Environmental releases of more than 500 chemicals listed on the Toxics Release Inventory (TRI) from reporting facilities nationwide were still below pre-pandemic levels in 2021, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) reported March 17. 

The EPA's 2021 Toxics Release Inventory (TRI) National Analysis reports that despite an 8% increase from 2020 to 2021, 2021 releases were 10% lower than 2012 releases. The report also showed a slight decrease in toxic chemical releases in the Pacific Southwest, including the U.S. Pacific Island territories, compared to 2020. The analysis compiles management of TRI chemicals, including releases, that took place in 2021. 

"More than 21,000 facilities submitted reports on 531 chemicals requiring TRI reporting that they released into the environment or otherwise managed as waste," the agency states in the news release. "EPA, states and tribes receive TRI data from facilities in sectors such as manufacturing, mining, electric utilities and commercial hazardous waste management."

In 2021, facilities in Arizona, California, Hawaii, Nevada, and the Pacific Island territories reported managing 932 million pounds of production-related waste and releasing 554 million pounds of TRI chemicals into the environment, marking a decrease in releases of less than 1% from the prior year. In the Pacific Southwest, the metal mining sector, which is mainly in Nevada and Arizona, made up 84% of the TRI-reported chemical releases in 2021. Not counting metal mining, Pacific Southwest releases have decreased by 7.8% since 2012, with the primary metals (such as smelting), hazardous waste management, and petroleum sectors reporting the highest releases.

The 2021 TRI National Analysis utilized updated visualizations and analytical tools to make the acquired data more useful and accessible to communities, and included the option to view data by region and watershed. The EPA also updated the demographic information in the "Where You Live" mapping tool and in the Chemical Profiles section to help policymakers and stakeholders understand which communities may experience a disproportionate pollution burden and take action at the local level.

“EPA’s Toxics Release Inventory provides valuable information to communities across the Pacific Southwest and the Pacific Islands about potential hazards,” EPA Pacific Southwest Regional Administrator Martha Guzman said in the release. 

“We are prioritizing transparency with our toxics data to help communities, local, state, and tribal governments with appropriate strategies for reducing pollution," she said, "especially in communities dealing with environmental justice challenges.”