Section 5: Releases by Industry

Total Releases by Sector

This figure shows the seven industry sectors with the largest disposal or other releases reported in 2013. Total releases from all of the top sectors besides metal mining have decreased since 2003. In the past year, however, three of the seven sectors have shown increased releases:

• Metal mining increased by 519 million pounds (+36% from 2012)
• Electric utilities increased by 29 million pounds (+6%)
• Chemicals increased by 5 million pounds (+1%)

Since 2010, on-site releases to land by metal mining facilities have fluctuated significantly. Metal mines have cited changes in production and changes in the composition of waste rock as the primary reasons for this variability.

Individual industry sectors reporting to TRI can vary substantially in size, scope, and makeup; therefore, the amounts and types of toxic chemicals generated and managed by each differ greatly. Within a sector, however, the industrial processes, products, and regulatory requirements are often similar, resulting in similar toxic chemical use and waste generation. It is useful to look at waste management trends within a sector to identify potential emerging issues. A more detailed analysis of releases and waste management by sector can be found in the industry sector profiles.

This page was published in January 2015 and uses the 2013 TRI National Analysis dataset made public in TRI Explorer in October 2014.