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Q: Pollution numbers ( Answered,   0 Comments )
Question  
Subject: Pollution numbers
Category: Science
Asked by: deepinfo-ga
List Price: $20.00
Posted: 12 Jun 2006 05:55 PDT
Expires: 12 Jul 2006 05:55 PDT
Question ID: 737429
I am looking for the most recent information regarding the following
facts (these were collected from a 1989 EPA report. I need the
source(s) referenced, as well.

Over 100,000 foreign chemicals in our environment, with an average of
3 new ones added daily.

In 1989 alone over 551 million pounds of industrial chemicals were
dumped into the public sewers and nearly 1.2 billion pounds of
chemicals were released into the ground.

Nearly 190 million pounds of chemicals were poured into our lakes,
streams rivers and coastal waters and an additional 2.4 billion pounds
were pumped into the air.

The EPA reported 5,705,670,380 pounds of chemical pollutants released
into our environment in 1989 alone.

Clarification of Question by deepinfo-ga on 15 Jun 2006 16:05 PDT
These figures may be updated in a more recent EPA report. It may be as
easy as tracking that down.
Answer  
Subject: Re: Pollution numbers
Answered By: pafalafa-ga on 15 Jun 2006 17:53 PDT
 
deepinfor-ga,


Thanks for an interesting question.  I do a lot of environmental work,
and data like these are dear to my heart.  I have to warn you
though...there's nothing easy about getting a handle on updated
information.


Most of the figures you cite come from EPA's annual inventory of
chemical releases, known as the Toxics Release Inventory, or simply,
TRI.

TRI reporting has changed dramatically since 1989...many more types of
facilities are required to report now than was the case back in 1989,
and there is an expanded set of chemical pollutants that they must
report on (although a few large-volume chemicals have been dropped
from the TRI list).

Bottom line, the numbers must be reviewed very carefully before trying
to make any comparisions to what is report these days, and what was
being reported more than a decade ago.

That said, the latest TRI data -- recently released, and covering
reporting year 2004 -- are available here:




http://www.epa.gov/tri/tridata/tri04/ereport/KeyFind.pdf
2004 TRI Public Data Release
eReport
Summary of Key Findings
April 2006


Here are some key excerpts from the report regarding quantities of
waste generated or released to the environment:


...The information has been collected annually since 1987. For 2004,
the latest year for which data
are available, disposal or other releases of TRI chemicals totaled
over 4.24 billion pounds from
over 23,600 U.S. facilities submitting almost 90,000 chemical forms.


...87% (3.71 billion pounds) was disposed of or otherwise released
on-site, including:
.....1.55 billion pounds (36%) of air emissions
.....721 million pounds (17%) in surface impoundments other than RCRA
Subtitle C surface impoundments
.....602 million pounds (14%) in Class I (hazardous waste) underground
injection wells, RCRA Subtitle C (hazardous waste) landfills and other
landfills
.....541 million pounds (13%) of other land disposal (such as waste
piles, spills or leaks)



...13% (536 million pounds) was sent off-site for disposal or other
releases, including:
.....350 million pounds (8%) to Class I (hazardous waste) underground
injection wells, RCRA Subtitle C landfills and other landfills
...78 million pounds (2%) of metals sent for solidification and/or stabilization



Long term trends from 1988-2004 are covered in the report...remember,
the numbers are not consistent with those above, since a different
subset of chemicals and facilities are being totalled for the sake of
comparison.

Here is the relevant excerpt:


TRI DATA, 1988-2004

...Over the seventeen years from 1988 to 2004, total on- and off-site
disposal or other releases of TRI
chemicals decreased by 57 percent (by 1.71 billion pounds), looking at
trends in the industries and
chemicals that have been consistently reported since that time. The
number of facilities reporting
decreased by 15 percent over that same time period. This decrease only
takes into consideration
the 1988 core set of chemicals (i.e., those chemicals that have been
on the TRI list 1988 and have
had the same reporting definition since 1988).



