TRI Reports Show Chemical Releases Dropping

In the news today, from Environmental Protection:

Information on the 2006 reporting year now is available from EPA as part of the Toxics Release Inventory (TRI) database. Nationwide chemical releases into the environment are down by 2 percent from 2005.

"From 2001 to 2006, we have seen a 24 percent decrease in total releases" said EPA's Chief Information Officer Molly O’Neill.

The TRI is an on-line electronic database, housing information about chemical releases at facilities across the country. TRI tracks and contains detailed information on releases of nearly 650 chemicals and chemical categories from about 23,000 industrial and federal facilities.

The Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act of 1986 established the TRI program. In 1990, the Pollution Prevention Act expanded the program by including data on toxic chemicals released, as well as treated, recycled, and burned for energy recovery.