Toxic Chemical Releases Increase in Colorado for 2004;
Overall Releases Down 46 Percent Since 1988

DENVER - Toxic chemical releases in Colorado increased by 8 percent in 2004 although Colorado has seen an overall 46 percent reduction of total reported industrial releases in the state since 1988 when the first inventory was prepared.

The Colorado numbers were reported in the annual Toxic Release Inventory made available by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency on Friday. The inventory also found that, nationally, industrial releases decreased 4 percent in 2004, and 39 percent since 1988.

Kirk Mills, the inventory coordinator for the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, said that about two-thirds of Colorado's 2004 increase in toxic chemical releases is due to increased production in the hard rock metal mining sector. In Colorado, this sector consists of a gold mine and a molybdenum mine. Molybdenum is a component of steel.

There were modest increases in industrial activity across other industrial sectors in the state, as well as, 19 more facilities reporting than the previous year. Mills also said that the overall shrinking of total reported releases since 1988 can be attributed to, among other things, improvements in pollution control technology and a variety of voluntary efforts on the part of industry to use more efficient processes and less toxic chemicals.

Dennis Ellis, the Department of Public Health and Environment's executive director, noted the TRI is an imperfect tool and that caution must be exercised in using it as an indicator of the state of the environment in Colorado.

He also pointed out these overall reductions in Colorado have occurred despite a significant expansion of the TRI program since its inception in 1988. Since that time, EPA has issued rules that roughly double the number of chemicals included in the TRI, added seven new industry sectors, and added more stringent reporting requirements for certain persistent, bioaccumulative, and toxic (PBT) chemicals.

EPA Wednesday released both a national report on 2004 toxic releases through its Washington, D.C. office and a regional report through its Region VIII office in Denver. These reports include information on toxic chemical releases and off-site transfers by industrial facilities that employ 10 or more people and use significant amounts of these chemicals.

According to the regional report, 230 industrial sites in Colorado reported in 2004. The amount of chemicals released totaled 24 million pounds. In 2003, 211 industrial sites reported 23 million pounds of chemicals released.

Most of the facilities reporting to the inventory have permits for air emissions and/or water discharges and have notified the Department of Public Health and Environment about waste treatment and disposal activities. The inventory report does not indicate which facilities are in compliance with permit requirements or pertinent environmental regulations.

Mills said that four industrial sectors were responsible for 91 percent of all toxic chemicals released on-site and transferred off-site for disposal by facilities in Colorado in 2004. These industries, in order of total release, are: coal-burning electric utilities; hard rock metal mining; food and beverage processing; and coal mining. The releases reported for coal mining are primarily for coal ash placed back in the mine.

Total Releases for Colorado (in pounds):

Reporting thresholds for persistent bioaccumulative toxic (PBT) chemicals were made more stringent by the EPA in 2000 and 2001. To learn more about the quantities of these chemicals released to the environment or transferred in the community see: http://www.epa.gov/tri or http://www.cdphe.state.co.us/el/SARA/TRIReport.html .

"The PBT chemicals like dioxins, lead, and mercury, are of particular concern because they remain in the environment for long periods of time," Mills said. "They can build up or accumulate in the body tissues of humans and animals; and have known toxic effects."

Colorado facilities release PBTs in five chemical categories. Lead and mercury releases were up due to the increased mining production. Polycyclic Aromatic Compounds releases were down primarily due to decreased asphalt usage for maintenance such as paving and roofing by Colorado facilities. Improved data for calculations also led to reduced releases of Polycyclic Aromatic Compounds, Benzo (g,h,i) Perylene, and dioxins reported by Colorado facilities.

Total PBT Releases for Colorado (in pounds):

For the mining industry, most of the reported releases resulted from metals that occur naturally in rock that becomes processed ore. After processing, these materials are placed in tailings ponds, or after decontamination, are used in a variety of ways, including placement in previously mined areas for reclamation, blasting, or use for road construction.

For electric power generation facilities, releases primarily involved disposal of coal ash (a by-product of combustion), which may be deposited in landfills and mines. Ash often is recycled for use as road construction material and not disposed. Increases in on-site storage of ash and reported releases can result from reduced cement production and fewer road projects or other activities that frequently use the ash.

2004 Top 10 facilities for Total On-site Toxic Releases in Colorado:

Key points for Colorado within the 2003 Toxic Release Inventory include:

• Colorado ranked 37th nationally in total on-site releases in 2004. Colorado ranked 38th in 2003 and 36th in 2002.

• The top 10 facilities in Colorado reporting for 2004 comprise 82 percent of the state's on-site releases.

• Of the top 10 reporting facilities in Colorado, one, Kodak Colorado in Windsor, is a Colorado Gold Level Environmental Leader. Releases for Kodak were up 29 percent due to production increases. The Kodak Colorado facility has long practiced pollution prevention and has recently reduced total water usage by 4.5 percent. This facility also diverts over 85 percent of its solid waste from the landfill. Kodak has reduced its energy use and greenhouse gas emissions by 11 percent and has been recognized by EPA as a Climate Action Leader.

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