The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s 2017 Toxics Release Inventory National Analysis indicates that since 2007, releases of toxic chemicals by manufacturers declined, despite a growing economy.
Nearly 22,000 industrial facilities submitted data for the report. Those plants reported that air releases of toxins declined by 11-million lb in 2017. Since 2007, air releases fell 57% at industrial plants that submitted data. Electric utilities are responsible for the largest percentage of the decrease, says EPA.