Specter of US West Coast labor unrest looms over TPM22
[caption caption="Loaded import containers at Los Angeles-Long Beach were down 21.4 percent in December versus December 2020. Photo credit: Shutterstock.com."][/caption]Concern was palpable this week at the TPM22 Conference about potential port disruption in the coming months tied to negotiations over a new West Coast port labor contract, with sources telling...
New Toxics Release Inventory Data Show Decline in Releases of Certain Toxic Chemicals
WASHINGTON (March 3, 2022) – Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) released its 2020 Toxics Release Inventory (TRI) National Analysis, which shows that environmental releases of TRI chemicals by facilities covered by the program declined by 10% between 2019 and 2020. The 2020 TRI National Analysis summarizes TRI chemical waste management activities, including releases, that occurred during calendar year 2020. More than 21,000 facilities report annually on over 800 chemicals they release into the environment or otherwise manage as waste. EPA, states, and tribes receive TRI data from facilities in industry sectors such as manufacturing, mining, electric utilities, and commercial hazardous waste management.
“EPA is encouraged by the continued decrease in releases of toxic chemicals reported to the Toxics Release Inventory,” said Assistant Administrator for the Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention Michal Freedhoff. “Making this information publicly available also incentivizes companies to reduce pollution and gives communities tools to act locally – particularly underserved communities that have historically been disproportionately impacted by pollution.”
This 2020 Analysis includes enhancements to make data more useful and accessible to communities, including communities with environmental justice concerns. EPA has added demographic information to the “Where You Live” mapping tool, making it easy to overlay maps of facility locations with maps of overburdened and vulnerable communities. Community groups, policymakers, and other stakeholders can use this information to identify potential exposures to air and water pollution, better understand which communities are experiencing a disproportionate pollution burden and take action at the local level.
To assist communities with reducing pollution, EPA is offering $23 million in grant funding opportunities for states and Tribes to develop and provide businesses with information, training, and tools to help them adopt pollution prevention (P2) practices. For the first time, approximately $14 million in grant funding provided by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law is available with no cost sharing/matching requirement, increasing access to funding for all communities. These grants are a critical component of the President Biden’s Justice40 initiative by providing a meaningful benefit to communities impacted by legacy pollution issues. As such, EPA will administer this program in accordance with this initiative to ensure at least 40% of the benefits are delivered to underserved communities.
EPA is hosting a public webinar on March 23, 2022, highlighting the findings and trends from the 2020 TRI National Analysis and explaining the interactive features of the National Analysis website. Register for the webinar.
New Tools
In addition to the new community mapping tools, the National Analysis also includes a new map in the data visualization dashboard that displays international transfers of chemical waste by facilities in each state. The map includes information on the facility that shipped the waste, the destination country, and how the waste was managed in that country.
Additionally, the National Analysis includes a new profile of the cement manufacturing sector and the addition of greenhouse gas reporting information in certain sector profiles. Users will be able to track greenhouse gas emissions for electric utilities, chemical manufacturing, cement manufacturing, and other sectors. This section will also include information on the benefits of source reduction in these industries.
Notable Trends in 2020
Facilities that report to TRI avoided releasing into the environment more than 89 percent of the chemical-containing waste they created and managed during 2020 by using preferred practices such as recycling, energy recovery, and treatment. The 2020 Analysis showcases these industry best practices for preventing waste creation and reducing pollution. Facilities reported initiating nearly 3,000 new source reduction activities. EPA encourages facilities to learn from their counterparts’ best practices by using EPA’s Pollution Prevention Search Tool and adopt additional methods for reducing pollution.
The report also includes a discussion of chemical releases into the environment, including air releases, which decreased by 52 million pounds from 2019 to 2020, continuing a long-term trend, as well as summaries of regional chemical waste management activities, illustrating the geographic diversity of U.S. industrial operations.
