Measurement and Targeting –
Design and Implement
Programs to Track Results and
Accountability
National Environmental Partnership
Summit 2006
Wednesday, May 10th
Douglas Chatham, Carl Koch, Tracy Dyke-Redmond
TRI & RSEI Evaluations
The Use of the Risk Screening
Environmental Indicators (RSEI)
Program to Evaluate 15 Counties
of Northwest Florida
What Is the Toxics Release
Inventory (TRI)?

The TOXICS RELEASE INVENTORY
Begun in 1988 with ~450 chemicals, the Toxics
Release Inventory now contains information on
releases of nearly 650 chemicals and chemical
categories from industries including
manufacturing, metal and coal mining, electric
utilities, and commercial hazardous waste
treatment, among others.
Environmental Indicators
Model?
RSEI is a screening-level model for assessing potential
chronic human health impacts of industrial releases of
toxic chemicals:
RSEI provides the following types of screening
analyses:
Pounds
Hazard
Riskrelated
RSEI uses TRI pounds of release data and adds toxicity, fate
and transport, and an estimate of exposed population to allow
new perspectives on hazard and risk.
WHO MUST REPORT TO TRI

A plant, factory, or other facility is subject to the
provisions of Section 313 if it meets all three of the
following criteria:



It is included in a covered Standard Industrial
Classification (SIC) code
It has 10 or more full-time employees (or the equivalent
of 20,000 hours per year); and
It manufactures, imports, processes, or otherwise uses
any of the EPCRA section 313 chemicals in amounts
greater than the “threshold” quantities. At present, over
650 chemicals and chemical categories are covered.
EPA’s
Risk-Screening Environmental Indicators
(RSEI)
RSEI and Risk Assessment
RSEI incorporates components of risk assessment:
 Amount of chemical released
 Toxicity of the chemical
 Fate and transport of the chemical
 Route and extent of human exposure
 Number of people affected
RSEI is NOT a formal risk assessment, but is useful for performance
measurement, prioritization, and trend analysis because it systematically
incorporates toxicity and exposure considerations in a screening-level analysis.
How RSEI Works -Calculations

Pounds-based results = TRI Pounds released

Hazard-based results = Pounds * Toxicity Weight

Risk-related results = Surrogate Dose * Toxicity
Weight * Population
RSEI Model Details
Inhalation (Air) surrogate dose 


divides U.S. and territories into 1-km x 1-km grid cells
calculates air concentrations for each cell in
101 x 101 km grid around facilities
uses population-specific exposure factors
Ingestion (Water) surrogate dose 



calculates water concentrations in receiving
streams up to 200 km downstream of outflow
finds downstream drinking water intakes
calculates fish ingestion exposure for population
within 80 km of receiving stream
uses population-specific exposure factors
What Kinds of Questions
Can RSEI Answer?





What are the trends in hazard and risk associated with toxic
chemical releases and other waste management activities at
industrial facilities?
When comparing industries, how can I rank which industry
sectors are associated with relatively more risk?
What is the relative contribution of specific chemicals to
overall risk in a community (state, county, city), and how do I
prioritize these for follow-up activities?
For any given scenario, what release pathway for a particular
chemical poses the greatest risk-related concerns?
Also questions concerning: Tribal lands, EJ issues, important
age groups (e.g., children & elderly), etc.
How Is RSEI Data Processed?

1. Select Search Parameters


2. Setup a table



(NWFL – Selected 15 Counties)
Table includes Facility Name, Chemical,
Media, SIC Code, and County
3. Export to Excel
4. Setup Pivot Tables & Charts
Using RSEI as a Targeting
Guide for Pollution Prevention


