For
Immediate Release: January 16, 2013
Contact: Dean Higuchi, 808-541-2711,
higuchi.dean@epa.gov
EPA Issues Guam Toxics Release Inventory
Data for 2011
SAN FRANCISCO – Toxic
chemicals managed, treated or released into the environment from facilities
operating in Guam increased in 2011 when compared to 2010, according to the
latest Toxics Release Inventory (TRI) data available from the U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency.
“Community
Right-to-Know data helps all of us remain aware of the types and amounts of
chemicals being used in our neighborhoods,” said Jared Blumenfeld, EPA’s
Regional Administrator for the Pacific Southwest. “It is great to see pollution
prevention activities at reporting facilities, and we encourage them to reduce
their chemical releases via this method.”
In 2011, Guam total releases
increased by 16% (37,764 lbs), mostly due to Naval Base Guam Apra Harbor WWTP
(68% of total releases) increasing its releases to water by 74%. All of its
releases are nitrate compound.
Release data alone are
not sufficient to determine exposure or to calculate potential risks to human
health and the environment. TRI data, in conjunction with other information,
such as the toxicity of the chemical, the release medium (e.g., air), and
site-specific conditions, may be used in evaluating exposures that may result
from releases of toxic chemicals.
EPA has a new tracking
tool that features facilities that reported they have new pollution prevention
(P2) practices that have often reduced their releases of TRI chemicals. The tool
can be found at: www.epa.gov/tri/p2. The tool can be used
to track and compare TRI facility P2 performance, identify facilities that
reported reductions
in toxic chemical releases due to P2 efforts, identify the P2 measures that were effective for a
given industry or chemical, compare waste management practices of facilities
within a sector, and view trends in waste management practices for facilities
over several years.
In 2012, the EPA reached out to hundreds of communities
nationwide through workshops, video-conferences, and webinars to help
communities to better use TRI data to protect their environments. Grassroots
partners in environmental justice communities, such as the Center for Community
Action and Environmental Justice in Jurupa Valley,
California,
helped EPA improve its outreach approaches to better
serve diverse neighborhoods. Many of the online resources are listed in the “TRI
Toolbox” below:
TRI
Toolbox:
-TRI Explorer is a tool that you can use to see the
Toxics Release Inventory (TRI) data. It allows a user to look at data by state,
county, or zip code; by chemical; or by industry. It provides maps a user can
click on to find TRI facilities, chemicals and industries in a particular area.
http://www.epa.gov/triexplorer
-For more on
the TRI program including additional city, county and facility information,
please visit the EPA’s Web sites: http://www.epa.gov/tri, and http://www.epa.gov/enviro.
-The Spanish TRI website is at: http://www.epa.gov/tri/myrtk/spanish/index.htm
-For information geared toward communities please visit:
http://www.epa.gov/tri/communities/index.html
-EPA TRI Pollution Prevention Tool: www.epa.gov/tri/p2
-State fact sheets are available at: http://www.epa.gov/region09/toxic/tri/ and http://www.epa.gov/triexplorer/statefactsheet.htm.
-For more information on the PBT Chemicals Program, please visit the EPA’s Web site at http://www.epa.gov/opptintr/pbt
The annual data is from the EPA’s Toxics Release
Inventory, one of the EPA’s largest publicly available databases. The annual TRI
reporting began in 1988 after the enactment of the Emergency Planning and
Community Right-to-Know Act of 1986. The chemical information in the inventory
is calculated by industrial facilities and reported to the EPA. Total releases
include toxic chemicals discharged by facilities to air, water, land, and
underground, and the amount transferred off-site for disposal. Pollution
controls apply to many of the reported releases. Reporting facilities must
comply with environmental standards set by local, state and federal agencies.
Guam Total Releases for
Reporting Years 2009-2011
|
Year
|
Air
|
Water
|
Underground
Injection
|
On-site
Land
|
Off-site
|
Total
Releases
|
|
2009
|
104,145
|
116,508
|
0
|
9
|
49
|
224,508
|
|
2010
|
127,820
|
107,546
|
0
|
10
|
223
|
238,689
|
|
2011
|
86,556
|
187,875
|
0
|
9
|
0
|
276,453
|
|
Guam Facilities with
Largest Chemical Releases
|
###
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