PFAS Reporting
The 2020 Analysis is also the first to feature reporting on the 172 per-and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) added to TRI by the 2020 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). Facilities reported managing 800,000 pounds of these chemicals in 2020, but of that, only around 9,000 lbs were reported as releases. Most of the production-related PFAS waste was reported by hazardous waste management facilities or chemical manufacturers, and most releases of PFAS were reported by the chemical manufacturing sector.
EPA continues to work to better understand the seemingly limited scope of PFAS reporting. The agency has used existing data to generate lists of potential producers and recipients of PFAS waste, and has contacted facilities with potential reporting errors, as well as those that were expected to report but did not.
EPA also plans to enhance PFAS reporting under the TRI by proposing a rulemaking this summer that would, among other changes, remove the eligibility of the de minimis exemption for PFAS. The de minimis exemption allows facilities that report to TRI to disregard certain minimal concentrations of chemicals in mixtures or trade name products. If finalized, this proposal would also make unavailable the de minimis exemption with regard to providing supplier notifications to downstream TRI facilities for PFAS and persistent, bioaccumulative, and toxic chemicals.
Because PFAS are used at low concentrations in many products, the elimination of the de minimis exemption will result in a more complete picture of the releases and other waste management quantities for these chemicals.
To view the 2020 TRI National Analysis, including local data and analyses, visit www.epa.gov/trinationalanalysis.
Information on facility efforts to reduce TRI chemical releases is available at www.epa.gov/tri/p2.
“EPA is encouraged by the continued decrease in releases of toxic chemicals reported to the Toxics Release Inventory,” said Assistant Administrator for the Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention Michal Freedhoff. “Making this information publicly available also incentivizes companies to reduce pollution and gives communities tools to act locally – particularly underserved communities that have historically been disproportionately impacted by pollution.”
This 2020 Analysis includes enhancements to make data more useful and accessible to communities, including communities with environmental justice concerns. EPA has added demographic information to the “Where You Live” mapping tool, making it easy to overlay maps of facility locations with maps of overburdened and vulnerable communities. Community groups, policymakers, and other stakeholders can use this information to identify potential exposures to air and water pollution, better understand which communities are experiencing a disproportionate pollution burden and take action at the local level.
To assist communities with reducing pollution, EPA is offering $23 million in grant funding opportunities for states and Tribes to develop and provide businesses with information, training, and tools to help them adopt pollution prevention (P2) practices. For the first time, approximately $14 million in grant funding provided by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law is available with no cost sharing/matching requirement, increasing access to funding for all communities. These grants are a critical component of the President Biden’s Justice40 initiative by providing a meaningful benefit to communities impacted by legacy pollution issues. As such, EPA will administer this program in accordance with this initiative to ensure at least 40% of the benefits are delivered to underserved communities.
EPA is hosting a public webinar on March 23, 2022, highlighting the findings and trends from the 2020 TRI National Analysis and explaining the interactive features of the National Analysis website. Register for the webinar.
New Tools
In addition to the new community mapping tools, the National Analysis also includes a new map in the data visualization dashboard that displays international transfers of chemical waste by facilities in each state. The map includes information on the facility that shipped the waste, the destination country, and how the waste was managed in that country.
Additionally, the National Analysis includes a new profile of the cement manufacturing sector and the addition of greenhouse gas reporting information in certain sector profiles. Users will be able to track greenhouse gas emissions for electric utilities, chemical manufacturing, cement manufacturing, and other sectors. This section will also include information on the benefits of source reduction in these industries.
Notable Trends in 2020
Facilities that report to TRI avoided releasing into the environment more than 89 percent of the chemical-containing waste they created and managed during 2020 by using preferred practices such as recycling, energy recovery, and treatment. The 2020 Analysis showcases these industry best practices for preventing waste creation and reducing pollution. Facilities reported initiating nearly 3,000 new source reduction activities. EPA encourages facilities to learn from their counterparts’ best practices by using EPA’s Pollution Prevention Search Tool and adopt additional methods for reducing pollution.
