Each year, thousands of facilities across North America publicly report on the amounts of certain hazardous chemicals that they release to the air, water and land, or transfer off-site for further management. This information is compiled in what are internationally known as pollutant release and transfer registers (PRTRs)— databases managed by governments as a means of ensuring that the public has access to information on chemicals being released and transferred into and through their communities.
Each year, thousands of facilities across North America publicly report on the amounts of certain hazardous chemicals that they release to the air, water and land, or transfer off-site for further management. This information is compiled in what are internationally known as pollutant release and transfer registers (PRTRs)— databases managed by governments as a means of ensuring that the public has access to information on chemicals being released and transferred into and through their communities.
Has North America made progress in reducing industrial releases of chemicals in the five years from 1995 to 1999? How many tonnes of carcinogens are released to air, water and land each year, and what are the trends in these releases? Have the agreements and regulations on chemicals that deplete that ozone layer had any effect on releases of those substances? Information to help answer these questions can be drawn from pollutant release and transfer registers (PRTRs), which provide detailed information on the types, locations and amounts of chemicals released or transferred by facilities.
Has North America made progress in reducing industrial releases of chemicals in the five years from 1995 to 1999? How many tonnes of carcinogens are released to air, water and land each year, and what are the trends in these releases? Have the agreements and regulations on chemicals that deplete that ozone layer had any […]
North Americans are concerned about the effect of chemicals on their health and the environment. Pollutant release and transfer registers (PRTRs) are designed to track the quantities of chemicals that are released into the air, water or land, or that are transferred off-site for further management or disposal; they are a cornerstone in the effort […]
Are releases of chemicals to air, water and land from industry increasing or decreasing in North America? What chemicals are released in the largest amounts and in what geographical areas? What are the main North American industrial sources for chemical releases and how are these chemicals being managed by different industrial sectors and facilities?
Pollutant release and transfer registers (PRTRs) provide a valuable source of information on the generation and management of pollutants by tracking the amounts of specific chemicals that are released and transferred from industrial facilities into and through our communities each year. By having access to such information, governments, industry and citizens alike are better equipped to set priorities, engage in informed dialogue and undertake positive action to prevent or reduce the generation and release of pollutants of concern.
This volume is the third such annual report in the Commission for Environmental Cooperation’s (CEC) ongoing Taking Stock series, providing information on and comparing the North American PRTRs. As before, readers will notice significant changes in the latest report: analyses have been expanded and there is more discussion of the data context, of carcinogenic releases and transfers, and of metals.
This second annual Taking Stock report provides a continental picture of pollutant release and transfer (PRTR) data, based on information provided by the three governments from their domestic PRTR inventories.
