Toxics Release Inventory
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) requires industries and utilities to report releases of certain toxic chemicals that may pose a threat to human health and the environment. This requirement is called the Toxics Release Inventory (TRI) and identifies over 650 chemicals. Because of its efforts to prevent and reduce pollution, TVA only releases 23 of these substances in quantities large enough to require reporting.
As a federal agency, TVA must file annual reports on the amounts of TRI-listed chemicals released from all of its operations, not just from its coal- or oil-burning plants as required for nonfederal entities. Although the amounts are small from these additional operations, the releases reported by TVA are comprehensive and include substances that might be used for cleaning or maintenance activities at any TVA facility, including nuclear or hydroelectric plants.
TVA’s total TRI releases for 2017 were 13,952,404 pounds, down from the 2016 level of 18,857,423 pounds.
2017 Data for All Reporting Facilities
All amounts are in pounds (except as noted for dioxin)
Chemical / Chemical Category | Air | Water | Land | Off-Site Disposal | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Hydrochloric Acid (aerosol) | 728,000 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 728,000 |
Hydrogen Fluoride | 209,000 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 209,000 |
Sulfuric Acid (aerosol) | 3,374,310 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3,374,310 |
Ammonia | 1,111,403 | 4,048 | 0 | 0 | 1,115,451 |
Arsenic Compounds | 518 | 1,370 | 71,040 | 44 | 72,972 |
Barium Compounds | 6,921 | 47,600 | 5,946,000 | 6,423 | 6,006,944 |
Beryllium Compounds | 15 | 0 | 5,029 | 0 | 5,044 |
Chromium Compounds | 998 | 1,025 | 163,806 | 259 | 166,088 |
Cobalt Compounds | 60 | 0 | 10,397 | 0 | 10,457 |
Copper Compounds | 1,111 | 33,602 | 247,798 | 9 | 282,520 |
Lead Compounds | 905 | 101 | 141,026 | 937 | 142,970 |
Manganese Compounds | 1,896 | 18,322 | 468,000 | 0 | 488,218 |
Mercury Compounds | 175 | 12 | 2,592 | 13 | 2,792 |
Nickel Compounds | 876 | 4,011 | 128,326 | 7 | 133,220 |
Thallium Compounds | 46 | 0 | 43,700 | 0 | 43,746 |
Vanadium Compounds | 1,425 | 13,497 | 432,140 | 0 | 447,062 |
Zinc Compounds | 11,021 | 19,192 | 409,200 | 1 | 439,414 |
Benzo(g,h,i)perylene | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 |
Naphthalene | 123 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 123 |
Nitrate Compounds | 0 | 284,000 | 0 | 0 | 284,000 |
Dioxin (grams) | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 8 |
Polycyclic Aromatic Compounds | 31 | 0 | 40 | 0 | 71 |
Hydrazine | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Total | 5,448,835 | 426,780 | 8,069,095 | 7,693 | 13,952,404 |
Total Gross MWh Generated: 141,891,430
Pounds Released per MWh: 0.098