The report also includes a discussion of chemical releases into the environment, including air releases, which decreased by 52 million pounds from 2019 to 2020, continuing a long-term trend, as well as summaries of regional chemical waste management activities, illustrating the geographic diversity of U.S. industrial operations.
PFAS Reporting
The 2020 Analysis is also the first to feature reporting on the 172 per-and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) added to TRI by the 2020 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). Facilities reported managing 800,000 pounds of these chemicals in 2020, but of that, only around 9,000 lbs were reported as releases. Most of the production-related PFAS waste was reported by hazardous waste management facilities or chemical manufacturers, and most releases of PFAS were reported by the chemical manufacturing sector.
EPA continues to work to better understand the seemingly limited scope of PFAS reporting. The agency has used existing data to generate lists of potential producers and recipients of PFAS waste, and has contacted facilities with potential reporting errors, as well as those that were expected to report but did not.
EPA also plans to enhance PFAS reporting under the TRI by proposing a rulemaking this summer that would, among other changes, remove the eligibility of the de minimis exemption for PFAS. The de minimis exemption allows facilities that report to TRI to disregard certain minimal concentrations of chemicals in mixtures or trade name products. If finalized, this proposal would also make unavailable the de minimis exemption with regard to providing supplier notifications to downstream TRI facilities for PFAS and persistent, bioaccumulative, and toxic chemicals.
Because PFAS are used at low concentrations in many products, the elimination of the de minimis exemption will result in a more complete picture of the releases and other waste management quantities for these chemicals.
To view the 2020 TRI National Analysis, including local data and analyses, visit www.epa.gov/trinationalanalysis.
Information on facility efforts to reduce TRI chemical releases is available at www.epa.gov/tri/p2.
New EPA Toxics Release Inventory Data Show Decline in Releases of Certain Toxic Chemicals; Includes New Features to Make Data More Accessible to Communities in the Southeast Region
ATLANTA (March 3, 2022) - Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) released its 2020 Toxics Release Inventory (TRI) National Analysis, which shows that companies that manage chemicals continue to make progress in preventing pollution and reducing chemical releases into the environment. The report shows continued reductions in toxic chemical releases in Region 4 and that between 2019 and 2020 total releases of TRI chemicals nationwide decreased by 10 percent.
This 2020 Analysis includes enhancements to make data more useful and accessible to communities, including communities with environmental justice concerns. EPA has added demographic information to the “Where You Live” mapping tool, making it easy to overlay maps of facility locations with maps of overburdened and vulnerable communities. Community groups, policymakers, and other stakeholders can use this information to identify potential exposures to air and water pollution, better understand which communities are experiencing a disproportionate pollution burden and take action at the local level.
To assist communities with reducing pollution, EPA is offering $23 million in grant funding opportunities for states and Tribes to develop and provide businesses with information, training, and tools to help them adopt pollution prevention (P2) practices. For the first time, approximately $14 million in grant funding provided by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law is available with no cost sharing/matching requirement, increasing access to funding for all communities. These grants are also as a critical component of the President’s Justice40 initiative by providing a meaningful benefit to communities impacted by legacy pollution issues. As such, EPA will administer this program in accordance with this initiative to ensure at least 40% of the benefits are delivered to underserved communities.
“The downward trend in TRI chemical air releases shows that pollution prevention practices are a priority and contribute to reducing overall releases in the Southeast,” said EPA Region 4 Administrator Daniel Blackman. “By providing the data in the TRI National Analysis and offering unprecedented funding opportunities for pollution prevention, EPA is empowering communities to protect their environment and providing companies with the information they need to work toward a stronger future.”
In 2020, 93 percent of the TRI chemical waste managed at facilities in Region 4 was not released into the environment and was instead managed using preferred practices such as recycling, energy recovery, and treatment. This is 4 percent higher than the national average. Facilities in the region reported releasing 433 million pounds of TRI chemicals, a 7 percent decrease from 2019. From 2011 to 2020, releases in Region 4 decreased by 152 million pounds (26%), driven by decreased air releases from electric utilities. Decreased air releases in this sector are due to fewer facilities required to report to TRI and reduced releases of hydrochloric acid. For 2020, 6 percent of Region 4 facilities reported implementing new source reduction activities. Among the sectors with the highest source reduction reporting rates was the transportation equipment manufacturing sector.
