2003 TRI Data Release
EPA released the 2003 TRI Data on May 11, 2005. This page provides an overview of the 2003 TRI data and relevant TRI information (including tables, charts, maps, etc). To fully understand the TRI data, we recommend that you read all of the materials. More information about the Toxics Release Inventory.
- What is the TRI and what do the data show for 2003?
- What materials are available for the Public Data Release?
- How can I obtain the full data set for my state?
- Are online tools available?
- What about facility data errors?
- What other information should you consider when using TRI data to assess potential risks?
What is the Toxics Release Inventory and what do the data show for 2003?
The Toxics Release Inventory (TRI) is a database containing detailed information on nearly 650 chemicals and chemical categories that over 23,000 industrial and federal facilities manage through disposal or other releases, and waste management for recycling, energy recovery, or treatment. This inventory was established under the Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act of 1986 (EPCRA) and expanded by the Pollution Prevention Act of 1990.
For Reporting Year 2003, 23,811 facilities reported to EPA’s TRI Program.These facilities reported 4.44 billion pounds of on-site and off-site disposal or other releases of the almost 650 toxic chemicals. 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.
What materials are available for the Public Data Release?
- 2003 PDR Brochure (PDF) (7 pp, 2.6MB, About PDF): This seven-page printable version of the brochure provides a quick overview of TRI data, including a background document, charts, and data tables.
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2003 Public Data Release eReport (PDF) (90 pp, 1.11MB, About
PDF): provides a general overview of 2003 TRI data and information on trends. You can also get the report by calling (202) 564-9554 or emailing your request to TRIDOCS@epa.gov.
Read the three report sections individually:- Summary of Key Findings (PDF) (17 pp, 1.68MB, About PDF): This section provides a detailed look at the key findings of the 2003 TRI data.
- Results in Context: (To be released in draft Summer 2005)
- Data Tables and Charts (PDF) (71 pp, 245KB, About PDF): This section provides a look at just the numbers for a select set of national data.
- PDR Reports for past years
How can I obtain the full data set for my state?
- 2003 TRI State and National Data Files
- 2003 State TRI Fact Sheets: accessible in TRI Explorer, an interactive online display system.
Are online tools available?
- TRI Explorer -- This on-line tool generates reports based on facilities, chemicals, geographic areas, or industry type (SIC code) at the county, state, and national level. It provides information for on- and off-site disposal or other releases, transfers off-site, and other waste management data (i.e., recycling, energy recovery, treatment, and quantities released).
- Envirofacts -- EPA created the Envirofacts Warehouse to provide the public with direct access to the wealth of information contained in its databases (including TRI). The Envirofacts Warehouse provides environmental information from EPA databases on Air, Chemicals, Facility Information, Grants/Funding, Hazardous Waste, Risk Management Plans, Superfund, Toxic Releases, and other EPA databases. Envirofacts provides access to TRI data that is continually updated with the latest revisions.
What about facility data errors?
We check facilities' reports for data quality. When we find a potential error, we notify the facility. However, we cannot correct a reporting error in the TRI database until the facility sends us a certified revision or withdrawal. As you use TRI data, be aware that the database may reflect uncorrected facility reporting errors. Errata Sheet (PDF) (3 pp, 11KB, About PDF)What other information should you consider when using TRI data to assess potential risks?
Release estimates alone are not sufficient to determine exposure or to calculate potential adverse risks to human health and the environment. TRI data, in conjunction with other information, such as the toxicity of the chemical, the release medium, and site-specific conditions, can be used as a starting point in evaluating exposures that may result from releases of toxic chemicals.
- Hazard Information on Toxic Chemicals Added in 1995 -- EPA added 286 new chemicals and chemical categories to the EPCRA section 313 list. These chemicals were added to the list based on the statutory criteria in EPCRA section 313(d)(2): in short, acute human health risks, cancer or chronic (non-cancer) human health effects, and/or environmental effects.
- EPA Chemical Fact Sheets -- EPA is continuing to develop Chemical Fact Sheets as part of its effort to provide the public with information on chemicals. The goal is to provide information summaries that supplement environmental release information for TRI chemicals. These summaries provide a chemical's identity and properties; how it is used; how exposure to it might occur; what happens to it in the environment; how it affects human health and the environment; and contact information for EPA offices and other groups.
- Integrated Risk Information System (IRIS) -- The Integrated Risk Information System (IRIS) contains summaries of hazard assessments and EPA regulatory information on over 500 specific chemicals. It is a key source for descriptive and quantitative hazard/risk information, such as oral reference dose and inhalation reference concentrations for chronic, non-carcinogenic health effects; oral slope factors and unit risk for chronic exposure to carcinogens; EPA drinking water health advisories; and summaries of EPA regulatory actions. The system is useful in the risk assessment process.
- The National Library of Medicine (NLM) TOXNET System
-- NLM's TOXNET System makes TRI data and health information accessible to concerned citizens and to businesses and organizations interested in environmental or public health issues. TOXNET offers state-of-the-art, user-friendly, on-line searching.
- Link to dioxin and dioxin-like compounds TEQ data
-- provided by Chlorine Chemistry Council (CCC).
- ATSDR ToxFAQs(TM)
-- ToxFAQs(TM), produced by The Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) is a series of summaries about hazardous substances being developed by the ATSDR Division of Toxicology. Information for this series is excerpted from the ATSDR Toxicological Profiles and Public Health Statements. Each fact sheet serves as a quick and easy to understand guide. Answers are provided to the most frequently asked questions (FAQs) about exposure to hazardous substances found around hazardous waste sites and the effects of exposure on human health.
- New Jersey Hazardous Substance Fact Sheets
-- Fact sheets for 1,234 individual hazardous chemicals that includes information relating to acute and chronic health hazards, identification, workplace exposure limits, medical tests, handling and storage, definitions, emergency response information for fires, spills and first aid, and other information.