(AGENPARL) – mer 27 marzo 2024 Issued: Mar 27, 2024 (12:34pm EDT)
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EPA Analysis shows 2022 increase of toxic chemical releases in Maine
Toxic chemical releases have declined 21% nationally in 10 years according to
new Toxics Release Inventory data
BOSTON (MAR. 26, 2024) — Recently, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
released its 2022 Toxics Release Inventory (TRI) National Analysis showing
that environmental releases of TRI chemicals from facilities covered by the
program were 21% lower in 2022 compared to 2013. This includes a 26% decrease
in air releases. During this 10-year period, releases from manufacturing
facilities decreased by 9% while the value added to the U.S. economy from
manufacturing increased by 14%. While overall releases increased by 1% from
2021 to 2022, there was a 6.5% increase in the number of pollution prevention
activities reported under the TRI program compared to 2021.? 
In Maine, the reporting data shows that over the last 10 years, air emissions
from have decreased from 4.3 million pounds to 2.0 million pounds due to air
emission reductions and reduced production from paper mills. Additionally,
overall releases (including discharges to water and solid waste to landfills)
decreased by 40% over the last ten years. However, from 2021 overall releases
of pollutants to the environment (including discharges to water and solid
waste to landfills) increased by 10% from the previous reporting year (2021)
due to increases in waste sent to landfills.  
The 2022 TRI National Analysis summarizes environmental releases of TRI
chemicals, and how facilities managed their waste. In 2022, facilities
reported managing 88.5% of their TRI chemical waste through preferred
practices such as recycling, energy recovery and treatment, while releasing
11.5% of their TRI chemical waste into the environment.  
“A big part of how we do our part of protecting the environment and serving
our communities is the gathering and analysis of crucial scientific data,
which we use to inform and guide our processes moving forward. TRI reporting
is one of many ways we do this, and it provides more insight into where
pollution may be harming communities and the environment,” said EPA New
England Regional Administrator David W. Cash. “We know that that transparency
is key, especially for those locations that have been overburdened by
environmental issues and concerns. By releasing this information out to the
public, we can empower our communities and give guidance on how to proceed
with being equipped with this latest environmental data.” 
EPA, states, and Tribes receive TRI data from facilities in sectors such as
manufacturing, mining, hazardous waste management and electric utilities. More
than 21,000 facilities submitted reports on 522 of the 827 chemicals and
chemical categories for which TRI reporting is required. The remaining 305
chemicals either were not manufactured, processed, or used by facilities
required to report to TRI or were not manufactured, processed, or used in
amounts large enough to trigger reporting.   
The 2022 TRI National Analysis features visualizations and analytical tools to
make data more useful and accessible to communities. Readers can view data by
state, Tribe, metropolitan area, EPA region and watershed using the “Where
You Live” mapping tool. This tool also allows readers to view facility
locations overlayed with demographic data to identify potential exposure to
TRI chemical releases in communities, including overburdened communities.
Community groups, policymakers and other stakeholders can use this
information, along with other environmental data, to better understand which
communities may be experiencing a disproportionate pollution burden and take
action at the local level. 
Additionally, the 2022 TRI National Analysis highlights trends and changes in
waste management practices for specific sectors and chemicals in the Sector
Profile and Chemical Profile sections. This year, the 2022 TRI National
Analysis highlights the primary metals manufacturing sector alongside the
standard profiles for electric utilities, chemical manufacturing and metal
mining.  
EPA is holding a public webinar on Thursday, April 4, 2024, at 2 p.m. ET to
provide an overview of the 2022 TRI National Analysis. Register for the
webinar. 
Maine: Total On and offsite disposal and releases  
During 2022, 78 facilities reported that approximately 7.3 million pounds were
released on and off site to the air, water and land (such as landfills),
compared to 6.6 million pounds released in 2021 (an increase of 0.7 million
pounds). In 2022, approximately 2.0 million pounds were released to the air
and 2.2 million pounds were released to surface water. The major pollutants
released to the air were methanol at 33% of total air releases and an
additional 33% of air releases were ammonia. The major pollutant released to
the water were nitrate compounds (at 85% of all releases to water) which can
promote algal growth in surface waters. From 2013, on-site releases decreased
from 9.1 million pounds in 2012 to 5.7 million pounds in 2022. 
