Toxic releases: bad news – but good, too
on February 20th, 2012 at 6:00 am
Nationally, polluters increased their release of toxins into the environment by 16 percent, according to the most recent Toxic Release Inventory (TRI) released by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency this winter. Regionally, west-central Illinois polluters mostly mirrored that trend, but they also made real improvements.
About 3.9 billion pounds of toxins were released in 2010, and those substances went up in the air (+6 percent), water (+9 percent) and land (+28 percent).
“Citizens can access information about the toxic chemical releases into the air, water, and land that occur locally,” said EPA Administrator Lisa P. Jackson. Also available is “EPA’s first mobile application for accessing TRI data, myRTK.
“We will continue to put accessible, meaningful information in the hands of the American people,” Jackson continued. “Widespread public access to environmental information is fundamental. TRI is a cornerstone of EPA’s community-right-to-know programs and has played a significant role in protecting people’s health and the environment by providing communities with valuable information on toxic chemical releases.”
EPA recorded increases in the releases of a number of toxins. Release of lead was up 51 percent; dioxin up 18 percent; PCBs (polychlorinated biphenyls) up 23 percent; and carcinogens generally were up 67 percent.
However, the release of mercury declined 20 percent.
“Citizens have a right to know what toxic chemicals are being released into their communities,” said EPA spokeswoman Latisha Petteway. “Over the past 25 years, the TRI program has helped citizens, emergency planners, public health officials, and others protect human health and the environment by providing them with toxic chemical release and other waste management data they need to make decisions that affect the safety and welfare of their communities.”
TRI data – which logs the release of toxins into the environment, almost of all of which are not violations of the law – is submitted annually to EPA and states by industries including manufacturing, metal mining, electric utilities and commercial hazardous waste facilities. Facilities with at least 10 employees and manufacturing, processing or using threshold amounts of listed chemicals must report their toxic chemical releases to EPA under the federal Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act by each July 1.
That said, the reporting is voluntary, completed by the polluter itself, confined to estimates and doesn’t include secondary pollutants (such as chemicals that may be initially benign but later combine with water to become dangerous) nor isolated incidents such as BP’s Gulf oil spill.
Almost 21,000 U.S. facilities filed TRI reports for 2010, a 2 percent decrease from the previous year. As to why some facilities haven’t reported, the EPA speculates the reasons. Some:
* have a reduction in employees or in production that causes them to drop below the reporting thresholds,
• stopped production, temporarily or permanently,
• found ways to reduce releases or have changed their processes so that they no longer use any listed toxins, or
• may have simply failed to report. EPA will review them for appropriate action.
Six west-central Illinois communities’ TRI reports, in alphabetical order, show…
Canton’s total release was more than 500,000 pounds, led by Ameren, whose largest release was 418,000 pounds of barium. Both amounts were less than 2009. (The amount of barium in food and water usually isn’t high enough to be a health hazard, but barium compounds that dissolve in water can be, possibly causing paralysis or even death. Not carcinogenic, barium dissolves in water and spreads over a long distance and accumulates in the tissues of fish.)
Galesburg’s total of 165,000 pounds was led by Archer-Daniels-Midland, whose largest release was 124,000 pounds of N-Hexane. Both amounts were less than 2009. (N-Hexane is a narcotic agent; an irritant to the eyes, upper respiratory tract and skin.)
Kewanee’s previous reports from facilities (including Great Dane Trailers and Bomag Americas) were not filed. Bomag in 2009 released an undisclosed amount of manganese. (Manganese is a trace element necessary for human survival, but in high concentrations it can damage the respiratory tract and the central nervous system, causing hallucinations, lung embolisms, forgetfulness, bronchitis or nerve damage.)
Likewise, Macomb’s previous reports, from NTN-Bower, were not filed. NTN in the previous year released 800 pounds of ammonia.
Monmouth’s total of 19,000 pounds was all from Farmland’s release of ammonia. (Ammonia is irritating and corrosive and can cause burning of the nose, throat and respiratory tract, resulting in respiratory distress or failure. Children are especially vulnerable.)
And Pekin’s 1.6 million-pound total release was led by Aventine’s 245,000 pounds of nitrate compounds. Both amounts were less than the previous year. (Edison reported releasing 510,000 pounds, but its report seems to have a discrepancy.) (Nitrate compounds can impair the blood’s capacity to carry oxygen, contributing to the sometimes-fatal “blue baby” syndrome in infants, and can damage the kidney and spleen.)
To check TRI data further, go online to http://www.epa.gov/tri/
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