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EPA releases latest data on toxic chemicals nationwide. Nevada decreases toxics released to environment.

Release Date: 04/12/2006
Contact Information: Mark Merchant (415) 947-4397

SAN FRANCISCO – Nevada industries reported less than a 33 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 Nevada,119 facilities reported a total of 269.4 million pounds of toxic chemical releases in 2004. In 2003, the total was 403.3million pounds.

Data from 2004 in Nevada shows:

Land releases dropped about 34 percent, from 400.65 million pounds in 2003 to 266.187 million pounds in 2004;

Water releases increased by five percent, from 102,551 pounds in 2003 to 107,890 pounds in 2004;

Air releases decreased three percent from 1.841 million pounds in 2003 to 1.787 million pounds in 2004;

Underground injection releases almost doubled, from 2.8 pounds in 2003 to 4.5 pounds 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 decrease in the amount of toxic chemicals released in Nevada this year.”

Nationally, the amount of toxic chemicals released into the environment decreased by 4 percent from 2003 to 2004, and have 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 Nevada are:

· Coeur Rochester, Inc. (Lovelock, Pershing County) with 85.3 million pounds.
· Barrick Goldstrike Mines Inc. (Elko, Elko County) with 52.1 million pounds.
· Newmont Mining Corp. Twin Creeks Mine (Golconda, Humboldt County) with 49.1 million pounds.
· Newmont Mining Corp. Carlin South Area (Carlin, Eureka County) with 30 million pounds.
· Newmont Mining Corp. Lone Tree Mine (Valmy, Humboldt County) with 25.8 million pounds.
· US Ecology (Beatty, Nye County) with 11.3 million pounds.
· Jerrit Canyon Mine (Elko, Elko County) with 2.9 million pounds.
· Mohave Generating Station (Laughlin, Clark County) with 1.6 million pounds.
· Glamis Marigold Mining Co. (Valmy, Humboldt County) with 1.5 million pounds..
· Cortez Gold Mines (Crescent Valley, Lander County) with 1.4 million pounds.

Fact sheets and additional information on the 2004 TRI data for Nevada 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