U.S. TRI Program a Leader in International Chemical Release Reporting

The U.S. EPA's TRI Program was established in 1987 under the Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act of 1986, and later expanded by the Pollution Prevention Act of 1990. In establishing its TRI Program, the EPA effectively instituted the very first pollutant release and transfer registry (PRTR) in the world.

Since its implementation in 1987, the EPA's TRI Program has modified its PRTR to further enhance the public's right-to-know about the disposition of toxic chemicals in communities. These modifications have included: addition of toxic chemicals to the original TRI list of toxic chemicals; requiring more industry sectors to report their releases and other waste management quantities of listed toxic chemicals, and implementation of stricter reporting requirements for certain toxic chemicals that are of particular concern (e.g., mercury, dioxins).

The EPA's PRTR (i.e. TRI) is the oldest and most comprehensive PRTR system in the world. Revered internationally as the premiere PRTR, environmental authorities in other countries throughout the world are gradually but increasingly implementing their own PRTR programs, using the EPA's PRTR as the benchmark prototype model upon which their respective PRTRs are based. As of 2008, there are over twenty PRTRs in the world, and at least five additional PRTRs are currently being planned. In the coming years many more PRTRs will undoubtedly be implemented.

PRTRs in the World

Countries with PRTRs:

Greece, Germany, France, Finland, Estonia, Czech Republic Denmark, Cyprus, Belgium, Austria, Australia, United Kingdom, Estonia, Sweden, Spain, Slovakia, Slovenia, Portugal, Norway, Poland, Netherlands, Malta, Luxembourg, Lithunia, Latvia, Ireland, Hungary, Italy,
Mexico , Canada , and the United States.

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TRI Around the World

EPA's TRI Program works closely with international organizations and participates in international activities to assist in the development of PRTR programs in other countries. These international organizations and activities are listed below.


				Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development The Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) is an intergovernmental organization in which representatives of 30 industrialized countries in North America, Europe and the Pacific, as well as the European Commission, regularly meet to coordinate and harmonize policies, discuss issues of mutual concern, and work together to respond to international problems. OECD and PRTRs The OECD began work to encourage development of PRTRs in 1993, as a follow-up to a United Nations Conference on Environment and Development. OECD works with governments, industry, and non-governmental organizations to develop practical tools that facilitate efforts by member countries, provide outreach to non-member countries, and coordinate international activities. To help member countries implement efficient and effective PRTR systems, OECD produces documents describing the experiences of countries that have developed PRTRs; current and emerging uses of PRTR data; how PRTRs differ; and the identification, selection, and adaptation of release estimation techniques that industry can use to calculate pollutant releases and transfers. The OECD coordinates PRTR activities between the industrialized nations of Europe, North America and Asia-Pacific through its PRTR Task Force. The goal of the Task Force is to enable the OECD member countries to provide and improve information about implementation of PRTRs. As of 2008, nearly 20 OECD countries have an operational PRTR. In the next few years, almost 50 countries will have implemented PRTRs. PRTR.net : This Web site provides a global portal to Pollutant Release and Transfer Register (PRTR) information and activities from countries and organizations around the world. The Web site aims to assist countries in the development, implementation and improvement of PRTR programs.
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				North American Commission for Environmental Cooperation The North American Commission for Environmental Cooperation (CEC) was established under the North American Agreement on Environmental Cooperation (NAAEC), to address regional environmental concerns, help prevent potential trade and environmental conflicts, and to promote the effective enforcement of environmental law. The Agreement compliments the environmental provisions of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). CEC and PRTRs Three countries and their respective PRTRs are affiliated with the CEC. These countries are: the United States, Canada, and Mexico. Canada’s PRTR program is the National Pollutant Release Inventory (NPRI) and is maintained by Environment Canada. Mexico’s PRTR program is the Registro de Emisiones y Transferencia de Contaminantes (RETC) and is maintained by Mexico’s Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources (La Secretaría de Medio Ambiente y Recursos Naturales (SEMARNAT)). The CEC annually publishes its Taking Stock: North American Pollutant Releases and Transfers report , which is a consolidation of certain PRTR data from the Canadian National Pollutant Release Inventory, the U.S. Toxics Release Inventory, and Mexico’s Registro de Emisiones y Transferencia de Contaminantes. Only those data common to all three PRTR systems are used. (There are only about nine industrial sectors and 60 chemicals that are commonly reported to each of these PRTRs.) Map layer for Industrial Pollutants on Google Earth: The CEC’s new map layer for Google Earth lets users explore pollution data from over 30,000 industrial facilities in North America. Information used in the mapping tool comes from publicly accessible “pollutant release and transfer registers,” or PRTRs, maintained separately by the three North American countries:Canada, Mexico, and the United States. The CEC has created the first seamless, North America-wide map layer connecting citizens with point-specific industrial pollutant data in Canada, Mexico and the United States.
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				United Nations Environment Program The United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) provide leadership and encourage partnership in caring for the environment by inspiring, informing, and enabling nations and peoples to improve their quality of life without compromising that of future generations. UNEP’s International Register of Potentially Toxic Chemicals (IRPTC) is the international clearinghouse for PRTRs and leads the effort to exchange PRTR-related information through its internet site. IRPTC is also helping to develop guidance for emissions estimation and to foster compatibility of PRTR information systems.
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				United Nations Institute for Training and Research The United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR) works with developing countries to implement new environmental programs and transfer knowledge and technologies to them from nations with established environmental programs. *UNITAR and PRTRs* Under a cooperative agreement established under the Dominican Republic - Central American – United States Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA-DR), development of PRTRs in Central America and the Dominican Republic were identified as primary goals. UNITAR, through funding from EPA and in coordination with the Comision Centroamericana de Ambiente y Desarrollo (CCAD), is working to facilitate development of PRTRs in two countries in Central America. EPA’s TRI Program is providing technical guidance to this undertaking. Another PRTR effort of UNITAR was to assist in the development of a PRTR in Chile. This work was done under a cooperative project established by the United States-Chile Free Trade Agreement. The U.S. EPA and Canada’s Environment Canada provided UNITAR with financial support as well as technical guidance for this project.
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U.S. TRI Program a Leader in International Chemical Release Reporting

TRI Around the World

Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development

OECD and PRTRs

North American Commission for Environmental Cooperation

CEC and PRTRs

United Nations Environment Program

United Nations Institute for Training and Research

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