The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency recently issued its Toxics Release Inventory 2021 National Analysis report on chemical releases and waste management in Alaska and the Pacific Northwest.
The TRI contains data on toxic chemicals that are manufactured, processed or managed at thousands of facilities in the U.S., according to a March 16 news release.
“Communities have a right to know how and where toxic chemicals and waste are being managed, released or recycled,” EPA Region 10 Adminstrator Casey Sixkiller said in the release. “I am pleased that companies are making strides to reduce pollution, and I encourage states and Tribes to apply for EPA grant funding to help further this progress. When we work together, we can prevent pollution at the source and support business growth while also empowering nearby, often overburdened and vulnerable communities.”
In 2021, facilities in EPA’s Region 10 managed 1.1 billion pounds of production related waste, and released or disposed of 777 million pounds of TRI chemicals into the environment, the release reported. From 2012 to 2021, releases in Region 10 decreased by more than 19% and production-related waste decreased by more than 14%.
The TRI is a valuable source of public information and is used by community members, researchers, government agencies and companies to improve chemical safety and protect public health and the environment, according to the release.
The 2021 TRI Analysis shows a continued decrease in releases from facilities in EPA’s Region 10, the release reported. The TRI also has information on how facilities are working to reduce or prevent chemical wastes. In 2021, more than 7% of TRI facilities in Region 10 implemented new source reduction activities, helping to prevent pollution at the source.
Through existing programs and the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, EPA offers pollution prevention grant opportunities to state and Tribal technical assistance providers to help prevent pollution, according to the release.
The TRI was established under the Emergency Planning and Community Right to Know Act in response to concerns regarding the environmental and safety hazards posed by the storage and handling of toxic chemicals, the release reported. These concerns were triggered by the 1984 disaster in Bhopal, India, caused by an accidental release of methylisocyanate. The release killed or severely injured thousands of people.
