NEWS FROM THE DELAWARE DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES AND ENVIRONMENTAL CONTROL
January 9, 2009
Vol. 39, No. 7
Contact: John Parker, Emergency Prevention and Response Branch, (302) 739-9405; or Melinda Carl, Public Affairs Office, (302) 739-9902
Annual State TRI Data and Reports Show Decreases
That Largely Reflect More Accurate Reporting
Trend Continues Downward Since 1998 Reported Data
The annual Toxics Release Inventory (TRI) data for 2007 from Delaware’s reporting facilities compiled by the Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control show progress in two important areas: An increase in accuracy and a decrease in emissions since reporting data for 2006 and also since 1998.
This is the 21st year of TRI data collection from facilities for distribution to the public, and many of Delaware’s reporting facilities continue to use directly monitored data results instead of estimates based on a formula or “emissions factors” to improve the accuracy of their reported data.
Statewide, TRI on-site releases reported in Delaware for 2007 were lower by 4 percent compared to 2006. This is in part attributable to a more accurate method for reporting nitrate discharges into the Delaware River from Premcor’s refinery in Delaware City.
Perdue Georgetown also reported lower nitrate compounds released to water. Releases to land were also down, by 48 percent, largely because of reductions in on-site disposal at the Indian River Power Plant.
Releases to air, however, were up by 9 percent, generally the result of increased power production, and also the result of a 136,000-pound increase in propylene reported released from the frozen earth storage unit at the Premcor refinery. Premcor will replace the storage unit with alternative storage by May 1, 2010 and close it by Dec. 15, 2010.
Reported releases of carcinogens (known, probable, and possible) fell by 150,000 pounds (39 percent) for 2007, a result of transfers off-site of carcinogens in ash from the Indian River Power Plant and other smaller reductions. Reported releases of vinyl acetate released to air fell by 15,000 pounds, 34 percent less than for 2006.
“We would like to see continued reductions across all industries and that is our mission as our department works with business, government and the public,” said DNREC Secretary John A. Hughes.
“We also expect more reductions when full compliance with our multi-pollutant air regulation is achieved,” said Sec. Hughes, who added that “reporting facilities that continue to use more accurate methods for reporting release amounts should be acknowledged for their contribution to our goal of presenting an accurate picture of emissions in Delaware.”
For 2007, reported on-site releases totaled 10.65 million pounds, down 4.4 percent from the 11.15 million pounds reported for 2006, and down from 10 percent from the 11.86 million pounds reported for 1998. Analysis of 2007 toxic waste data indicates that TRI-reported total toxic waste amounts, including on-site releases, transfers off-site, and waste managed on-site, increased 5.3 percent compared to 2006.
The TRI reports and data for calendar year 2007 are now available through the Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control at: http://www.serc.delaware.gov/reports.shtml
The attached Fact Sheet provides additional details about the 2007 TRI reports.
FACT SHEET
Delaware Toxics Release Inventory
2007 Data and Report
What is TRI?
The Toxics Release Inventory, or “TRI”, is a publicly available data set containing information reported annually since 1987 for toxic chemicals manufactured, processed, or otherwise used by certain facilities in Delaware and throughout the United States. TRI was established in 1986 under Title III, Section 313, of the Federal Superfund Amendments and Reauthorization Act (SARA 313) to provide information to the public about the presence and release of toxic chemicals in their communities. Title III is also known as the Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act (EPCRA).
The following are what must be reported (as of the 2007 reporting year):
The list of facilities that must report to the government under TRI is determined by whether they fall under one of “NAICS” (North American Industry Classification System) codes. These NAICS codes include primarily:
- manufacturing facilities
- oil and coal fired electric utilities, and
- bulk petroleum terminals.
Facilities submit information to the Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control (DNREC) and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) on the amount of each toxic chemical that is:
(1) released to the environment and/or
(2) managed on-site as waste, or
(3) managed off-site as waste.
The data from Delaware facilities is compiled in a database by DNREC. Reports summarizing the data are prepared and published annually by DNREC and the EPA. It is important to remember that TRI requires reporting of releases and waste management activities. The control of those releases is achieved separately through a variety of permits, laws and regulations.
Delaware Results: On-Site Releases to the Environment
For the 2007 calendar year, 69 facilities reported releases of 102 different TRI chemicals in Delaware. Reported on-site releases to the environment were approximately 10.65 million pounds. Of this amount, approximately 6.9 million pounds were reported as released to the air, while 3.2 million pounds were released to water and 406,000 pounds were released to land.
For the TRI chemicals released to the air, 70 percent were from hydrochloric acid releases, largely from coal-fired power plants (e.g., Connectiv in Edgemoor and NRG in Millsboro). On-site releases reported for 2007 were lower by 4.4 percent when compared to 2006.
