EPA Releases Toxic Release Inventory

Leslie Bakun

Washington, D.C. -- The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) released its annual Toxic Release Inventory (TRI) on Monday, June 30. The report tracks the amount of toxic chemicals released into the environment for facilities operating in calendar year 2001. According to the report, the total amount of chemicals released in 2001 decreased by 15.5 percent or 1.05 billion pounds when compared to reporting year 2000.

Approximately 27 percent of chemicals were released to air, 4 percent to water, 4 percent to underground injection on- and off-site and 65 percent to land on- and off-site. Overall, chemical releases have decreased approximately 54.5 percent since the TRI was first released in 1988, according to the EPA.