The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recently released its 2016 Toxics Release Inventory (TRI) National Analysis. The publicly available database shows that industrial facilities continue to reduce the releases of TRI chemicals through pollution reduction activities.
In 2016, 87 percent of nearly 28 billion pounds of chemical waste was not released into the environment due to the use of preferred waste management practices such as recycling, energy recovery and treatment. These industrial facilities also reported implementing 5,900 new source reduction activities that eliminated or reduced the creation of chemical waste.
Coal- and oil-powered electric utilities and paper manufacturing facilities reported the greatest reductions, but nearly every sector reduced its air releases. Since 2006, air releases of TRI-listed chemicals fell 58 percent at industrial facilities submitting data to the program.
Hydrochloric acid, sulfuric acid, toluene and mercury were among chemicals with significantly reduced air releases. This trend is helping protect millions of families and children from these harmful pollutants. During the 10-year period, combined hydrochloric acid and sulfuric acid air releases declined more than 573 million pounds, and mercury and mercury compounds declined more than 89,000 pounds at TRI-covered facilities.
For more information and to access the 2016 TRI National Analysis, visit www.epa.gov/trinationalanalysis.