Last week, the Right-to-Know Network (RTK NET) published the 2012 Toxics Release Inventory (TRI) data. This data provides public access to important U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) data on the release and transfer of toxic chemicals in the United States.

TRI was established as a part of the Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act (EPCRA) of 1986, requiring EPA to make publicly available the releases and transfers of toxic chemicals above a certain threshold.

In 2012, over 20,000 facilities reported 3.63 billion pounds of releases and disposal of toxic chemicals. This is a 12 percent decrease from 2011, mostly due to decreases in on-site land disposal by the metal mining sector. The number of facilities reporting to TRI decreased for the 11th consecutive year. Reporting facilities decreased two percent from last year and a total of 15 percent from 2003 to 2012.

We have also added new features to RTK NET that should allow visitors to learn more about the environmental impacts in their areas. A City Search feature allows users to search all the RTK NET databases at once for their city. It provides users with a summary for each database for that city, along with links to more information on individual facilities. To provide information on possible health effects of chemicals, RTK NET has also added chemical health effects from the Right to Know Hazardous Substance List prepared by the state of New Jersey Department of Health.

RTK NET allows the public to search data from five EPA databases, enabling them to learn about toxic chemicals, hazardous wastes and risks in their local communities, states, regions, and the entire nation. Users can search by location, individual facility, parent company, industry type, and offsite waste transfer data tailored to fit their specific requirements. You can visit RTK NET at http://www.rtknet.org.