Toxic Chemical Report

Fourteenth Annual Toxic Chemical Report

A summary of information contained in the Toxic Chemical Report Forms for calendar year 2000

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Preface

Facilities with persistent, bioaccumulative and toxic (PBT) chemicals and chemical categories were required for the first time to submit toxic chemical release reports covering calendar year 2000. The reports submitted by facilities in the new PBT categories totaled 163.3 thousand pounds, which is one percent of the 174.3 million pounds reported by all facilities in calendar year 2000.

The 174.3 million pound total amount is 22.6 million pounds or about eleven percent less than was reported for 1999. Once again, fugitive and stack air emissions of 63.6 million pounds exceeded all other types of releases and transfers. However, this amount was down by 21.2 million pounds (25 percent) compared to 1999.

The long-term downward trend of environmental releases in Illinois continues. Facility reports indicate a 49 percent decrease in normalized toxic chemical releases from 1988 to 2000, and a decrease of 3 percent from 1999 to 2000. The toxic chemical with the greatest quantity reduction in the period 1988-2000 was toluene (17.3 million pounds or 79 percent).

In this fourteenth report, the Agency has also included a special analysis using a ten-year time frame from 1991-2000 (TRI-10). While the raw data show that approximately 37.5 million more pounds of releases have been reported over this ten-year period, more facilities were added in select years due to changes in reporting requirements. As a result, the analysis shows that more zip codes had a net increase in releases than decreases. When looking at facilities, 210 zip codes had a net number of facilities with a decrease compared to 106 zip codes with an increase.

Toxic release information will be continually examined and analyzed by the Illinois EPA to identify industrial categories, facilities, chemicals and geographic areas which should receive focused attention with the objective of release reduction, especially through pollution prevention efforts.

Executive Summary

Over 2,300 unique facilities have reported toxic chemical release information to the Illinois EPA since the reporting program mandated by federal law began in 1987. Not including 1987, an average of around 1,300 facilities have reported each year, with the actual number ranging between 1,258 and 1,477.

Facilities with persistent, bioaccumulative and toxic (PBT) chemicals and chemical categories were required to report for the first time this year. A total of 163.3 thousand pounds of PBTs were reported for calendar year 2000.

For calendar year 2000, 1,321 facilities submitted 4,268 individual toxic chemical release reports showing a total of 174.3 million pounds of releases and transfers. Zinc compounds had the highest reported releases and transfers, at 41.7 million pounds. The combined total of fugitive and stack air emissions topped all other environmental areas at 63.6 million pounds. Facilities in Standard Industrial Classification (SIC) Code 4911 (Electric Services - coal and/or oil fired power plants) exceeded all other industrial categories with reported releases and transfers of 26.8 million pounds.

In order to perform meaningful trend analyses of total toxic chemical releases, including offsite transfers, the Illinois EPA utilizes information reported by facilities for toxic chemicals which have been reportable in the same form for each of the years 1988-2000. This approach is called "normalizing". Offsite transfers for recycle or energy recovery, reportable for 1991 and later years, are not considered.

A total of 1,407 facilities are included in the special ten-year analysis which had a net increase of 37.5 million pounds reported. In addition, there were 210 zip codes in Illinois that had a net number of facilities with a decrease while 106 zip codes had a net number of facilities with an increase. It is important to highlight that these data are not normalized (i.e., facility reporting requirements changed in certain years).

Total "normalized" releases and transfers have decreased 49 percent from 1988 to 2000. The toxic chemical with the greatest quantity reduction in that period was toluene (17.3 million pounds or 79 percent), which is a teratogen, reproductive toxin and fetal toxin. Facilities in the SIC category 2821 (Plastic Materials, Synthetic Resins and Nonvulcanizable Elastomers) as a group had the greatest quantity reduction (9.9 million pounds, or 67 percent).

The toxic chemical with the greatest amount of releases from 1996 through 2000 was zinc compounds, totaling 135.9 million pounds. Considering only those toxic chemicals with significant human health effects, i.e. which are known or probable human carcinogens, teratogens, fetal toxicants and/or reproductive toxicants, manganese compounds had the highest total of 37.1 million pounds.

The group of facilities in SIC Code 3312 reported 157.8 million pounds of releases from 1996 through 2000, the greatest for any industrial category, and also had the highest total of 44.0 million pounds in the period for those toxic chemicals with significant human health effects.

Facilities located in ZIP Code 61832 in Danville (Vermilion County) reported the highest total of air emissions from 1996 through 2000, totaling 18.9 million pounds. Considering only those toxic chemicals with significant human health effects, facilities located in ZIP Code 61832 also reported the highest total of 18.3 million pounds.

Current and Past Year Highlights