In addition to the new community mapping tools, the National Analysis also includes a new map in the data visualization dashboard that displays international transfers of chemical waste by facilities in each state. Additionally, the National Analysis includes a new profile of the cement manufacturing sector and the addition of greenhouse gas reporting information in certain sector profiles. Users will be able to track greenhouse gas emissions for electric utilities, chemical manufacturing, cement manufacturing, and other sectors. This section will also include information on the benefits of source reduction in these industries.
To access the 2020 TRI National Analysis, including local data and analyses, visit www.epa.gov/trinationalanalysis.
Information on facility efforts to reduce TRI chemical releases is available at www.epa.gov/tri/p2.
Background
Thanks to the passage of the Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act of 1986 which created EPA’s Toxics Release Inventory (TRI) Program, and the Pollution Prevention Act of 1990, which expand the program, Americans have greater awareness of how chemicals are being managed in their communities. Today, more than 21,000 facilities report annually on over 800 chemicals they release into the environment or otherwise manage as waste. EPA, states, and tribes receive TRI data from facilities in industry sectors such as manufacturing, mining, electric utilities, and commercial hazardous waste management.
This 2020 Analysis includes enhancements to make data more useful and accessible to communities, including communities with environmental justice concerns. EPA has added demographic information to the “Where You Live” mapping tool, making it easy to overlay maps of facility locations with maps of overburdened and vulnerable communities. Community groups, policymakers, and other stakeholders can use this information to identify potential exposures to air and water pollution, better understand which communities are experiencing a disproportionate pollution burden and take action at the local level.
To assist communities with reducing pollution, EPA is offering $23 million in grant funding opportunities for states and Tribes to develop and provide businesses with information, training, and tools to help them adopt pollution prevention (P2) practices. For the first time, approximately $14 million in grant funding provided by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law is available with no cost sharing/matching requirement, increasing access to funding for all communities. These grants are also as a critical component of the President’s Justice40 initiative by providing a meaningful benefit to communities impacted by legacy pollution issues. As such, EPA will administer this program in accordance with this initiative to ensure at least 40% of the benefits are delivered to underserved communities.
“The downward trend in TRI chemical air releases shows that pollution prevention practices are a priority and contribute to reducing overall releases in the Southeast,” said EPA Region 4 Administrator Daniel Blackman. “By providing the data in the TRI National Analysis and offering unprecedented funding opportunities for pollution prevention, EPA is empowering communities to protect their environment and providing companies with the information they need to work toward a stronger future.”
In 2020, 93 percent of the TRI chemical waste managed at facilities in Region 4 was not released into the environment and was instead managed using preferred practices such as recycling, energy recovery, and treatment. This is 4 percent higher than the national average. Facilities in the region reported releasing 433 million pounds of TRI chemicals, a 7 percent decrease from 2019. From 2011 to 2020, releases in Region 4 decreased by 152 million pounds (26%), driven by decreased air releases from electric utilities. Decreased air releases in this sector are due to fewer facilities required to report to TRI and reduced releases of hydrochloric acid. For 2020, 6 percent of Region 4 facilities reported implementing new source reduction activities. Among the sectors with the highest source reduction reporting rates was the transportation equipment manufacturing sector.
In addition to the new community mapping tools, the National Analysis also includes a new map in the data visualization dashboard that displays international transfers of chemical waste by facilities in each state. Additionally, the National Analysis includes a new profile of the cement manufacturing sector and the addition of greenhouse gas reporting information in certain sector profiles. Users will be able to track greenhouse gas emissions for electric utilities, chemical manufacturing, cement manufacturing, and other sectors. This section will also include information on the benefits of source reduction in these industries.
