EPA: Toxic chem releases down

DALLAS - The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recently released its 2019 Toxics Release Inventory (TRI) National Analysis, which shows that releases of TRI chemicals – Region 6 state: Arkansas, Louisiana, New Mexico, Oklahoma and Texas - decreased by 5.4M pounds from 2018-19, driven by reductions in the chemical manufacturing, electric utilities and petroleum product manufacturing sectors. Total releases decreased by 25.9M pounds or 6 percent from 2018-19 and are down 11 percent since 2007. Five percent of facilities in Region 6 reported implementing new source reduction activities. The national analysis shows Region 6 facilities have continued the trend of decreasing the release of toxic chemicals, according to EPA 6 Administrator Ken McQueen. Nationally, analysis shows companies that manage chemicals continue to make progress in preventing pollution. The report demonstrated that between 2018-19 total releases of TRI chemicals decreased by 9 percent. (Source: EPA 01/13/21) Across the Gulf Coast region, only Louisiana (which has 372 TRI facilities) is in EPA Region 6. TRI facilties in Mississippi (324); Alabama (561); and 672 in Florida – 15 in Escambia and 3 in Santa Rosa both in the Panhandle. Enforcement Annual Results for Fiscal Year 2020 | Enforcement | US EPA