The Toxics Release Inventory

The Toxics Release Inventory (TRI) is required by section 313 of the 1986 Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act. By law, all manufacturing facilities that employ ten or more persons full time must provide annual emissions estimates for over 300 toxic chemicals and 20 chemical categories which are manufactured, processed, or used in excess of certain threshold amounts. This paper summarizes the data available, through the TRI, for 1987 and 1988 releases and transfers of listed toxic chemicals. The data are described at greater length in EPA reports (1); the data contained in the TRI is used by Congress and Federal and State government agencies, the press, public interest groups, industry, and the public.