Contacts
Suzan Hazen
US EPA
Office of Pollution and Toxics
401 M st. SW, Mailcode 7408
Washington DC, 20460
telefon: +1-202-2601024
fax: +1-202-2600575

Name of the System: the Toxic Release Inventory, TRI

A. The Rise and Development of the System

The TRI was established in the United States by coincidence of several circumstances. Since the end of World War II to half of 80's the number of traded chemicals had increased almost twelve times. Many of these substances affect human beings and the environment.

The second sad event was the release of methylisocyanate from the American Company Union Carbide in Indian Bhopal in 1984. This and other accidents showed that people are not prepared for such crashes even in the very surrounding of a factory.

The third impulse to create the TRI was quite strong movement of public for free access to environment information. Beside the federal law of the TRI there exist some other stronger processes in some states ( e.g. in New Jersey, California ).

It is not possible to keep information secret from the state. The enterprise can ask for labeling some datum secret so that it is not accessible for public . The competence of request is examined. Illegal data concealing is highly penalized.

American EPA prepared the so-called Program 33/50 at the beginning of 90's. This program is based on results of reports from first years. The aim was to reduce most problem substances emissions gradually; at first of 33% ( from 1988 to 1992 ) and then of 50% ( till the end of 1995 ). TRI data serve for program successfulness monitoring.

This program was built on a voluntary approach and about 1200 enterprises joined it. It included following 17 substances: benzene, cadmium with its compounds, carbon chloride, chloroform, chrome and its compounds, cyanides, dichloromethane, plumb and its compounds, mercury and its compounds, methyl ethyl ketone, nickel and its compounds, tetrachloroethylene, toluene, 1,1,1- trichloroethan, trichloroethylene, xylenes.

The first target - reduction of 33% - was fulfilled even in 1991. Total data for the whole running period will be accessible at the beginning of 1997.

In 1978 a random information collecting of 155 chemicals releases and transfers took place in 7000 enterprises in New Jersey. And in half of 80's a research was performed by a society called Inform Inc.. It dealt with chemical substances data accessibility and it showed that data are not compatible even within the framework of single enterprise. The Emergency Planning and Community Right-to -Know Act ( EPCRA ) was passed in 1986. The TRI became a part of this act. And group of required information was widened by the Pollution Preventing Act ( PPA ) in 1990.

B. The Structure of the System|

Reports are sent to the federal EPA ( Environmental Protection Agency) and to the state government.

Data are collected annually. Reports are given till 30th June in the following year. Data processing takes 9 months. Enterprises in various industry branches have the duty of reporting. Enterprises with more than 10 employees must report whether they process substances included into the EPCRA list or not. The threshold for reporting processed and produced substances is 11 325 kg ( 25 000 lbs. ). In other cases it is 4 530 kg ( 10 000 lbs. ). The TRI generally aims to widen the group of reporters.

316 substances were checked in 1993. Other 20 substances were added in 1994. Since 1995 the list has been widened of other 286 substances. Some of them are also followed by other programs.

Reports include information of air-, water- and soil-pollution, underground injections, use for generating energy, recycling, waste processing and storing inside or outside the enterprise. Efforts for emission volume reduction during the year must be reported as well.

Data are accessible in computer nets, on electronic media or in printed summaries ( you can find annual and complex views from several years there ).