Several factors contributed to the decrease in reported amounts of on-site releases in 2007: Premcor reported a significant decrease in nitrate compounds released to water from its refinery in Delaware City as a result of improving its reporting accuracy and improved methodology for estimating this release; the Perdue Georgetown poultry facility reduced the concentration of nitrate compounds in the waste water in its treatment plant, and reduced wastewater volume.
The total amount released on-site to land decreased by 376,000 pounds (48 percent), largely the result of decreases in the reported amounts of by-products from coal combustion sent to on-site landfills in 2006, but now sent to off-site landfills, by the Indian River Power Plant.
The total amount reported released on-site to air increased by 579,000 pounds (9 percent) for 2007, including hydrochloric acid reports from the Indian River Power Plant, increasing by 300,000 pounds (12 percent), and from the Edge Moor/Hay Road power plants, increasing by 180,000 pounds (13 percent) for 2007. These amounts are generally the result of increased power production at these facilities resulting from increased consumer demand.
Also, the reported on-site releases to air from the Premcor refinery increased by 113,000 pounds (26 percent). This was primarily because of the 136,000-pound increase in propylene reported released from the propane “frozen earth storage” unit. The reported propylene release is the result of Premcor attempting to quantify fugitive releases of propylene from the storage unit, which pursuant to a conciliation order will be replaced with alternative storage by May 1, 2010, and closed by Dec. 15, 2010. (See "DNREC issues conciliation order Requiring Premcor to Take Corrective Action.")
Delaware Results: Total TRI Waste
Analysis of Delaware 2007 toxic waste data indicates that TRI-reported total toxic waste, including on-site releases, transfers off-site, and waste managed on-site, was approximately 103.5 million pounds, a 5.3 percent increase from 98.3 million pounds reported for 2006. However, this is a 32.1 percent decline, or 8.9 million pounds, compared to the 152.4 million pounds reported for 1998. The 1998 year is typically used as a baseline because the TRI reporting requirements were significantly expanded that year, requiring more facilities to report.
Although reported on-site releases decreased for 2007, waste amounts managed on-site increased by 3.2 million pounds compared to 2006, primarily the result of changes in amounts used for energy recovery.
Waste amounts sent off-site for processing and disposal increased by 2.5 million pounds, largely the result of increases reported by the Indian River Power Plant in the amounts of by-products from coal combustion sent to off-site landfills for disposal in 2007, but previously sent to on-site landfills for disposal in 2006. Other variations are normal as facilities process and manage these wastes as part of their normal cycles of increasing and decreasing production, and finding better ways to manage waste created as products are produced at the respective facilities.
Delaware Results: TRI Reporting of Persistent, Bioaccumulative and Toxic Chemicals (“PBTs”)
Of the 69 reporting facilities for 2007, 30 reported on PBT substances for a total 21,008 pounds of on-site PBT substance releases to the environment, down 32 percent from the 30,790 pounds reported in 2006. The primary reason for the decrease is a decrease in the reported amount sent to on-site landfills for disposal as byproducts from the combustion of coal.
In conjunction with efforts to reduce mercury emissions, the Department developed, with the aid of a review committee, a new multi-pollutant regulation to reduce nitrogen oxides (NOx), sulfur oxides (SOx) and mercury (Hg) emissions from Delaware's coal and residual oil fired electric generating power plants. The reduction in emissions will improve ambient air quality in Delaware and in downwind states, and help the state demonstrate progress toward attaining air quality standards for ground level ozone and other clean air federal obligations.
National Perspective
As of this date, EPA has not released the national 2007 TRI report. However, placing the 2007 Delaware reports alongside the 2006 EPA reports yields rankings that provide a national TRI perspective for Delaware. This data shows that Delaware ranks 42, or one of the ten lowest ranking states, in the nation in total on-site releases for all TRI chemicals. This is one list where it is desirable for Delaware to rank near the bottom of the list. In fact, for on-site releases, 53 facilities in the nation each released more TRI chemicals individually than the combined sum of all TRI releases from all the facilities in Delaware combined.
For further Information
The 2007 TRI data, as well as data from earlier years back to 1995, is available in an easy-to-use, online-searchable format at http://www.serc.delaware.gov/services/search/index.shtml. Copies of submittals from individual facilities are available upon request. Because the program reporting requirements change each year, comparison with prior years may not be valid without proper adjustments.
DNREC has published both technical and non-technical reports summarizing the 2007 TRI data. Reports for the 2007 data and previous years back to 1998 are available online at: http://www.serc.delaware.gov/reports.shtml.
