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TRI National Analysis
Executive Summary 2023

Welcome!

This summary presents an overview of EPA's 2023 Toxics Release Inventory (TRI) data, based on the detailed information found in EPA's TRI National Analysis website. Congress established the TRI to ensure that every community is empowered with access to information on the toxic chemicals handled and released at nearby facilities. The TRI includes annual data submitted by industry on how chemical wastes are managed, including those that are released to the environment.


The National Analysis is EPA's presentation of the most recent TRI data and trends.

The National Analysis enhances public understanding of the TRI data by summarizing reported data on releases and other waste management practices of toxic chemicals and providing trend analyses of these data.

  • Over the last 25 years, releases to the environment have declined even as the U.S. economy has grown.
  • Visit the full TRI National Analysis to learn more.

21,669 facilities reported to TRI for 2023.

Facilities in industry sectors such as manufacturing, electric power generation, and mining have until July 1 of each year to submit data from the previous calendar year. These data then undergo quality reviews by EPA. Use this map to see the information submitted by individual facilities.

See the Where You Live tool of the TRI National Analysis to explore the TRI data for a specific area including by state, metropolitan area, watershed, or tribal community.

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Over the last 10 years, releases to the environment have decreased by 21%, with reductions across all media.

  • For 2023, TRI facilities reported 3.3 billion pounds of releases to air, water, and land, with little change over the past few years.
    • Land disposal, largely from metal mining, accounted for about two-thirds of releases.
  • Learn more about releases reported to TRI.
Note: This chart excludes natural gas processing facilities which were not required to report to TRI prior to 2022.

Long-term declines in air emissions reported to TRI are one driver of decreased total releases.

  • Air releases decreased by 32% (245 million pounds) from 2014 to 2023.
  • Almost all sectors reduced their air emissions since 2014.
    • The largest reduction was from the electric utilities sector, driven by reduced releases of hydrochloric acid and sulfuric acid to air.
  • The TRI chemicals released into the air in the largest quantities for 2023 were ammonia and methanol.
  • Learn more about air emissions reported to TRI.

90% of the TRI chemical waste that facilities managed was not released due to preferred waste management practices such as recycling and treatment.

  • In addition to quantities released, facilities report the quantities of TRI-listed chemicals that they managed through preferred methods including recycling, combusting for energy recovery, and treatment.
  • Learn more about waste management practices reported to TRI.

TRI facilities implemented 3,690 new source reduction activities in 2023 to reduce pollution at its source.

  • Source reduction success stories presented in the National Analysis highlight effective practices that other facilities can replicate. EPA's TRI Pollution Prevention (P2) Search Tool promotes these opportunities for knowledge transfer by allowing users to search for source reduction activities that might be relevant to their operations.
  • The figure summarizes the most frequently reported source reduction activities for the chemicals and industry sectors with the highest source reduction reporting rates over the last 5 years. Facilities most commonly reported Process and Equipment Modifications – such as optimizing process conditions to increase efficiency – and improvements to Operating Practices and Training – such as changing production schedules to minimize equipment changeovers.
  • Learn more about source reduction activities reported to TRI.

Each year, the TRI National Analysis examines key industry sectors.

Choose an industry sector to learn more about their TRI releases.

  • For 2023, 19,147 manufacturing facilities reported to TRI, which is 88% of all TRI-reporting facilities for the year.
  • Since 2014, releases by manufacturing facilities decreased by 15% (226 million pounds). This is primarily due to reductions in air releases.
  • Learn more about industry sectors reporting to TRI reporting.
  • For 2023, more facilities reported to TRI from the chemical manufacturing sector than from any other industry sector (3,445 facilities).
  • Chemical manufacturing facilities convert raw materials into thousands of different products, including basic chemicals, products used by other manufacturers (such as synthetic fibers, plastics, and pigments), pesticides, and cosmetics, to name a few.
  • Since 2014, releases from chemical manufacturing facilities decreased by 21% (110 million pounds), driven by a 73-million-pound decrease in on-site land releases.
  • Facilities in the automotive manufacturing sector assemble automobiles, light trucks, and utility vehicles, and manufacture automotive parts, vehicle bodies, and trailers.
  • For 2023, 821 automotive manufacturing facilities reported to TRI.
  • The sector’s releases are primarily to air. Certain glycol ethers, 1,2,4-trimethylbenzene, n-butyl alcohol, and xylene accounted for approximately two-thirds of the sector’s air emissions for 2023.
  • The sector’s air releases have decreased since 2014, driven by decreased releases to air.
  • Facilities in the wood products manufacturing sector process logs and lumber to manufacture wood products, such as plywood, veneers, wood containers, and other finished wood products.
  • For 2023, 715 wood products manufacturing facilities reported to TRI.
  • The sector’s releases are primarily to air. Methanol and formaldehyde accounted for approximately two-thirds of the sector’s air emissions for 2023.
  • The sector’s air releases have decreased since 2019, driven by reductions in formaldehyde air emissions.
  • Electric utilities generate, transmit, and distribute electric power. Electricity-generating facilities use a variety of fuels to generate electricity; however, only those electricity generating facilities that combust coal or oil to generate power for distribution in commerce are subject to TRI reporting requirements.
  • For 2023, 388 electricity-generating facilities reported to TRI.
  • Releases from the electric utilities sector decreased by 63% since 2014. This decrease was driven by a 74% (138-million-pound) decrease in air releases and a 58% (153-million-pound) decrease in on-site land disposal.

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