Rank counties, industries, chemicals, and
facilities by Pounds Released and
Relative Risk using RSEI.
Florida DEP used the TRI and RSEI charts
of Northwest Florida to select several
facilities to approach about Pollution
Prevention (P2) activities.
Northwest Florida
2003 TRI Pounds Released
County by Media
35,000,000
30,000,000
Land
Water
Air
20,000,000
UI
15,000,000
10,000,000
FL,GADSDEN
FL,LIBERTY
FL,WAKULLA
FL,GULF
FL,OKALOOSA
FL,JACKSON
FL,LEON
FL,SANTA ROSA
0
FL,BAY
5,000,000
FL,ESCAMBIA
TRI Pounds
25,000,000
0
FL,WAKULLA
20,000
FL,LIBERTY
FL,GULF
FL,GADSDEN
FL,OKALOOSA
FL,LEON
FL,SANTA ROSA
FL,JACKSON
FL,BAY
FL,ESCAMBIA
Relative Risk Value
Northwest Florida
TRI Relative Risk Values
2003 County by Media
25,000
Water
Air
15,000
10,000
5,000
0
UI
Air
Water
Land
GULF POWER SCHOLZ
TALLAHASSEE
HOPKINS STATION
SPURLIN
INDUSTRIES INC
ARIZONA CHEMICAL
AIR PRODUCTS &
CHEMICALS
STONE CONTAINER
INT'L PAPER
PENSACOLA
GULF POWER LANSING
GULF POWER -CRIST
SOLUTIA INC.
TRI Pounds
Northwest Florida
2003 TRI Releases
Top Ten Facilities by Media
25,000,000
20,000,000
15,000,000
10,000,000
5,000,000
0
7,000
AIR PRODUCTS &
CHEMICALS INC
STERLING FIBERS SANTA ROSA
TALLAHASSEE
HOPKINS STATION
GULF POWER LANSING
APAC SOUTHEAST
HUNTSMAN
PETROCHEMICAL
GULF POWER - CRIST
ALLIANCE LAUNDRY
SYSTEMS
STONE CONTAINER
CORP
INT'L PAPER
PENSACOLA
Relative Risk Value
Northwest Florida
2003 TRI Relative Risk Values
Top Ten Facilities by Media
10,000
9,000
8,000
Water
Air
6,000
5,000
4,000
3,000
2,000
1,000
TRI and RSEI as
Measurement Tools

If a facility takes action under P2 to reduce
their emissions, when should results show up in
the TRI?





Make P2 Modifications by end of 2006
Accumulate Data during 2007
Report by July 1, 2008
Public Data Release ~March 2009
Trends charts are used to show progress with
P2 and Community Groups.
Northwest Florida
TRI Pounds Released 1998 - 2003
1998 Core Chemicals - All Industries
FL,GADSDEN
FL,LIBERTY
70,000,000
FL,WAKULLA
FL,OKALOOSA
FL,LEON
60,000,000
FL,GULF
FL,WALTON
TRI Pounds
50,000,000
FL,JACKSON
FL,SANTA
ROSA
FL,BAY
40,000,000
FL,ESCAMBIA
30,000,000
20,000,000
10,000,000
0
1998
1999
2000
2001
2002
2003
Northwest Florida
TRI Relative Risk Values 1998 - 2003
1998 Core Chemicals - All Industries
70,000
Water
Air
Relative Risk Value
60,000
50,000
40,000
30,000
20,000
10,000
0
1998
1999
2000
2001
2002
2003
Additional Resources
.

EPA Toxics Release Inventory (TRI) Home Page
http://www.epa.gov/tri

EPA EPCRA Hotline (800) 424-9346

EPA Envirofacts: http://www.epa.gov/enviro

TRI Explorer: http://www.epa.gov/triexplorer

ScoreCard: http://www.scorecard.org

Right To Know: http://www.rtk.net
RSEI Team Contacts

Richard Engler: (202) 564-8587

Robert Lee: (202) 564-8786

Cody Rice: (202) 564-8769
URL: http://www.epa.gov/oppt/rsei
Region 4 CONTACT
INFORMATION
Ezequiel Velez, EPA Region 4
Toxics Release Inventory (TRI) Coordinator
Tel. (404) 562-9191
velez.ezequiel@epa.gov
Douglas Chatham, EPA Region 4
TRI Program Assistant
Tel. (404) 562-9113
chatham.douglas@epa.gov
U.S. EPA Region 4
61 Forsyth Street, S.W.
Atlanta, GA 30303