What is TRI?
The Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act of 1986 (100 Stat. 1613) required the Environmental Protection Agency to establish an inventory of toxic chemical emissions. To fulfill the mandate the EPA requires facilities subject to the law to submit Form R yearly, by July 1st, for each chemical released during the preceding year. The information contained on the form goes into the TRI database.
The purpose of the TRI database:
The general purpose TRI serves is to provide the public and government officials with easy access to important information concerning routine or accidental releases of toxic chemicals to the environment. With the data contained in TRI, individuals can assess the environmental impact of nearby factories on local communities.
Who must file Form R?
Every owner or operator of facilities with 10 or more employees, that are in the field of manufacturing (i.e. Standard Industrial Classification codes 20 through 39), and that manufacture, import, process or use a toxic chemical in excess of specified quantities, must submit Form R. Since 1994 government agencies have also been required to report in TRI.
The Right-to-Know Network RTK Net
Established in 1989, RTK Net is a free internet site that offers access to the TRI database, as well as to many other governmental databases, via the World Wide Web. It is sponsored by a host of organizations and agencies, including the EPA, in the hope that we, the public, will use the information in decision-making within our communities and with our government. Currently, the RTK Net contains data for toxic releases for the years 1987 to 1996. Click here if you would like to search the RTK Net now.