U.S. EPA: Toxic Releases Down 47% In Some Areas

Toxic industrial chemical releases declined by almost half over a 10-year period in some parts of the U.S., according to a recent announcement by the U.S. EPA. Region 8, which includes the states of Colorado, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Utah, Wyoming, and 28 Tribal Nations, saw releases decrease by 47% between 2013 and 2022.

The agency’s 2022 Toxics Release Inventory (TRI) National Analysis includes detailed information about both water, land, and air releases in 10 regions of the country. EPA, states, and Tribes compile TRI data directly from operations in a range of sectors, including manufacturing, mining, hazardous waste management, and electric utilities. More than 21,000 facilities submitted reports on 522 of the 827 chemicals and chemical categories for which TRI reporting is required. The remaining 305 chemicals were either not manufactured, processed, or used by facilities required to report to TRI or were not manufactured, processed, or used in amounts large enough to trigger reporting.