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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
AirWaterLandOff-Site
Disposal
Total
Hydrochloric Acid (aerosol)728,000000728,000
Hydrogen Fluoride209,000000209,000
Sulfuric Acid (aerosol)3,374,3100003,374,310
Ammonia1,111,4034,048001,115,451
Arsenic Compounds5181,37071,0404472,972
Barium Compounds6,92147,6005,946,0006,4236,006,944
Beryllium Compounds1505,02905,044
Chromium Compounds9981,025163,806259166,088
Cobalt Compounds60010,397010,457
Copper Compounds1,11133,602247,7989282,520
Lead Compounds905101141,026937142,970
Manganese Compounds1,89618,322468,0000488,218
Mercury Compounds175122,592132,792
Nickel Compounds8764,011128,3267133,220
Thallium Compounds46043,700043,746
Vanadium Compounds1,42513,497432,1400447,062
Zinc Compounds11,02119,192409,2001439,414
Benzo(g,h,i)perylene10102
Naphthalene123000123
Nitrate Compounds0284,00000284,000
Dioxin (grams)80008
Polycyclic Aromatic Compounds31040071
Hydrazine00000
Total5,448,835426,7808,069,0957,69313,952,404

Total Gross MWh Generated:    141,891,430
Pounds Released per MWh: 0.098