What is the Toxics Release Inventory (TRI) and what do the data show for 2006?
The Toxics Release Inventory (TRI) is a database containing detailed information on nearly 650 chemicals and chemical categories that 22,880 industrial and federal facilities manage through disposal or other releases, or recycling, energy recovery, or treatment. This inventory was established under the Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act of 1986 (EPCRA) and expanded by the Pollution Prevention Act of 1990. For 2006, 22,880 facilities reported to EPA’s TRI Program. These facilities reported 4.25 billion pounds of disposal or other releases. Over 88 percent of the total was disposed of or otherwise released on-site; almost 12 percent was sent off-site for disposal. For more information about the TRI program, see the What is the Toxics Release Inventory (TRI) Program fact sheet.
