| Year | 1988 | 1995 | 1996 | 1997 | 1998 | 1988-1998 change |
| pounds | percent | |||||
| On-site releases | ||||||
| Air | 2,182,565,290 | 1,201,484,542 | 1,104,879,205 | 986,118,909 | 920,705,030 | -57.8 |
| Fugitive air emissions | 681,200,525 | 306,608,931 | 270,369,623 | 242,048,463 | 216,215,438 | -68.3 |
| Point source air emissions | 1,501,364,765 | 894,875,611 | 834,509,582 | 744,070,446 | 704,489,592 | -53.1 |
| Surface water discharges | 164,566,331 | 37,178,869 | 44,607,289 | 61,601,861 | 44,660,053 | -72.9 |
| Underground injection | 161,969,122 | 142,514,672 | 122,769,454 | 131,462,206 | 114,554,014 | -29.3 |
| On-site land releases | 459,273,405 | 306,589,692 | 325,331,861 | 342,010,439 | 347,031,866 | -24.4 |
| Total on-site releases | 2,968,374,148 | 1,687,767,775 | 1,597,587,809 | 1,521,193,415 | 1,426,950,963 | -51.9 |
| Off-site releases | ||||||
| Storage only1 | 13,841,320 | 2,233,367 | 1,236,411 | 6,324,984 | 11,228,031 | -18.9 |
| Solidification/Stabilization2 | 29,540,884 | 26,723,956 | 59,253,534 | 144,626,202 | 136,998,955 | 363.8 |
| Metals and metal compounds only | ||||||
| Wastewater treatment (excluding POTWs)3 | 4,647,706 | 3,740,028 | 3,751,119 | 5,417,580 | 4,080,969 | -12.2 |
| Metals and metal compounds only | ||||||
| Transfers to POTWs4 | 9,587,698 | 2,542,345 | 2,448,282 | 2,450,875 | 3,045,974 | -68.2 |
| Metals and metal compounds only | ||||||
| Underground injection | 8,962,004 | 12,531,911 | 9,046,874 | 10,834,074 | 13,274,293 | 48.1 |
| Landfills/Disposal surface impoundments | 267,252,441 | 211,887,103 | 223,246,208 | 233,850,749 | 222,761,082 | -16.6 |
| Land treatment | 2,785,480 | 1,137,699 | 546,817 | 650,128 | 584,785 | -79.0 |
| Other land disposal | 9,646,794 | 11,632,875 | 6,176,823 | 9,115,316 | 13,287,506 | 37.7 |
| Other off-site management | 39,569,635 | 10,871,972 | 9,345,011 | 10,061,063 | 8,559,942 | -78.4 |
| Transfers to waste broker for disposal | 30,402,269 | 4,562,335 | 4,368,125 | 7,241,334 | 12,446,486 | -59.1 |
| Unknown5 | 11,773,104 | 1,541,114 | 1,514,421 | 2,213,534 | 3,716,205 | -68.4 |
| Total off-site releases | 428,009,335 | 289,404,705 | 320,933,625 | 432,785,839 | 429,984,228 | 0.5 |
| Total on- and off-site releases | 3,396,383,483 | 1,977,172,480 | 1,918,521,434 | 1,953,979,254 | 1,856,935,191 | -45.3 |
| Other waste management | ||||||
| Recycled on-site | na | 6,266,433,735 | 6,439,784,593 | 6,776,028,076 | 7,808,090,655 | na |
| Recycled off-site | na | 2,296,479,187 | 2,196,624,726 | 2,155,792,100 | 2,016,895,662 | na |
| Energy recovery on-site | na | 2,590,813,050 | 2,550,169,039 | 2,553,304,855 | 2,618,126,725 | na |
| Energy recovery off-site | na | 477,437,950 | 486,036,596 | 483,997,508 | 443,030,841 | na |
| Treated on-site | na | 4,521,301,770 | 4,222,748,199 | 4,345,880,640 | 4,457,491,546 | na |
| Treated off-site | na | 399,276,776 | 364,182,972 | 377,251,019 | 387,845,187 | na |
| Quantity released on- and off-site | na | 1,901,508,970 | 1,842,459,683 | 1,865,247,145 | 1,810,695,159 | na |
| Transfers off-site for further waste mgt. | ||||||
| Transfers to recycling | na | 2,212,526,603 | 2,154,377,003 | 2,144,323,655 | 1,945,915,206 | na |
| Transfers to energy recovery | na | 489,574,529 | 447,276,376 | 469,573,955 | 435,696,242 | na |
| Transfers to treatment | 334,988,922 | 201,332,079 | 185,703,380 | 218,630,560 | 210,813,755 | -35.7 |
| Transfers to POTWs | 245,419,292 | 151,319,024 | 139,035,489 | 156,884,773 | 146,112,643 | -35.7 |
| Transfers to other | 43,502,294 | 2,223,695 | 817,770 | 34,528 | 917,840 | -100.0 |
| Total transfers off-site | na | 3,056,975,930 | 2,927,210,018 | 2,989,447,471 | 2,739,455,686 | na |
Source: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Pollution Prevention and Toxics, 1998 Toxics Release Inventory: Public Data Release (EPA, Washington, DC, 2000).
Notes: na = not available. Data do not include delisted chemicals, chemicals added in 1990, 1991, 1994, and 1995, and aluminum oxide, ammonia, hydrochloric acid, and sulfuric acid. Transfers for recycling or energy recovery were not required to be reported in 1988. 1Storage only indicates that the toxic chemicalis sent off-site for storage because there is no known disposal method. 2Beginning in reporting year1997, transfers to solidification/stabilization of metal and metal compounds are reported separately from transfers to solidification/stabilization of non-metal TRI chemicals. Because this treatment method prepares a metal for disposal, but does not destroy it, such transfers are included as a form of disposal (off-site release). 3Beginning in reporting year 1997, transfers to wastewater treatment (excluding POTWs) of metals and metal compounds are reported separately from transfers to wastewater treatment of non-metal TRI chemcials. Because wastewater treatment does not destroy metals, such transfers are included as a form of disposal (off-site release). 4Transfers of metal and metal compounds to POTWs is considered by EPA an off-site release because sewage treatment does not destroy the metal content of the waste material. 5Unknown indicates that a facility is unaware of the type of waste management used for the toxic chemical that is sent off-site. Amounts reported as "unknown" transfers are treated as a form of disposal (off-site release).
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