9% from 2002 to 2003. Total production-related waste managed at federal facilities decreased by 5.5 million pounds or 3%.
Starting in 1998, additional industries were required to report, including electric utilities, metal and coal mines, commercial hazardous waste treatment facilities and solvent recovery facilities, chemical wholesale distributors, and petroleum terminals and bulk stations. From 1998 to 2003, all TRI facilities, including those from the sectors added in 1998, have reported a 42% reduction in disposal or other releases, as shown in Figure 3.
Manufacturing facilities have been required to report to EPA’s TRI Program since 1987. From 1988 to 2003, manufacturing facilities decreased their on- and off-site disposal or other releases by 59%, as shown in Figure 4.
Figure 2: Distribution of TRI Disposal or Other Releases, 2003 (values in table format)
Data are from TRI Form R, Section 5 (all parts) and 6.1 (metals and metal compounds only) and 6.2 (disposal codes only and metals and metal compounds reported under codes M40 and M61) as of March 2005.
What do TRI data show over a longer period of time?
Figure 3: Total On- and Off-site Disposal or Other Releases, 1998-2003 (values in table format)
Figure 4: Total On- and Off-site Disposal or Other Releases, 1998-2003 (values in table format)
Data are from TRI Form, Sections 5 (all parts) and 6.1 (metals and metal compounds only) and 6.2 (Disposal codes only and metals and metal compounds reported under codes M40 and M61). Does not include delisted chemicals, chemicals added in 1990, 1994 and 1995; aluminum oxide; ammonia; hydrochloric acid; PBT chemicals; sulfuric acid; and vanadium and vanadium compounds. For the years 1998 and after, does not include industries, other than manufacturing industries, required to report for 1998 and later years only.
| Type of Releases | Pounds |
|---|---|
| ON-SITE DISPOSAL TO CLASS I UNDERGROUND INJECTION WELLS, RCRA SUBTITLE C LANDFILLS, AND OTHER LANDFILLS |
|
Class I Wells |
200,402,228 |
RCRA Subtitle C Landfills |
170,794,270 |
Other On-site Landfills |
267,883,840 |
| OTHER ON-SITE DISPOSAL OR OTHER RELEASES |
|
Fugitive Air Emissions |
205,095,324 |
Point Source Air Emissions |
1,381,295,231 |
Surface Water Discharges |
222,628,110 |
Class II-V Wells |
21,968,824 |
Land Treatment |
15,675,243 |
RCRA Subtitle C Surface Impoundments |
5,542,266 |
Other Surface Impoundments |
817,040,382 |
Other Land Disposal |
612,362,811 |
| TOTAL ON-SITE DISPOSAL OR OTHER RELEASES |
|
| OFF-SITE DISPOSAL TO CLASS I UNDERGROUND INJECTION WELLS, RCRA SUBTITLE C LANDFILLS, AND OTHER LANDFILLS |
|
Class I Wells |
10,306,569 |
RCRA Subtitle C Landfills |
50,298,924 |
Other Landfills |
270,803,363 |
| OTHER OFF-SITE DISPOSAL OR OTHER RELEASES | <
|
Storage Only |
5,674,497 |
Solidification/Stabilization (Metals and Metal Compounds Only) |
83,170,051 |
Wastewater Treatment (Excluding POTWs) (Metals and Metal Compounds Only) |
2,218,133 |
Transfers to POTWs (Metals and Metal Category Compounds Only) |
1,888,476 |
Class II-V Wells |
260,492 |
RCRA Subtitle C Surface Impoundments |
300,843 |
Other Surface Impoundments |
4,849,779 |
Land Treatment |
9,288,780 |
Other Land Disposal |
31,789,491 |
Other Off-site Management |
15,963,360 |
Transfers to Waste Broker for Disposal |
26,133,138 |
Unknown |
5,085,389 |
| TOTAL OFF-SITE DISPOSAL OR OTHER RELEASES |
|
| TOTAL ON-SITE AND OFF-SITE DISPOSAL OR OTHER RELEASES |
|
Data are from TRI Form, Sections 5 (all parts) and 6.1 (metals and metal compounds only) and 6.2 (Disposal codes only and metals and metal compounds reported under codes M40 and M61) as of March 2005. Off-site disposal or other releases transferred to other TRI facilities reporting such transfers as on-site disposal or other releases are not included.
These 23,811 facilities reported 25.8 billion pounds of TRI chemicals in waste managed during 2003. Over 36% was recycled, 33% was treated, 18% was disposed of or otherwise released on- and off-site, and 13% was used for energy recovery, as shown in Table 2.
| Waste Management Activity | Pounds | Percent (%) |
|---|---|---|
| Quantity Recycled | 9,313,378,392 |
|
Quantity Recycled On-site |
7,446,284,759 |
28.8 |
Quantity Recycled Off-site |
1,867,093,633 |
7.2 |
| Quantity Used for Energy Recovery | 3,439,714,945 |
|
Quantity Used for Energy Recovery On-site |
2,734,292,811 |
10.6 |
Quantity Used for Energy Recovery Off-site |
705,422,134 |
2.7 |
| Quantity Treated | 8,529,377,256 |
|
Quantity Treated On-site |
8,003,315,384 |
31.0 |
Quantity Treated Off-site |
526,061,872 |
2.0 |
| Total Quantity Disposed of or Otherwise Released | 4,541,862,224 |
|
| TOTAL PRODUCTION-RELATED WASTE MANAGED | 25,824,332,817 |
|
| Non-production-related Waste Managed | 30,506,478 |
What other information is available on the public data release?
EPA has also developed an electronic report (eReport) for the 2003 Public Data Release. This report offers detailed information on the 2003 Public Data Release and is available on the TRI Website. The eReport includes:
- a summary of key findings which provides a detailed look at the 2003 data;
- TRI Data in Context section which provides trend information and additional ways to view and interpret TRI data; and
- additional tables and charts which provide a look at the top chemicals, industries, and facilities for 2003.
To access this report and other information on the TRI Program, please visit our Web site.
How can I access TRI data?
TRI Explorer: It’s On-line! It’s Easy! It’s Your Right to Know!
TRI Explorer provides fast and easy access to the TRI data and can answer your questions about a chemical, facility, geographic area, or industry sector. It also provides further details and breakdown on the type of disposal or other releases reported. Find out what chemicals are released to the air by facilities in your state in 2005, what facilities reported in your zip code, or what progress has been made in reducing TRI chemicals since 1988. TRI Explorer provides customized reports on these and many other topics from the TRI data. Users of TRI data can also customize maps of states or counties within a state to their preferences. Each report can be quickly and easily sorted by total disposal or other releases, by fugitive air emissions, by surface water discharges, by disposal to RCRA Subtitle C landfills, etc. Electronic state fact sheets with 2005 data are also available for each state. Visit the TRI Explorer home page to begin creating your own report on TRI data at www.epa.gov/triexplorer.
Where can I find contact information?
There are three other options for finding more detailed information:
- You can find out more information about the TRI program by contacting the toll-free Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know (EPCRA) Call Center at 1-800-424-9346, or
- You can seek assistance in accessing and using TRI data by contacting the TRI User Support Service 202-566-0250 or e-mailing your questions to tri.us@epa.gov, or
- You can find your state or regional TRI coordinator.