NEW TOXIC RELEASE INVENTORY DATA NOW AVAILABLE

---

SAN FRANCISCO -- The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency today released

the 1998 Toxics Release Inventory (TRI) data, the national community right-to-

know update which for the first time reports on seven new industrial categories,

including metal and coal mining, electric utilities, commercial hazardous waste

treatment, solvent recovery services, petroleum bulk stations and chemical

wholesalers.

 

     The EPA's TRI is an annual measure of toxic chemical releases, transfers,

and waste generated by facilities throughout the United States.  Facilities are

also required to report on pollution prevention activities and chemical

recycling.  Based on the premise that people have a right to know about toxic

chemical releases in their neighborhoods, EPA collects industry reports and

publishes the data through a range of public information resources.  These

reports put information about industrial facilities into the hands of people

that live and work nearby.

 

     "TRI is a powerful tool for people in understanding the sources of toxic

releases where they live and work," said Felicia Marcus, EPA's regional

director. "People have a right to know what is released into the air, land and

water in their neighborhoods."

 

Chemical releases from the original manufacturing industries decline in

California and Hawaii, and increase in Nevada and Arizona

 

    The manufacturing industries have been reporting their toxic releases since

1987 and federal facilities started reporting in 1995.  These industries range

from chemical manufacturers to smelters to paper mills.

 

     Nationally, the reported data have shown significant decreases in toxic

releases over the last two years.  In the Pacific Southwest, the same trend was

especially pronounced in California and Hawaii.  "Toxic releases in California

and Hawaii have plummeted over the last decade," said Felicia Marcus, EPA's

regional administrator.  "These reductions are great news for communities and

represent continuing innovation on the part of facilities."

 

     In California, reported releases from the manufacturing industries have

fallen 75 percent over the last decade with a 22 percent decrease between 1995

and 1998.  In 1998, 1,376 California manufacturers reported 40.4 million pounds

of releases.

 

     In Hawaii, reported releases from the manufacturing sector fell 64 percent

in the last decade with a 34 percent decrease in the last three years.  Fourteen

facilities from this sector reported 419,000 pounds of releases in 1998.

 

     Manufacturing releases have increased in Nevada by seven percent in the

last three years and by 56 percent over the last 10 years.  In 1998, 52

facilities reported 4.2 million pounds of releases in Nevada.

 

     In Arizona, it is difficult to evaluate trends in releases from the

manufacturing sector because activities at a single smelter have had a dramatic

impact on the total releases.  For example, between 1995 and 1998, releases in

Arizona increased by 34 percent.  However, over 85 percent of the total releases

from the manufacturing sector are from a single smelter, the Asarco Ray Complex

in Hayden.  If that facility were not included in the total, Arizona releases

would decrease by 34 percent.

 

Mining, hazardous waste disposal and electricity generation top the list in the

new industries

 

     The addition of the new industry sectors to the community right-to-know

database has expanded public access to toxics data and given communities a tool

for improving their health and environment.  In the EPA's pacific southwest

region, these new industries now account for most of the releases to the air,

water and land.

 

     "It is important to take a separate look at releases from the six newly

added industries," said Marcus.  "Each pound is not necessarily alike.  For

example, a chemical released from waste rock is fundamentally different from a

release through a smokestack, but each has important environmental consequences

to be aware of."

 

     Of the new industries, mining has the highest level of releases in the

southwestern states, largely from metals in waste rock as the mines move large

amounts of earth to reach the ore.  The second largest industry is hazardous

waste disposal.  Most of the waste from this sector is contained in federally

regulated landfills.  The third largest industry is electricity generation from

coal and oil burning facilities.  About half these releases were to the air and

half to the land.

 

     In Arizona, 39 newly reporting facilities account for 1.105 billion pounds

of toxic releases in 1998.  Over 90 percent of these releases are from thirteen

metal mines, which reported one billion pounds of on-site land releases and

585,000 pounds of air emissions.  The second largest new industrial sector,

electricity generation, reported 9.5 million pounds of releases.

 

     In California, 123 newly reporting facilities account for 30.3 million

pounds of toxic releases in 1998.  Of the new sectors, hazardous waste disposal

and solvent recovery services account for the largest share.  Sixteen facilities

reported nearly 20.3 million pounds of releases.  Ninety- seven percent of these

releases went to landfills.  Metal mining  was the second largest new industry,

with eight facilities reporting 8.8 million pounds of releases.

 

     In Hawaii, 15 facilities reporting for the first time identified 3.2

million pounds of releases in 1998.  The largest new sector is electricity

generation. Ten electricity generators reported 3.1 million pounds of releases.

Nearly all of these releases were to air.  The second largest sector is

petroleum bulk terminals.  Five petroleum bulk terminals reported 56,000 pounds

of releases, all to the air.

 

     In Nevada, 43 newly reporting facilities identified 1.268 billion pounds of

releases.   The largest sector is metal mining with 36 mines reporting 1.26

billion pounds, nearly all to the land.  Electricity generation is the second

most significant new industry.  The four electric generating facilities in the

state reported releases totaling 2.9 million pounds.

 

     Fact sheets and additional information on 1998 TRI data for Arizona,

California, Hawaii and Nevada will be available today on the Web at

http://www.epa.gov/region09/toxic/tri .  Hard copies are available at EPA's

public information center by calling 415-744-1500.