View source for DASH Guide:Toxics Release Inventory

''This guide is just part of a larger [[DASH Data Guide]].''

The Toxics Release Inventory (TRI) data provides information about toxic substances released into the environment or managed through recycling, energy recovery, and treatment in the United States. Annual releases are compiled and reported by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and shared on the TRI Website. The TRI covers over 650 chemicals and chemical groupings across a broad range of industries. Chemicals covered are linked to cancer or other chronic human health effects, tied to significant adverse human health effects, or significant adverse environmental effects.

=== What's Included in the Data ===

===== Publicly Available =====

* Location of the release
* Type of substances released
* Amount of toxic substances released

=== Where to Find the Data ===

* [https://www.epa.gov/toxics-release-inventory-tri-program/basics-tri-reporting Basics of TRI reporting on the EPA's Website]
* [https://www.epa.gov/toxics-release-inventory-tri-program/my-facilitys-six-digit-naics-code-tri-covered-industry Listing of TRI-Covered Industries on the EPA's TRI Website]
* [https://www.epa.gov/toxics-release-inventory-tri-program/learn-about-toxics-release-inventory TRI Program FAQ's on the EPA's Website]
* [https://www.epa.gov/toxics-release-inventory-tri-program Toxics Release inventory homepage]
* [https://www.epa.gov/toxics-release-inventory-tri-program/tri-listed-chemicals Lists and fact sheets of TRI-Listed Chemicals]
* [https://iaspub.epa.gov/triexplorer/tri_factsheet.factsheet?pstate=PA&pParent=TRI&pDataSet=TRIQ1&pcounty=allegheny&pYear=2015&pParent=TRI&pDataSet=TRIQ1 TRI Explorer - an online lookup tool]
* [https://data.wprdc.org/dataset/toxic-release-inventory Open Data on the Western Pennsylvania Regional Data Center's Website]

=== Things to Know ===
When working with TRI data, it's important to have a sense of the reporting criteria, including industrial coverage, size of the facility, and other chemical threshholds. It also helps to have an understanding of how humans may be exposed to the chemicals reported in the TRI data.

* If a facility is 1. in a specific industry sector, 2. employs 10 or more full-time employees, and 3. manufactures, processes, or uses a TRI chemical, it is required to report through the TRI program each year.
* Facilities in specific [https://www.epa.gov/toxics-release-inventory-tri-program/my-facilitys-six-digit-naics-code-tri-covered-industry#Anchor%201 industries, as defined by a six-digit NAICS code] are required to report to the TRI program, however some industries have been granted exceptions or reporting limitations. Industries covered under TRI include mining, utilities, manufacturing, wholesalers, publishers, and hazardous waste facilities. All federal facilities are required to report under TRI.
* The TRI-listed chemicals change from year to year. The [https://www.epa.gov/toxics-release-inventory-tri-program/tri-listed-chemicals EPA's TRI Website] has a list of these changes. The EPA also maintains fact sheets containing information on the hazards posed by these chemicals, along with information related to human exposure.