Maine: Total Production Related Waste 
During 2022, 78 facilities reported that approximately 50.5 million pounds of
total production related waste was managed, compared to 79 facilities and 51.5
million pounds managed in 2021 (a decrease of 2.7 million pounds). During
2013, 90 facilities reported approximately 79 million pounds of total
production related waste was managed. Total production related waste includes
chemicals released directly to the environment, waste that is recycled
offsite, waste that is sent offsite for treatment (such as to an incinerator
or wastewater treatment system), and waste sent to landfills. 
Maine: Top Five Companies 
The companies in Maine with the greatest releases included four paper mills
and one food processor. The food processor has remailed the same, one paper
mill has left, and another has taken its place over the last ten years. The
current 5 facilities produced 86% of the releases in the state of Maine.?  
Each year, EPA makes publicly available TRI data reported by industries
throughout the United States regarding chemical releases to air, water and
land by power plants, manufacturers and other facilities which employ ten or
more workers, and which exceed thresholds for chemicals. Reporting includes
information on chemicals released at a company’s facility, as well as those
transported to disposal facilities off site. TRI data do not reflect the
relative toxicity of the chemicals emitted or potential exposure to people
living in a community with reported releases. 
Reporting under TRI does not indicate illegal discharges of pollutants to the
environment. EPA works closely with states to provide regulatory oversight of
facilities that generate pollution to the nation’s air, land, and water.
Effective review and permitting programs work to ensure that the public and
the environment are not subjected to unhealthful levels of pollution, even as
agencies work to further reduce emissions of chemicals to the environment.
Enforcement efforts by EPA and states ensure that facilities that violate
their environmental permits are subject to penalties and corrective action.
Yearly releases by individual facilities can vary due to factors such as power
outages, production variability, lulls in the business cycle, etc., that do
not reflect a facility’s pollution prevention program(s). 
View the 2022 TRI National Analysis, including local data from Maine.   
PFAS Reporting 
The TRI National Analysis includes reporting on per- and polyfluoroalkyl
substances (PFAS) as required by the?2020 National Defense Authorization Act
(NDAA). A provision of the NDAA outlines criteria for additional PFAS to be
automatically added for TRI reporting. For reporting year 2022, four PFAS met
the criteria and were added to the reporting requirements for a total of 180
PFAS tracked by the TRI program. During 2022, 50 facilities managed 1.2
million pounds of these chemicals as waste, which represents an 8% decrease
compared to 2021.  
For reporting year 2024, TRI will no longer have a reporting exemption for
facilities that use PFAS in small, or?de minimis, concentrations as a result
of EPA’s recently published final rule. This rule will improve the quality
and quantity of publicly available data on PFAS, as many materials used at
facilities contain PFAS in low concentrations. Facilities that make or use
these products will no longer be able to rely on the?de minimis?exemption
to avoid their responsibility to disclose PFAS releases and other waste
management of these chemicals. 
Pollution Prevention  
Facilities implemented 3,589 total pollution prevention activities in 2022
with the most common being process and equipment modifications, followed by
changes to operating practices and training. Through both existing programs
and the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, EPA offers?grant opportunities?to
state and Tribal technical assistance providers to help prevent pollution. 
Industry professionals can view TRI reporting on?pollution prevention?to
learn about best practices implemented at other facilities. 
Key Expansions to TRI Reporting  
Important expansions to TRI reporting went into effect for reporting year
2022. Some contract sterilization facilities, which are contracted to
sterilize products or equipment for hospitals and other facilities, were
required to report to TRI for the first time on their management of ethylene
oxide and ethylene glycol as waste. These facilities managed 6.3 million
pounds of ethylene oxide waste, nearly all of which was treated.  
Reporting year 2022 was also the first year of expanded reporting for the
natural gas processing sector. The 305 facilities in this sector that reported
to TRI managed 115 million pounds of TRI chemicals in waste and disposed of
81% of TRI chemicals in underground injection wells. 
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