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The Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) report The Toxic Release Inventory in Action provides an overview of some of the many ways TRI data are used across many sectors. One of the most beneficial uses of this data is that of research, which encompasses a broad range of organizations addressing such topics as health impacts, corporate performance, and environmental issues, to name a few. Here are some of the ways TRI data has been put to work in the past several years.
One very popular research area is that of assessing possible connections between chemical emissions and specific health conditions and diseases. The study of mercury emissions and their impact on public health and the environment is a case in point and the EPA’s TRI in Action report cited at least five different studies, including mercury and its relationship to autism, mercury emissions in the electricity production sector, and research supporting increased regulatory oversight of mercury emissions. Other health-related studies included lung cancer related to chromium, formaldehyde, and nickel emissions, and rural and urban cancer hospitalizations related to TRI facilities.
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Also important is research into the impacts of chemical emissions on distinct populations. For example, one study looked at the correlation between industrial emissions sources, their proximity to schools, and levels of student health and academic success. Environmental justice for populations disproportionately affected by TRI facilities has also received attention, specifically in places known to have historically high emissions and incidents of disease, and to assess correlations between TRI emissions and minority population density.
Corporate environmental performance is another research topic of particular interest to companies reporting TRI data. Among the studies cited are those concerning the impact of TRI reporting on corporate decision making and environmental management, the potential for using policies like TRI to foster sustainability, state-level impacts of TRI reporting, and relationships between environmental performance and data disclosure.
Of course TRI data are also widely used by the media and advocacy groups to both inform the public and to provide support for increased regulatory attention to specific areas of concern or contentious projects. Among the topics most often cited are those that target policy such as stricter emissions from power plants, but many are also very broad and look at national-level information on everything from public health issues, emergency preparedness, and corporate sustainability.
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Although it is also safe to say TRI data are routinely used to point a finger at those with high TRI emissions or that have had accidental releases, there is also the occasional report showcasing the efforts of good corporate citizens. For example, TRI data were used to prepare two news articles, one in Oregon, where a company was being investigated by the EPA for an ammonia leak, and another in Michigan about how a major chemical company was using preferred waste management practices.
These are just a sampling of some of the uses of TRI data nationwide and undoubtedly there are many more. As the EPA and other regulatory agencies continue to incorporate transparency and public access into their programs, industry can expect continued attention to TRI as well as the many other information databases available. For those companies that are making the effort to decrease emissions and employ sustainable practices, however, TRI also provides them a valuable means of tracking and assessing progress and publicizing positive outcomes.