To access the 2020 TRI National Analysis, including local data and analyses, visit www.epa.gov/trinationalanalysis.
Information on facility efforts to reduce TRI chemical releases is available at www.epa.gov/tri/p2.
Background
Thanks to the passage of the Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act of 1986 which created EPA’s Toxics Release Inventory (TRI) Program, and the Pollution Prevention Act of 1990, which expand the program, Americans have greater awareness of how chemicals are being managed in their communities. Today, more than 21,000 facilities report annually on over 800 chemicals they release into the environment or otherwise manage as waste. EPA, states, and tribes receive TRI data from facilities in industry sectors such as manufacturing, mining, electric utilities, and commercial hazardous waste management.
New EPA Toxics Release Inventory Report Shows Decline in Certain Toxic Chemicals, Makes Data More Accessible to Nevadans
NEVADA (March 3, 2022) - Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) released its 2020 Toxics Release Inventory (TRI) National Analysis. Through the analysis presented, companies managing chemicals continue to make progress in preventing pollution and reducing chemical releases into the environment. The report reveals that between 2019 and 2020 total releases of TRI chemicals nationwide decreased by 10 percent.
This 2020 Analysis includes enhancements to make data more useful and accessible to communities in Nevada and across the U.S., including communities with environmental justice concerns. EPA has added demographic information to the “Where You Live” mapping tool, making it easy to overlay maps of facility locations with maps of overburdened and vulnerable communities. Community groups, policymakers, and other stakeholders can use this information to identify potential exposures to air and water pollution, better understand which communities are experiencing a disproportionate pollution burden and take action at the local level.
“Today’s announcement shows continued improvement in Nevada communities’ ability to access crucial data, “said EPA Pacific Southwest Regional Administrator Martha Guzman. “The TRI report also highlights the need for EPA and our Nevada partners to continue working together as stewards of the environment and protectors of public health.”
“The Nevada Division of Environmental Protection implements state laws and regulations that require all operating Nevada mines to comply with rigorous permitting, monitoring, and inspection standards to protect the environment and public health,” said Nevada Division of Environmental Protection Administrator Greg Lovato. “Importantly, it is well understood that TRI data alone do not indicate whether the environment or the public is exposed to any of the listed chemicals. In Nevada, safe management practices are required and enforced for all aspects of the engineering design, permitting, and construction of ore and waste rock facilities to ensure strong protection of Nevada’s natural resources and communities.”
To assist communities with reducing pollution, EPA is offering $23 million in grant funding opportunities for states and Tribes to develop and provide businesses with information, training, and tools to help them adopt pollution prevention (P2) practices. For the first time, approximately $14 million in grant funding provided by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law is available with no cost sharing/matching requirement, increasing access to funding for all communities. These grants also represent a critical component of the President’s Justice40 initiative by providing a meaningful benefit to communities impacted by legacy pollution issues. EPA will ensure that at least 40 percent of the benefits are delivered to underserved communities by administering this program in accordance with Justice 40.
Background
In 2020, facilities in the nation’s Pacific Southwest region, which includes Nevada, managed 916 million pounds of production-related waste, and released or otherwise disposed of 555 million pounds. Metal mines drive the quantity of chemical waste managed and released in the region. At metal mines, changes in production volumes and in the chemical composition of the extracted ore can vary substantially from year to year, impacting waste quantities reported to TRI and accounting for annual fluctuations in release quantities. Excluding the metal mining sector, releases in the region decreased by 25 percent since 2011. For 2020, 6 percent of the region‘s facilities reported implementing new source reduction activities.
EPA provides additional information on the TRI website to help explain the data reported by the metal mining sector. The website features an interactive graphic—which was developed with input from stakeholders—explaining how metal mines operate, and generally how and where releases of TRI-listed chemicals happen. For Nevada, 26 of the 142 reporting facilities in 2020 were mining operations which totaled nearly 97 percent of all its TRI releases .
