EPA Release TRI Report- NJ Ranks Top Polluter

Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) released the Agency’s 2017 Toxics Release Inventory (TRI) National Analysis. New Jersey ranks 12 out of 56 states and territories that EPA regulates. (Rank 1- Highest Releases). Results of this publicly available database show that in New Jersey, Total On-Site releases to air, water, and land in 2017 came out to 5,818,430 lbs, this is a little over 260,000lbs less than 2016.

“There are 6 million lbs. of air toxins going out every year in New Jersey. This is especially impacting EJ who live near these big refineries and are still choking on air pollution. Many of these toxic chemicals being emitted into our air, water, and land are carcinogenic and will impact our health and environment. It will only get worse because the Trump Administration is coming out with rollbacks to our clean air,” said Jeff Tittel, Director of the New Jersey Sierra Club. “Even though there has been a decline in air pollution from 2016, many urban and EJ justice communities are still suffering from this air pollution.

Most of the decline in total and air pollution since 2016, which is not a lot, has been based on companies closing or switching to another use. However major facilities like Bayville are still releasing toxic chemicals in New Jersey.”

According to the TRI report, New Jersey’s total on-site waste for 2017 includes air releases, both fugitive air emissions and point source air emissions at 1.7 million lbs. Surface water discharge at 3.9 million lbs., include discharges to streams, rivers, lakes, oceans and other bodies of water. Land releases at 158.3 thousand lbs., include disposal of toxic chemicals in landfills (in which wastes are buried) or surface impoundments. Total On-Site releases in 2017 came out to 5,818,430 lbs, compared to 2016 which was a little over 6 million lbs.

“In New Jersey, total On-Site releases were down 268,529lbs from last year and air pollutants remained constant. Even though the amount of toxic releases has dropped, it doesn’t mean it’s a good thing. The amount of air, water, and land toxins are still very high. New Jersey is one of the top polluting states in the nation with heavy polluters like Phillips 66 Bayway Refinery that emits 2.6 million metric tons per year and Paulsboro Refinery LLC that emits 1.7 million metric tons of CO2 a year,” said Tittel.

In New Jersey, out of the top five chemicals released into the air, Ammonia was number one at 18% at 306,000 lbs. Nitrate compounds comprised 99% of toxins released into our state’s water at 3.9 million lbs.  The NJ Linden facilities along with proposed powerplants like the Meadowlands powerplant emit ammonia. Exposure to very high levels can also cause lung damage and death. Those with asthma may be more sensitive to the chemical. Other polluting facilities in New Jersey emit Chlorodifluoromethane, Propylene, Nitrate compounds, and N-hexane that all have adverse health effects. Plants also emit ultra-fine particulates that cause asthma.

“There are serious health consequences to big polluters like Phillips 66 and powerplants like the proposed one in the Meadowlands. They both emit ammonia, which can irritate eyes, throat, lungs and skin and cause coughing and burns with exposure. They plants are not a clean bridge fuel as some people think and are causing serious health problems,” said Tittel.

The Trump Administration have been rolling back important regulations that protect our clean air including air toxins this past week. The Environmental Protection Agency is proposing to roll back mercury emission standards applied to power plants by significantly devaluing the health benefits that justified the current rule. In total the Administration is looking to rollback 21 rules for air pollution and emissions.

 “New Jersey is one of the biggest polluters in the nation and it will only get worse with Trump’s rollbacks. Trump has already sold out our clean air and water to Big Oil. EPA rollbacked important protections from air toxins. They been able to loosen restrictions for major industry polluters, cancelled requirements for methane emissions and more. If our state wants to actually see real progress in reducing our toxic emissions, we need the Murphy Administration to step up and enforce stricter regulations on current refineries and block any new proposed natural gas polluters,” said Jeff Tittel, Director of the New Jersey Sierra Club. “NJ’s air in many places is still too unhealthy to breath and Donald Trump is making it worse. We will all need gas masks to breathe.”