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EPA releases 2004 nationwide Toxics Release Inventory data

Release Date: 04/12/2006
Contact Information: Mark Merchant, (415) 947-4297, [email protected]

California releases drop by 18 percent

(San Francisco, Calif. - April 12, 2006) California industries reported an 18 percent decrease in toxic releases from 2003 to 2004, according to new data released today by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

The data comes from the EPA's Toxics Release Inventory, an annual measure of toxic chemical releases, transfers and waste generated by facilities in the United States. Total releases include toxic chemicals discharged to air, water, underground injection, land (including landfills), and the amount transferred off-site for disposal.

In California, 1,493 facilities reported a total of 49 million pounds of toxic chemical releases, down from more than 59 million pounds in 2003.

Data from 2004 in California shows:

· Land releases dropped 41 percent, from 27.4 million pounds in 2003 to 16.1 million pounds in 2004;
· Water releases declined by six percent, from 4.6 million pounds in 2003 to 4.3 million in 2004;
· Air emissions rose less than one percent, from 18.2 million pounds in 2003 to 18.4 million pounds in 2004;
· Underground injection releases dropped 26 percent, from 30,000 pounds in 2003 to 22,000 in 2004;

“TRI helps all of us – regulators, emergency responders, businesses and communities – remain aware of the types and amounts of chemicals being used in neighborhoods throughout the country,” said Wayne Nastri, the EPA’s administrator for the Pacific Southwest region. “We are pleased to report a continued drop in the amount of toxic chemicals released in California every year.”

Nationally, the amount of toxic chemicals released into the environment decreased by 4 percent from 2003 to 2004, and has declined 45 percent since 1998.

The reporting of data to the Toxics Release Inventory is required under the federal Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act, passed in 1986. This program has been credited with arming communities with valuable knowledge and encouraging facilities to reduce their releases of toxic chemicals into the environment through source reduction, or pollution prevention measures.

The top 10 facilities for total on- and off-site releases throughout California are:

1. Chemical Waste Management (Kettleman City, Kings County) with 12.2 million pounds.
2. Stockton Pacific Enterprises (Samoa, Humboldt County) with 2.3 million pounds.
3. Clean Harbors Buttonwillow, L.L.C. (Kern County) with 2.1 million pounds.
4. Tesoro Refining & Marketing Co. (Martinez, Contra Costa County) with 2.0 million pounds.
5. Quemetco Inc. (City of Industry, Los Angeles County) with 1.5 million pounds.
6. Chevron Products Co. Richmond Refinery. (Contra Costa County) with 1.3 million pounds.
7. ExxonMobil Oil Corp. Torrance Refinery (Los Angeles County) with 1.2 million pounds.
8. Advanced Environmental Inc. (Fontana, San Bernardino County) with 1.2 million pounds.
9. Valero Refining Co. California Benicia Refinery (Solano County) with 1.1 million pounds.
10. ConocoPhillips Co. LA Refinery Wilmington Plant (Los Angeles County) with 1.1 million pounds.

San Francisco Bay Area

The following nine counties were included: Sonoma, Napa, Solano, Contra Costa, Alameda, Santa Clara, San Mateo, San Francisco, and Marin.

In reporting year 2004, the top 10 facilities with the largest on-site and off-site releases are:

1. Tesoro Refining & Marketing Co. (Martinez, Contra Costa County) 2 million pounds.
2. Chevron Products Co. Richmond Refinery (Contra Costa County) 1.3 million pounds.
3. Valero Refining Co. California Benicia Refinery (Solano County) 1.1 million pounds.
4. Shell Oil Products US Martinez Refinery (Contra Costa County) 1.1 million pounds.
5. New United Motor Manufacturing Inc. (Fremont, Alameda County) 579,000 pounds.
6. United States Pipe & Foundry Co. Inc. (Union City, Alameda County) 568,000 pounds.
7. Criterion Catalysts & Technologies LP (Pittsburg, Contra Costa County) 339,000 pounds.
8. ConocoPhillips San Francisco Refinery (Rodeo, Contra Costa County) 288,000 pounds.
9. Owens Corning Corp. (Santa Clara, Santa Clara County) 189,000 pounds.
10. ConocoPhillips Carbon Plant (Rodeo, Contra Costa County) 99,000 pounds.

San Joaquin Valley

The following eight counties were included: Fresno, Kern, Kings, Madera, Merced, San Joaquin, Stanislaus and Tulare.

In reporting year 2004, the top 10 facilities with the largest on-site and off-site releases are:

1. Chemical Waste Management Inc. (Kettleman City, Kings County) with 12.2 million pounds.
2. Clean Harbors Buttonwillow LLC (Buttonwillow, Kern County) with 2.1 million pounds.
3. Hilmar Cheese Co. Inc. (Hilmar, Merced County) with 872,000 pounds.
4. Posdef Power Co. L.P. (Stockton, San Joaquin) with 221,000 pounds.
5. J.G. Boswell Co. Oil Mill (Corcoran, Kings County) with 199,000 pounds.
6. Spreckels Sugar Co. (Mendota, Fresno County) with 189,000 pounds.
7. Delano Growers Grape Products (Delano, Kern County) with 174,000 pounds.
8. Florestone Products Co. Inc. (Madera, Madera County) with 127,000 pounds.
9. Certainteed Corp. (Chowchilla, Madera County) with 97,000 pounds.
10. Fineline Industries Inc. (Merced, Merced County) with 92,000 pounds.

Los Angeles County

In reporting year 2004, the top 10 facilities with the largest on-site and off-site releases are:

1. Quemetco Inc. (City of Industry) with 1.7 million pounds.
2. ExxonMobil Oil Corp. Torrance Refinery (Torrance) with 1.3 million pounds.
3. ConocoPhillips Co. LA Refinery Wilmington Plant (Wilmington) with 1.1 million pounds.
4. Chevron Products Co. Div. of Chevron USA Inc. (El Segundo) with 872,000 pounds.
5. Dow Chemical Co. Torrance Facility (Torrance) with 694,000 pounds.
6. BP West Coast Products LLC Carson (Carson) with 556,000 pounds.
7. DK Environmental Inc. (Los Angeles) with 480,000 pounds.
8. USFilter Recovery Services Inc. (Vernon) with 436,000 pounds.
9. Custom Alloy Sales Inc. (Lynwood) with 219,000 pounds.
10. US Borax Inc. (Wilmington) with 213,000 pounds.

Fact sheets and additional information on the 2004 TRI data for California are available at https://www.epa.gov/region09/toxic/tri/index.html

The following Web sites also provide useful information on TRI: https://www.epa.gov/triexplorer/ and https://www.epa.gov/enviro