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EPA releases latest data on toxic chemicals nationwide. Hawaii reports slight increase.

Release Date: 04/12/2006
Contact Information: Dean Higuchi, 808-541-2711, higuchi.dean@epa.gov

(04/12/06) HONOLULU – Hawai’i industries reported less than a one percent change in toxic releases from 2003 to 2004, according to new data released today by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

The data comes from the EPA’s Toxics Release Inventory, an annual measure of toxic chemical releases, transfers 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.

In Hawai’i, 42 facilities reported a total of 3.2 million pounds of toxic chemical releases in 2004. In 2003, the total was also 3.2 million pounds.

Data from 2004 in Hawai’i shows:

-Land releases dropped nearly nine percent, from 249,634 pounds in 2003 to 227,719 pounds in 2004;

-Water releases declined by 19 percent, from 364,067 pounds in 2003 to 296,414 pounds in 2004;

-Air emissions rose 11 percent, from 2.131 million pounds in 2003 to 2.356 in 2004;

-Underground injection releases increased 147 percent, from 2,670 pounds in 2003 to 6,601 in 2004;

““TRI helps all of us – regulators, emergency responders, businesses and communities – remain aware of the types and amounts of chemicals being used in neighborhoods throughout the country,” said Wayne Nastri, the EPA’s administrator for the Pacific Southwest region. “We are pleased to report no net increase in the amount of toxic chemicals released in Hawai’i every year.”

Nationally, the amount of toxic chemicals released into the environment decreased by 4 percent from 2003 to 2004, and have declined 45 percent since 1998.

The reporting of data to the Toxics Release Inventory is required under the federal 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.

The top 10 facilities for total on- and off-site releases throughout Hawai’i are:

1) Hawaiian Electric Co. Inc. Kahe Generating Station (Kapolei, Honolulu County) with 884 thousand pounds.
2) Hawaiian Electric Co. Inc. Waiau Generating Station (Pearl City, Honolulu County) with 345 thousand pounds.
3) U.S. Navy Pearl Harbor Naval Complex (Pearl Harbor, Honolulu County) with 291 thousand pounds.
4) U.S. Army Schofield Barracks/Wheeler Army Airfield (Schofield Barracks, Honolulu County) with 283 thousand pounds.
5) Hawaiian Electric Industries Inc. Kahului Generating Station (Kahului, Maui County) with 240 thousand pounds.
6) Chevron Prods. Co. Hawaii Refinery. (Kapolei, Honolulu County) with 205 thousand pounds.
7) Hawaii Electric Light Co. Inc. Hill Generating Station (Hilo, Hawaii County) with 170 thousand pounds.
8) AES Hawaii Inc. (Kapolei, Honolulu County) with 162 thousand pounds.
9) Tesoro Hawaii Refinery (Kapolei, Honolulu County) with 121 thousand pounds.
10) Maalaea Generating Station (Kihei, Maui County) with 84 thousand pounds.

Fact sheets and additional information on the 2004 TRI data for Hawai’i are available at
https://www.epa.gov/region09/toxic/tri/index.html

The following Web sites also provide useful information on TRI: https://www.epa.gov/triexplorer/ and https://www.epa.gov/enviro

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