Jan 31, 2013

2011 TRI National Analysis - facilities released 4.09 billion pounds toxic chemicals into environment, up 8% in one year

The following is an update from EPA’s Superfund, TRI, EPCRA, RMP & Oil Information Center:

On January 16, 2013, EPA released the 2011 TRI National Analysis, an annual report that displays EPA’s analysis of the most recent TRI data.  It includes a variety of documents and Web sites that outline national and local trends in toxic chemical disposal or other releases to the environment, as well as trends in toxic chemicals managed by TRI facilities.  These resources include an overview of the National Analysis with additional context and explanation, briefing slides that show high-level messages and trends, and three geographic-specific analyses that highlight urban communities, large aquatic ecosystems, and Indian country and Alaska Native Villages.  In Reporting Year 2011 (RY11), 20,927 facilities reported 4.09 billion pounds of toxic chemicals disposed of or otherwise released into the environment, up by 8% from 2010 to 2011.  In the long term, facility disposal or other releases of TRI chemicals have generally decreased, down by 8% from 2003 to 2011.

RY11 was the first year that facilities were required to report on 16 new chemicals that have been classified as “reasonably anticipated to be a human carcinogen” by the National Toxicology Program (NTP).  Reports were received for nine of the 12 new individually-listed chemicals.

Information on these newly reportable chemicals is available at the following URL: