(Newark, N.J.) On the 25th anniversary of the law…
TRI was established through legislation authored
by Senator Lautenberg and signed into law as part of the Emergency
Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act (EPCRA). The measure
requires owners of facilities to report annually on the amount of
toxic chemicals that have been released into the air, water or
land. These facilities are also required to report how they dispose
of chemicals that are not released into the
environment.
“When TRI became a reality 25 years ago,
our communities and our citizens gained a powerful new tool for
defending their health, their environment and the health of their
children," said EPA Administrator Lisa P. Jackson. "Serving the
public’s right-to-know, ensuring that our data is based on
the best science and full transparency, and making sure that it is
as accessible as possible are critical to everything we do at the
EPA. That is why the TRI an indispensable part of fulfilling our
mission to protect the health of the American people."
“Everyone has a right to know if danger is
lurking in their own backyard, but for a long time, Americans were
denied this basic right,” said Senator Lautenberg. “The
Toxic Release Inventory shows how government empowers people to
improve their lives. This common sense law makes sure parents have
the information they need to keep their children healthy and safe.
I’m proud this movement began in New Jersey and has improved
the lives of people all across the country.”
“People have the right to know what toxic
chemicals are being stored or disposed of in their communities. And
we all have Senator Lautenberg to thank for creating that right 25
years ago,” said Senator Menendez. “I was proud to work
with him to fight off efforts to weaken this fundamental right and
look forward to continuing to protect public health with him for
years to come.”
The EPA has identified numerous uses of TRI data
by government, businesses and citizens. Its use enables the public
to identify sources of toxic chemical releases, helps analyze
potential toxic chemical hazards to human health and the
environment and assesses environmental and public health issues
that may affect communities. Earlier this year, the Aspen Institute
called TRI one of the ten biggest ways EPA has improved
America.
In 2006, the Bush Administration EPA finalized a
rule that weakened the TRI program by eliminating the requirement
to report specific quantities of releases for thousands of smaller
facilities nationwide. However, in March 2009, President Obama
signed into a law a provision written by Senator Lautenberg that
overturned the rule and restored reporting requirements back to the
pre-Bush Administration standards.
One of the best indicators that the TRI program
has been a success is the steady and significant decline in
releases since 1988 – the first full year of data on toxic
releases. Since 1988, toxic releases from facilities required to
report in New Jersey have declined by more than 94 percent in New
Jersey.
For more information on the Toxics Release
Inventory, visit: For a full list of reporting US VI facilities, go
to: https://www.epa.gov/toxics-release-inventory-tri-program.
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and visit our Facebook page, https://www.facebook.com/eparegion2.
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