Toxics Release Inventory (TRI) Reporting

The purpose of this course is to give students the ability to comply with the requirements of the TRI reporting requirements under the Emergency Planning and Community Right to Know Act. Reporters must track a list of over 600 chemicals to ensure that they do not manufacture process or otherwise use threshold amounts. This chemical list is revised regularly, including a recent revision during the COVID-19 pandemic.

EPA is the primary enforcer of TRI violations. In addition to continued enforcement by EPA, class action lawsuits are filed by public interest groups. By nature of the law, the TRI reports are highly visible to the public. Texas is consistently the largest reporter of TRI chemicals. Reports from facilities are available to the public on the EPA website.

Various news agencies have regularly reported on TRI data, highlighting regional companies or statewide totals. The reports are highly complex. EPA region 6 facilities must track and manage over 457 million pounds of chemicals, logging the amount used, transported treated and/or disposed. EPA guidance is high level, and more concerned with the regulatory requirements than the actions facilities must undertake to prepare the reports.