On Nov. 23, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) began early access to the 2003 Toxics Release Inventory (TRI), but in a limited manner. This early release is seven months faster than last year's release. While this earlier access represents a step in the right direction, the data format significantly limits its use. Additionally, EPA will not make the underlying data available to the public at this time.

EPA typically releases the entire database for a new year about 18 months after that reporting year ends. For example, the 2002 data, which companies had to report to EPA by July 1, 2003, was released June 24, 2004. Public interest groups have continually pushed for earlier release of the data so the public can use the information before it is relatively out of date. As part of EPA's efforts to remedy these concerns and speed up the process, this year the agency is releasing facility data earlier, but in a special Electronic-Facility Data Release format. This earlier release is prior to several steps EPA takes to cross check the quality of the information submitted by companies, most of which is now submitted electronically.

Unfortunately, the information's format makes it difficult for users to manipulate or analyze the data. EPA usually presents the information in a database format that allows users to examine totals, averages, and trends. In other words, users can aggregate and disaggregate data in different ways. The Electronic-Facility Data Release, however, only allows users to view the individual forms facilities submitted for each chemical release. The system does not, for example, permit users to add these releases together to examine the total releases from a facility or total amount of chemicals released in a town.

Moreover, EPA has been unwilling to provide the underlying data to the public even though it is making the data available through its website in a limited format. EPA says it will continue making the underlying data available once it makes the full data set available on its website in the spring. Groups such as Environmental Defense and OMB Watch make such data available for free on Scorecard and RTK NET, respectively.

The early data release is available at http://www.epa.gov/tri-efdr/.