In addition to the new “Where You Live” community mapping tools, the TRI National Analysis also includes a new map in the data visualization dashboard that displays international transfers of chemical waste by facilities in each state. Users will also be able to track greenhouse gas emissions for electric utilities, chemical manufacturing, cement manufacturing, and other sectors.
To access the 2020 TRI National Analysis, including local data and analyses, visit www.epa.gov/trinationalanalysis.
Information on facility efforts to reduce TRI chemical releases is available at www.epa.gov/tri/p2.
Learn more about EPA’s Pacific Southwest Region. Connect with us on Facebook and on Twitter.
This 2020 Analysis includes enhancements to make data more useful and accessible to communities in Nevada and across the U.S., including communities with environmental justice concerns. EPA has added demographic information to the “Where You Live” mapping tool, making it easy to overlay maps of facility locations with maps of overburdened and vulnerable communities. Community groups, policymakers, and other stakeholders can use this information to identify potential exposures to air and water pollution, better understand which communities are experiencing a disproportionate pollution burden and take action at the local level.
“Today’s announcement shows continued improvement in Nevada communities’ ability to access crucial data, “said EPA Pacific Southwest Regional Administrator Martha Guzman. “The TRI report also highlights the need for EPA and our Nevada partners to continue working together as stewards of the environment and protectors of public health.”
“The Nevada Division of Environmental Protection implements state laws and regulations that require all operating Nevada mines to comply with rigorous permitting, monitoring, and inspection standards to protect the environment and public health,” said Nevada Division of Environmental Protection Administrator Greg Lovato. “Importantly, it is well understood that TRI data alone do not indicate whether the environment or the public is exposed to any of the listed chemicals. In Nevada, safe management practices are required and enforced for all aspects of the engineering design, permitting, and construction of ore and waste rock facilities to ensure strong protection of Nevada’s natural resources and communities.”
To assist communities with reducing pollution, EPA is offering $23 million in grant funding opportunities for states and Tribes to develop and provide businesses with information, training, and tools to help them adopt pollution prevention (P2) practices. For the first time, approximately $14 million in grant funding provided by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law is available with no cost sharing/matching requirement, increasing access to funding for all communities. These grants also represent a critical component of the President’s Justice40 initiative by providing a meaningful benefit to communities impacted by legacy pollution issues. EPA will ensure that at least 40 percent of the benefits are delivered to underserved communities by administering this program in accordance with Justice 40.
Background
In 2020, facilities in the nation’s Pacific Southwest region, which includes Nevada, managed 916 million pounds of production-related waste, and released or otherwise disposed of 555 million pounds. Metal mines drive the quantity of chemical waste managed and released in the region. At metal mines, changes in production volumes and in the chemical composition of the extracted ore can vary substantially from year to year, impacting waste quantities reported to TRI and accounting for annual fluctuations in release quantities. Excluding the metal mining sector, releases in the region decreased by 25 percent since 2011. For 2020, 6 percent of the region‘s facilities reported implementing new source reduction activities.
EPA provides additional information on the TRI website to help explain the data reported by the metal mining sector. The website features an interactive graphic—which was developed with input from stakeholders—explaining how metal mines operate, and generally how and where releases of TRI-listed chemicals happen. For Nevada, 26 of the 142 reporting facilities in 2020 were mining operations which totaled nearly 97 percent of all its TRI releases .
In addition to the new “Where You Live” community mapping tools, the TRI National Analysis also includes a new map in the data visualization dashboard that displays international transfers of chemical waste by facilities in each state. Users will also be able to track greenhouse gas emissions for electric utilities, chemical manufacturing, cement manufacturing, and other sectors.
To access the 2020 TRI National Analysis, including local data and analyses, visit www.epa.gov/trinationalanalysis.
Information on facility efforts to reduce TRI chemical releases is available at www.epa.gov/tri/p2.
Learn more about EPA’s Pacific Southwest Region. Connect with us on Facebook and on Twitter.