Toxics Release Inventory (TRI)

The toxics release inventory (tri), established under the U.S. Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-know Act (EPCRA), is a database produced by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) that tracks chemical releases and waste reported by major industrial facilities. [Page 1756]The EPCRA established the TRI and it requires the industrial facilities to annually report releases of waste into the environment to the EPA.

Not all toxic releases are covered by the EPCRA Act; the categories that qualify to be on the list are determined by whether or not they may damage public health, such the possibility of causing cancer, reproductive defects, or anything harmful to the neurological functions. In addition, the possible effects of toxic releases on the environment and animal life are also addressed.

The EPA has ...