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  2. Toxics Release Inventory (TRI) Program

Expansion of the Toxics Release Inventory Program

Since its creation in 1986, the Toxics Release Inventory (TRI) has expanded through the addition of chemicals and industry sectors. The graphs below show when regulations changed the program and the relationship between those changes and the total amount of chemical waste managed at facilities. 

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1988, The second year of TRI reporting under the Emergency Planning and Community Right to Know Act (EPCRA).

1988

1989

1989

1990

1990

1991, The first year of waste management reporting, required by the Pollution Prevention Act of 1990.

1991

1992

1992

1993

1993

1994

1994

1995, Major expansion adds 286 chemicals to the TRI chemical list.

1995

1996

1996

1997

1997

1998, Seven industry sectors are added to the TRI Program: Metal mining, coal mining, electric utilities, chemical wholesale distributors, petroleum/bulk storage terminals, hazardous waste management facilities, and solvent recovery facilities.

1998

1999

1999

2000, A dioxin and dioxin-like compounds category is added to the TRI chemical list, and some chemicals already on the list are designated as PBT chemicals with lower reporting thresholds.

2000

2001, The reporting thresholds are lowered for lead and lead compounds.

2001

2002

2002

2003

2003

2004

2004

2005

2005

2006

2006

2007

2007

2008

2008

2009

2009

2010

2010

2011, 16 chemicals classified as reasonably anticipated to be human carcinogens in the National Toxicology Programs report on Carcinogens are added to the TRI list.

2011

2012, Hydrogen Sulfide is eligible for TRI reporting following the lifting of an administrative stay in 2011.

2012

2013

2013

2014 is the first year of reporting for othro-nitrotoluene, which was added to the TRI chemical list in 2013.

2014

2015 is the first year of reporting for six nonylphenol chemicals added to the TRI chemical list in 2014.

2015

2016, First year of reporting for 1-bromopropane, which was added to the TRI chemical list in 2015.

2016

2017, first year of reporting for hexabromocyclododecane, which was added to the TRI chemical list in 2016.

2017

2018

2018

2019 is the first year of reporting for the nonylphenol ethoxylates (NPE's) category, which was added to the TRI chemical list in 2019

2019

Slideshow Highlights

  • 1988 was the second year of TRI reporting under the Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act (EPCRA). More than 22,000 facilities collectively reported releasing nearly 5 billion pounds of TRI-covered chemicals.
  • 1991 was the first year of waste management reporting, required by the Pollution Prevention Act (PPA) of 1990.
  • Releases declined between 1988 and 1995, when a major expansion of the program added 286 chemicals to the TRI chemical list.
  • In 1998, seven industry sectors were added to the TRI Program: metal mining, coal mining, electric utilities, chemical wholesale distributors, petroleum/bulk storage terminals, hazardous waste management facilities, and solvent recovery facilities. 
  • 1998 was also the first year that the total quantity of production-related waste managed by all TRI facilities exceeded 30 billion pounds.
  • In 2001, more than 25,000 facilities reported to the TRI Program, the most in the program's history.
  • In 2011, 16 chemicals classified as "reasonably anticipated to be human carcinogens" by the National Toxicology Program were eligible for TRI reporting for the first time.
  • In 2012, hydrogen sulfide was eligible for TRI reporting following the lifting of an administrative stay the previous year.
  • 2014 was the first year of reporting for ortho-nitrotoluene.
  • 2015 was the first year of reporting for six nonylphenol chemicals added to the TRI list the previous year.
  • 2016 was the first year of reporting for 1-bromopropane.
  • 2017 was the first year of reporting for hexabromocyclododecane.
  • 2019 was the first year of reporting for the nonylphenol ethoxylates category.

Toxics Release Inventory (TRI) Program

  • What is TRI?
    • Covered Chemicals
    • Covered Industry Sectors
    • Data Quality
  • Reporting for Facilities
    • Guidance (GuideME)
    • Reporting Software (TRI-MEweb)
    • Laws & Regulatory Activities
    • Enforcement
  • TRI Data & Tools
  • Pollution Prevention
    • Guide to Using TRI Data to Reduce Pollution in Your Community
    • P2 Analyses
    • P2 Resources
  • TRI Data in Action
    • Data Uses Catalog
    • TRI for Communities
    • TRI for Advocacy Organizations
    • TRI for Researchers
    • TRI for the Press
    • TRI for Industry
    • TRI for Government
    • TRI for Tribes
    • What You Can Do
  • TRI Site Map
TRI Program Contacts
Contact Us to ask a question, provide feedback, or report a problem.
Last updated on September 3, 2024
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