===============


You also asked about the 100,000 chemicals figure that is commonly
reported.  This is an old (and rather rough) estimate of the number of
chemicals in commercial production.  The numbers don't change much
because as new chemicals come into commerce, old ones fall out of use.
 In addition, there simiply haven't been reliable new estimates of the
total numbers of chemicals being produced.

You can see an updated mention of the universe of chemicals in
commerce in this government report on cancer:


http://www.cancer.gov/images/Documents/5d17e03e-b39f-4b40-a214-e9e9099c4220/Cancer%20and%20the%20Environment.pdf
CANCER AND THE ENVIRONMENT
August 2003

...because there are more than 100,000 chemicals commonly used by
Americans in household cleaners, solvents, pesticides, food additives,
lawn care, and other products. Every year, another 1,000 or so are
introduced.



I trust these numbers will meet your needs.  They are hard to manage,
but I'm afraid that's unavoidable, since they are reported in such a
complicated fashion, mirroring the complexities of the world itself.

If there's anything else you need, just let me know by posting a
Request for Clarification.


Cheers,

pafalafa-ga



search strategy -- Answered based on personal knowledge of TRI and
sources of environmental information.

Clarification of Answer by pafalafa-ga on 17 Dec 2006 12:13 PST
By the way, here's a list of the Top 100 or so deep well injection
facilities in the US:


Largest Underground Injection Wells in the United States:


193ASH STEVENS INC	MI 
20/10 PRODUCTS INC	OR 
21 CENTURY ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT INC.	NV 
220 LABORATORIES	CA 
3M CO   FAIRMONT	MN 
3M CO - ALEXANDRIA	MN 
3M CO AMES	IA 
3M CO AUSTIN RESEARCH BOULEVARD SITE	TX 
3M CO BELLE MEAD	NJ 
3M CO BROOKINGS	SD 
3M CO BROWNWOOD	TX 
3M CO CHELMSFORD	MA 
3M CO COLUMBIA	MO 
3M CO CORDOVA	IL 
3M CO CORONA	CA 
3M CO CUMBERLAND	WI 
3M CO CYNTHIANA	KY 
3M CO DECATUR	AL 
3M CO DETROIT	MI 
3M CO GREENVILLE	SC 
3M CO GUIN	AL 
3M CO HARTFORD CITY	IN 
3M CO	NJ 
AGRIUM U.S. INC	TX 
AIR PRODUCTS MANUFACTURING CORP	KS 
AKZO NOBEL SURFACE CHEMISTRY LLC	TX 
ALBEMARLE CORP SOUTH PLANT	AR 
ANGUS CHEMICAL CO	LA 
ARKEMA INC	TX 
ARVESTA CORP	OH 
ASARCO LLC AMARILLO COPPER REFINERY	TX 
BAKER PETROLITE CORP	OK 
BASF CORP BEAUMONT	TX 
BASF CORP	TX 
BASF CORP	LA 
BASF CORP	LA
BASF CORP	TX
BASF CORP	LA
BASF CORP	TX
BIOLAB INC	MI 
BOEING	OK 
BP AMOCO CHEMICAL CO	OH 
BP AMOCO CHEMICAL GREEN LAKE FACILITY	TX 
BP TEXAS CITY REFINERY	TX 
BP TEXAS CITY REFINERY	TX
BP TEXAS CITY REFINERY	TX
CALUMET LUBRICANTS CO LP	LA 
CHEMTURA CORP MARSHALL  TEXAS FACILITY	TX 
CHEVRON ORONITE CO LLC	LA 
CHEVRON PHILLIPS CHEMICAL CO LP	TX 
CLEAN HARBORS PLAQUEMINE LLC	LA 
CONOCOPHILLIPS CO	TX 
CROMPTON CORP POLYMER ADDITIVES DIV	LA 
CROMPTON MANUFACTURING CO INC	LA 
CYTEC INDUSTRIES INC FORTIER PLANT	LA 
DIAMOND SHAMROCK REFINING CO. L.P.	TX 
DU PONT BEAUMONT PLANT	TX 
DU PONT DELISLE PLANT	MS 
DU PONT DELISLE PLANT	MS
DU PONT DELISLE PLANT	MS
DU PONT DOW ELASTOMERS LLC PONTCHARTRAIN SITE	LA 
DU PONT DOW ELASTOMERS LLC PONTCHARTRAIN SITE	LA
DU PONT DOW ELASTOMERS LLC PONTCHARTRAIN SITE	LA
DU PONT LA PORTE PLANT	TX 
DU PONT LA PORTE PLANT	TX
DU PONT LA PORTE PLANT	TX
DU PONT PONTCHARTRAIN WORKS	LA 
DYNO NOBEL INC  CHEYENNE PLANT	WY 
EQUISTAR CHEMICALS L.P.	TX 
GREAT LAKES CHEMICAL  CENTRAL	AR 
GREAT LAKES CHEMICAL SOUTH P	AR 
HORSEHEAD CORP.	OK 
HUNTSMAN CORP	TX 
HUNTSMAN PETROCHEMICAL CORP	FL 
INVISTA S. ¿  R.L. VICTORIA	TX 
INVISTA S. ¿  R.L. VICTORIA	TX
INVISTA S. ¿  R.L. VICTORIA	TX
INVISTA S. ¿ R. I. - SABINE RIVER WORKS	TX 
ISG BURNS HARBOR LLC	IN 
ISG BURNS HARBOR LLC	IN
ISG BURNS HARBOR LLC	IN
ISK MAGNETICS INC	IN 
ISP TECHNOLOGIES INC	TX 
JOHN MORRELL- GREAT BEND	KS 
KOCH NITROGEN CO	KS 
LYONDELL CHEMICAL CO	TX 
LYONDELL CHEMICAL CO	TX
LYONDELL CHEMICAL CO	TX
MERISOL USA LLC	TX 
MITTAL STEEL USA  HENNEPIN	IL 
MONSANTO - CHOCOLATE BAYOU	TX 
MONSANTO LULING	LA 
MONSANTO LULING	LA
MONSANTO LULING	LA
NATIONAL CO-OP REFINERY ASSOCIATION	KS 
NAVAJO REFINING CO	NM 
NAVAJO REFINING CO	NM
NAVAJO REFINING CO	NM
NOVUS INTERNATIONAL INC	TX 
OCCIDENTAL CHEMICAL CORP LULING	LA 
ONYX ENVIRONMENTAL SERVICES LLC	TX 
ONYX ENVIRONMENTAL SERVICES LLC	TX
ONYX ENVIRONMENTAL SERVICES LLC	TX
PERMA-FIX TREATMENT SERVICES	OK 
PFIZER INC  PARKE-DAVIS DIV	MI 
PHARMACIA & UPJOHN CO	MI 
PHARMACIA & UPJOHN CO	MI
PHARMACIA & UPJOHN CO	MI
RUBICON LLC	LA 
RUBICON LLC	LA
RUBICON LLC	LA
SAN JUAN REFINING CO	NM 
SHERWIN-WILLIAMS CO	KS 
SOLUTIA - CHOCOLATE BAYOU	TX 
SOLUTIA INC.	FL 
SOLUTIA INC.	FL
SOLUTIA INC.	FL
STERLING CHEMICALS INC.	TX 
STERLING FIBERS INC  SANTA ROSA PLANT	FL 
SWIFT & CO WET BLUE TANNERY	TX 
SYNGENTA CROP PROTECTION INC SAINT GABRIEL FACILITY	LA 
TICONA POLYMERS INC	TX 
TM DEER PARK SERVICES LP	TX 
TYSON FRESH MEATS INC	KS 
TYSON FRESH MEATS INC.	TX 
TYSON FRESH MEATS INC.	KS 
UOP SHREVEPORT PLANT	LA 
VICKERY ENVIRONMENTAL INC.	OH 
VOPAK LOGISTICS SERVICES USA INC.	TX 
VULCAN CHEMICALS	KS 
VULCAN CHEMICALS	KS
VULCAN CHEMICALS	KS
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