Resource: The Toxics Release Inventory
Interested in knowing what hazardous chemicals might be in your area? Check out the Toxics Release Inventory (TRI), maintained by the EPA. These chemicals affect the health of you and your family. Chemicals especially have the potential to affect the health of developing fetuses, so it can be worth (and simultaneously horrifying) to know what chemicals you may be exposed to while you’re pregnant.
There are over 650 chemicals tracked by the Toxics Release Inventory. These chemicals are tracked because they are known to cause:
- Cancer or other chronic human health effects
- Significant adverse acute human health effects
- Significant adverse environmental effects
The EPA makes a point to note that “The TRI chemical list doesn’t include all toxic chemicals used in the U.S.” [emphasis is mine, not theirs] (“Learn about the Toxics Release Inventory”, 2013). This means that there are a lot of chemicals being released that aren’t tracked.
The Toxics Release Inventory relies on self-reporting, which isn’t always accurate, so be aware that the information isn’t necessarily as accurate as we, the public, might wish (Marchi, 2006).
Though it is great that this information is available, it isn’t always clear how an average citizen can use the information. After all, the intended audience when this kind of information is put together is the scientific community, which uses this information in their work, but as someone without a background heavy in the sciences, it’s a bit bewildering to try to figure out what the information I see in this database means for me. Even the scientists who work to provide the data may not have a clear idea what to do with the information. A special group of scientists, decision scientists, help make information more clear to the public by putting together brochures with information, for example, providing the information in a way that informs without inducing fear (Gosman, p.111). The inability of the average citizen to use this information more meaningfully is a recognized problem, and steps are being taken to present it in a way that better empowers citizens (Gosman, p.142). Still, you can gain some valuable information from the data, and I encourage you to explore it and other databases and publications by the EPA and other agencies that provide this information.
Side note: Harvard has a Decision Science Lab, and some of the research they’ve produced is entertaining and informative. For example, researchers show that “bad” weather is actually really good for our productivity (Lee, 2012). Rainy weather may be perfect for studying for exams or helping your children with their homework. See more of their research here.
Accessing the Information
Go here to access the Toxics Release Inventory page.
Towards the bottom of the page, under “Find TRI Facilities,” is an area where you can enter your address and find out about toxic chemicals being released very close to you. When I entered my address, the resulting map indicated a few sites within a few miles of me, all pharmacies.
You can also enter a more general search to the right, under “Get TRI Summary,” to see results for a certain ZIP code, city/state, or county/state. Entering my city/state, “Durham, NC,” the results page noted that there are six TRI facilities in Durham that in 2012 released a total of over 23,000 pounds of chemicals on-site and in off-site transfers. The detailed breakdown of what’s going into the environment in Durham fascinates and horrifies me. I’m very glad that this information is made public, but it’s disturbing to know that there are so many chemicals that are being released. One positive trend I see from this data, though, is that the on-site releases into the air have dropped from a high in 2001 of over 100,000 pounds. There is quite a variation in reported amounts from one year to another, which makes me wonder what, exactly, is going on, especially with that spike in 2001.
How the Information Can Be Used
Researchers and others use this information in their work. For example, it was used in analysis by professors at the University of Utah, who “explored the hypothesis that exposure to toxics increases instances of autism and developmental disabilities such as speech language impairment and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in children. The researchers identified the location of children with such disorders in Utah, and compared them with the location of TRI facilities in the state that reported to have released large quantities of hazardous air pollutants” (The Toxics Release Inventory in Action, p. 8).
As an average citizen, you can use this information to influence what happens in the future. The Toxics Release Inventory in Action notes that citizens have used this information in the past in order to “analyze TRI data to investigate public health concerns, influence firms and government organizations to improve environmental performance, campaign for more comprehensive environmental policy, and to conduct environmental education policies” (p. 4). The publication notes specific instances of advocacy, including how, “Environment Michigan cited TRI data to advocate for stricter regulations on mercury emissions from coal fired power plants” (p. 8).
Sources and Further Reading:
- Gosman, Sara. “Reflecting Risk: chemical disclosure and hydraulic fracturing.” Georgia Law Review. Fall 2013. Vol. 38, Issue 1. pp.83–144.
- Harvard Decision Science Lab. “Research.” 2014. http://decisionlab.harvard.edu/research/ Accessed 3 Feb. 2014.
- Lee, Jooa et al. “Rainmakers: why bad weather means good productivity.” Harvard Business School. Working paper. 19 July 2012. http://decisionlab.harvard.edu/_content/research/papers/Gino_Lee_Staats_Rainmakers_Bad_Weather_Good_Productivity.pdf Accessed 3 Feb. 2014.
- Marchi, Scott and James Hamilton. “Assessing the Accuracy of Self-Reported Data: an evaluation of the Toxics Release Inventory.” Journal of Risk & Uncertainty. Jan. 2006. Vol. 32, Issue 1. pp.57–76.
- United States Environmental Protection Agency. “Learn about the Toxics Release Inventory.” 20 Dec. 2013. http://www2.epa.gov/toxics-release-inventory-tri-program/learn-about-toxics-release-inventory Accessed 29 Jan. 2014.
- United States Environmental Protection Agency. The Toxics Release Inventory in Action: Media, Government, Business, Community, and Academic Uses of TRI Data. July 2013. http://www2.epa.gov/sites/production/files/documents/tri_in_action_final_report_july_2013.pdf Accessed 29 Jan. 2014.
- United States Environmental Protection Agency. “Toxics Release Inventory (TRI) Program.” 22 Jan. 2014. http://www2.epa.gov/toxics-release-inventory-tri-program Accessed 29 Jan. 2014.
