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8/28/2025
WT Staff
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Friday, August 29, 2025 614 am EDT
Toxic Release Inventory Data Shows Chemical Releases Decline When American Economy Thrives
August 21, 2025 U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) released its Toxics Release Inventory (TRI) National Analysis for reporting year 2023, which shows that toxic chemical releases have decreased as the chemical industry’s contribution to the national Gross Domestic Product (GDP) has increased. This demonstrates that industry can simultaneously protect the environment and grow the nation’s economy.
"With this analysis, EPA is showing how American industry continues to improve its environmental performance while growing the economy," said Nancy B. Beck, Principal Deputy Assistant Administrator for EPA's Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention.
Highlights from the 2023 TRI National Analysis include:
- Between 2014 and 2023, environmental releases of TRI-listed chemicals fell 21%, including a 32% decrease in air releases. During this 10-year period, releases from manufacturing facilities decreased by 15% while the manufacturing sector's contribution to the U.S. GDP increased by 13%.
- A feature profile on automotive manufacturing shows, from 2014 to 2023, this sector's value to the economy increased by 34% while chemical releases decreased by 14%.
- In 2023, facilities managed 90% of their TRI chemical waste through preferred practices such as recycling, energy recovery and treatment.
- From 1998 to 2023, companies managing TRI chemicals, which include lead, mercury, dioxins, and per-and-polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) chemicals, have decreased releases by 54% while the national GDP has increased by 74%.
- For reporting year 2023, nine PFAS were added to the reporting requirements for a total of 189 PFAS tracked by the TRI program. During 2023, 61 facilities managed 1.6 million pounds of PFAS as waste and decreased chemical releases by 16%.
EPA is holding a public webinar September 30, 2025, at 3:00 PM EST to provide an overview of the 2023 TRI National Analysis.
The 2023 TRI National Analysis uses interactive visualizations and analytical tools to summarize the most recent TRI data and highlight trends in waste management practices for specific sectors and chemicals. Along with the feature profile on automotive manufacturing, the analysis includes profiles of electric utilities, chemical manufacturing, and wood product manufacturing. The Chemical Profiles highlight chemicals of importance to the public and EPA, including PFAS, mercury, lead, and dioxins.
Under the Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act (EPCRA), EPA must track the industrial management of chemicals that may pose a threat to human health and the environment. EPA, states and Tribes receive TRI data from facilities in sectors such as manufacturing, hazardous waste management, and electric utilities.
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