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EPA Reports on Toxic Releases to Air, Water, and Land in New York in 2000

Release Date: 05/23/2002
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(#02044) NEW YORK, N.Y. -- The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) today issued its report of the most recent data available on the amount of toxic chemicals released into the environment of New York by industrial and other facilities. Since, 1988, the Toxic Release Inventory (TRI) has been released to the public by EPA every year to help Americans know more about the chemicals present in their local environment and track environmental trends over time. The data made available today are for the releases that took place in 2000. Toxic releases in New York of the over 600 chemicals and chemical categories currently tracked by TRI from a number of industries were down from approximately 61.86 million pounds in 1999 to 50.6 million pounds in 2000. New this year is additional release information on chemicals that persist and bioaccumulate (PBT’s) in the environment. This information was collected because of lower reporting thresholds and addition of several chemicals to the TRI list.. “Informing the public with basic information about toxic chemicals in their communities is among the most effective, common-sense steps to protect the health of families and children from the threats posed by pollution,” EPA Regional Administrator Jane M. Kenny said. “That is why EPA has consistently expanded the type and amount of information available to the public under the Right-to-Know program,” Ms. Kenny pointed out. Of the more than 700 facilities in New York reporting toxic releases in 2000, the ten facilities with the highest total of releases into the local environment are as follows (in descending order): 1. CWM Chemical Services L.L.C., Model City 2. Eastman Kodak Co. Kodak Park, Rochester 3. C.R. Huntley Steam Station, Tonawanda 4. NRG Energy Inc. Dunkirk Steam Station, Dunkirk 5. Finch Pruyn & Co.Inc., Glens Falls 6. Anheuser-Busch Inc., Baldwinsville 7. AES Somerset LLC, Barker 8. Southern Energy Lovett Generating Station, Tomkins Cove 9. Russell Station, Rochester 10.Danskammer Generating Facility, Newburgh NOTE TO REPORTERS: TRI information is available online at: https://www.epa.gov/tri by calling Rich Cahill, (212) 637-3666.