2008 TRI National Analysis

On December 8, 2009 US EPA released its annual analysis of the Toxic Release Inventory of 2008 information.  The TRI database contains information on chemical releases into the air, land and water, as well as waste management and pollution prevention activities.  The analysis of 2008 data shows that 3.86 billion pounds of toxic chemicals were released into the environment, a 6 percent decrease from 2007. 

 

More than 21,000 facilities reported information on 650 chemicals in 2008.  There was a 5% decrease in the number of facilities reporting in 2008.  This could be due to the economic downturn.  Some facilities that reported in 2007 did not report in 2008.  EPA is planning to investigate. 

 

Air releases were decreased 14% from 2007 and decreased 30% from 2001.  Surface water releases increased 3% from 2007 and 1% from 2001.  It is believed that the surface water increase is due to the Tennessee Valley Authority coal ash spill.  Land releases were virtually unchanged with a 0.1% increase from 2007.  Land releases decreased 40% from 2001 levels.

 

The report shows decreases in the releases of persistent, bioaccumulative, and toxic (PBT) chemicals such as lead, dioxin, and mercury.  Mercury was down 11% from 2007 report.  Dioxin was down 77% from the 2007 report.  Lead was down 2% from the 2007 report.  PCBs increased 121% from 2007.  PCBs are longer manufactured in the United States.  The increase is due to the removal and treatment of legacy PCBs.  

 

3.86 billion pounds were disposed or otherwise released in 2008.  87% was released on-site through air releases (30%), surface water (6%), on-site underground injection wells (5%) and land disposal (46%).   The remaining 13% were disposed or otherwise released off-site.

 

In 2008, the production-related waste managed was 22.57 billion pounds.  Of the production-related waste managed, 38% was recycled, 12% was used for energy recovery, 33% was treated, and 17% was disposed of or otherwise released.  The waste management hierarchy establishes that once the waste is generated the preferred management methods are recycling, followed by burned for energy recovery, treatment and, as a last resort, disposal or otherwise released.

 

The quantity disposed of or otherwise released from the production-related waste management is 3.94 billion pounds while the TRI disposal or other release value is 3.86 billion pounds.  Why are these values different?  When looking at total production-related waste, the quantity disposed of or otherwise released includes all reported disposal or other releases except those due to remedial, catastrophic or one-time releases.  On the other hand, total disposal or other releases, discussed above, excludes amounts that were sent to other TRI facilities and reported as disposed or otherwise released (to avoid double-counting).

 

There were 179 carcinogens on the TRI list for 2008; 35 of the 179 carcinogens were not reported for 2008.  Total disposal or other releases of carcinogens reported was 776 million pounds in 2008.  92% were disposed of or otherwise released on-site and 8% were disposed of or otherwise released off-site.  From 2007 to 2008, total disposal or other releases of carcinogens decreased by 60 million pounds or 7%.  Air releases decreased by 16 million pounds or 18%.  From 2001 to 2008, total disposal or other releases of carcinogens decreased by 33% (388 million pounds), including a decrease of 44% (59 million pounds) in air releases. 

 

In addition to the traditional analysis of the TRI database, EPA conducted a TRI Chemical Hazard Analysis.  EPA used the Risk Screening Environmental Indicators (RSEI) “toxicity-weighted-pounds” methodology to conduct additional analysis.  The idea is to provide additional insights that go beyond simple pounds analysis and reflect some basic measure of chemical toxicity.  More information on RSEI is available at www.epa.gov/oppt/rsei

 

For this analysis, EPA included all TRI chemicals that have RSEI hazard weights and addresses total disposal or other releases to all media.  RSEI toxicity weights are available for both cancer and non-cancer health effects.  Two analyses are done, one using the cancer toxicity weights and one using the non-cancer toxicity weights. 

 

For 2008, 493 TRI chemicals were reported on by TRI facilities.

· 33% of the chemicals have RSEI cancer toxicity weights

· 68% of the chemicals have RSEI non-cancer toxicity weights

· 24% of the chemicals have both cancer and non-cancer toxicity weights

· 23% of the chemicals reported on for 2008 do not have RSEI toxicity weights, including known or suspected carcinogens such as dioxins, creosote and polychlorinated alkanes.

 

Comparing the nationally aggregated total toxicity weighted pounds of disposal or other releases using the RSEI cancer toxicity weights to years past shows that for 2007 to 2008 there was an increase of 10% using RSEI cancer toxicity weighted pounds.  For 2001 to 2008 there was a decrease of 53% using RSEI cancer toxicity weighted pounds. 

 

For non-cancer RSEI toxicity weights, there was a decrease of 7% from 2007 to 2008.  For 2001 to 2008, there was a decrease of 55% using RSEI non-cancer toxicity weighted pounds. 

More information on the 2008 TRI analysis is available at http://www.epa.gov/tri

 

This article was excerpted from publically available information, and was authored by Joyce Gentry, Acacia Environmental Group LLC.  For more information on the author see here.