EPA: 3 percent reduction overall in Hawai‘i toxic releases

HONOLULU — For the third year in a row, industries operating in Hawai‘i have reduced toxic releases. According to the latest data available from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, there was a 2.8 percent reduction of toxic releases in 2006 compared to 2005.

The data come from the EPA’s Toxics Release Inventory, an annual measure of toxic chemical releases 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. The Data provided does not mean that facilities with elevated levels are out of compliance with state, local or federal environmental regulations.

“TRI provides important data for regulators, emergency responders, reporters, businesses and communities because it helps them better understand the types and amounts of chemicals being released in our communities,” Wayne Nastri, EPA administrator for the Pacific Southwest region, said.

In Hawai‘i, 38 facilities reported a total of 3 million pounds of toxic chemical releases. This is 87 thousand pounds less than was released in 2005.

Data from Hawai‘i in 2006 show:

• Water releases decreased by 31 percent, which is 164,000 pounds. Reduced water releases reported by the U.S. Navy Pearl Harbor Naval Complex is the primary reason for the overall 2.8 percent reduction.

• Air releases decreased by 2 percent or 61,000 pounds.

• Land releases went up 95 percent, or 85,000 pounds. The rise resulted from U.S. Army Schofield Barracks/Wheeler Airfield reporting a large increase in land releases.

TRI reporting is required under the 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.

In 2000, the Toxics Release Inventory expanded to include persistent bioaccumulative and toxic chemicals, or PBTs, and to require reporting for these chemicals at ranges from 0.1 grams to 100 pounds. PBT pollutants are toxic chemicals that remain in the environment and bioaccumulate in food chains, posing risks to human health and ecosystems. In Hawaii, 112,000 pounds of total on-site and off-site releases of PBT chemicals were reported. This is an increase of 132 percent or 63,000 pounds from the previous year.

The top facilities in Hawai‘i for total on-site and off-site releases of all chemicals are:

• Hawaiian Electric Co Inc Kahe Generating Station, O‘ahu, with 792,651 pounds.

• U.S. Navy Pearl Harbor Naval Complex, O‘ahu, with 329,226 pounds

• Hawaiian Electric Co Inc Waiau Generating Station, O‘ahu, with 317,592 pounds

• Chevron Products Co – Hawaii Refinery, O‘ahu, with 237,621 pounds

• Hawaii Electric Light Co Inc Hill Generating Station, Big Island, with 230,140 pounds

• Maui Electric Co Ltd Kahului Generating Station, Maui, with 220,131 pounds

• AES Hawaii Inc., O‘ahu, with 216,295 pounds

• Hawaii Electric Light Co Inc Puna Generating Station, Big Island, with 100,012 pounds

• Tesoro Hawaii Refinery, O‘ahu, with 97,480 pounds

• U.S. Army Schofield Barracks/Wheeler Army Airfield, O‘ahu, with 74,850 pounds.

At the national level, total disposal and other releases are down 2 percent from last year. Combined air releases of TRI chemicals are down 7 percent. Total disposal and other releases of mercury to all media combined increased 17 percent.

However, air releases of mercury are down 4 percent.

From 2001 to 2006, total releases reported to TRI decreased by 24 percent.

The following Web sites also provide information by city, county, and facility on TRI: www.epa.gov/triexplorer/ and www.epa.gov/enviro. State fact sheets are available at: www.epa.gov/triexplorer/statefactsheet.htm