Regional Profile for EPA Region 8
This section examines TRI reporting in EPA Region 8. Region 8 includes Colorado, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Utah, Wyoming and 28 tribes.
Region 8 covers 4% of the U.S. population and includes 3% of all facilities that report to TRI. For state- and tribe-specific TRI data, see the Where You Live section and the Tribal Communities section. Two facilities located on the land of two different tribes in Region 8 reported to TRI for 2019.
Industry Sectors
This chart shows the industry sectors with the most TRI-reporting facilities in Region 8.
Note: Percentages do not sum to 100% due to rounding.
In 2019:
- 718 facilities in Region 8 reported to TRI, similar to reporting for 2018. These facilities were most commonly in the nonmetallic mineral products (including concrete manufacturing), chemical manufacturing, or food manufacturing sectors.
- While the figure shows the sectors with the most TRI facilities in the region, the sector that reported the largest TRI releases in Region 8 was the metal mining sector, which accounted for 53% of releases reported in the region. After metal mining, the electric utilities, primary metals (including smelters), and chemical manufacturing sectors reported the largest releases. Note that relatively few facilities in the metal mining and primary metals sectors reported to TRI in this region and those sectors are included in “All Other Sectors” in the pie chart above.
- Nationwide, the metal mining, chemical manufacturing, primary metals, and electric utilities sectors reported the largest releases.
- Metal mining facilities typically handle large volumes of material. In this sector, even a small change in the chemical composition of the mineral deposit being mined can lead to large changes in the amount of TRI-listed chemicals reported. Therefore, releases in Region 8, where 11 metal mines reported to TRI for 2019, may differ from national trends. For more information on the metal mining sector, see the metal mining sector profile.
For information on the Region 8 facilities with the largest releases, see the Region 8 TRI Factsheet.
TRI Waste Management Trend
The following graph shows the annual quantities of TRI chemicals in production-related waste managed
production-related wasteThe sum of all non-accidental chemical waste generated at a facility. It is the sum of on-site environmental releases (minus quantities from non-routine, one-time events), on-site waste management (recycling, treatment, and combustion for energy recovery), and off-site transfers for disposal, treatment, recycling or energy recovery. by facilities located in Region 8. For more details on quantities released, toggle to the Releases graph.
Note: For comparability, trend graphs include only those chemicals that were reportable to TRI for all years presented.
In 2019:
- Facilities in Region 8 managed 945 million pounds of production-related waste, 38% of which was disposed of or otherwise released, compared to 11% nationally. Metal mines drive the quantity of production-related waste released in Region 8. For 2019, metal mines in the region disposed of 95% of their waste on site to land.
- Since 2018, quantities of production-related waste managed in the region decreased by 11%, driven by reduced disposal or other releases from metal mines.
From 2007 to 2019:
- Production-related waste managed increased by 126 million pounds (16%). Quantities of waste combusted for energy recovery, treated, and disposed of or otherwise released increased, while quantities recycled decreased.
- Nationally, quantities of production-related waste managed increased by 23%, driven by increased recycling.
The following graph shows the annual quantities of TRI chemicals released by facilities located in Region 8.
Note: For comparability, trend graphs include only those chemicals that were reportable to TRI for all years presented.
In 2019:
Regional Highlight
For 2019, 53% of total disposal or other releases reported in Region 8 were from the metal mining sector, down from 64% in 2018. The decrease in releases was driven by one copper mine in Utah [view facility details].
- Facilities in Region 8 reported releasing 363 million pounds of TRI chemicals.
- The chemicals released in the largest quantities by medium were:
- To air: ammonia
- To water: nitrate compounds
- To land: lead compounds and copper compounds; and
- Transferred off site for disposal: barium compounds
- Since 2018, releases decreased by 86.7 million pounds (-19%), driven by reduced releases to land. Nationally, releases decreased by 9%.
- Contributions by state to TRI releases in Region 8 were: Utah (55%), Montana (17%), North Dakota (13%), Colorado (8%), Wyoming (5%), and South Dakota (2%).
- To consider the potential health risk from chronic exposure to these releases, EPA provides a risk-screening score from the RSEI model. Contributions by state to the RSEI Score for Region 8 were: Utah (80%), Colorado (14%), Montana (3%), North Dakota (2%), South Dakota (<1%), and Wyoming (<1%).
- The RSEI model accounts for factors such as chemical properties and population density in addition to the pounds of TRI chemicals released. Additionally, RSEI does not model land disposal quantities which drive the high release quantities for Utah. These factors can lead to significant differences between a state’s contribution to regional releases and its contribution to the regional RSEI Score.
From 2007 to 2019:
- Releases in Region 8 increased by 66.1 million pounds (22%), driven by increased land disposal by the metal mining and primary metals sectors. Nationally, releases of TRI chemicals decreased by 19%.
- Quantities of chemicals released to water and transferred off site for disposal decreased, and releases to air and land increased.
Source Reduction
In 2019, 5% of facilities in Region 8 (35 facilities) reported implementing new source reduction activities. For example, a wood cabinet manufacturer replaced its primer coat with a conversion varnish that uses less xylene per gallon, reducing the facility’s overall xylene use. [Click to view facility details in the TRI P2 Search Tool].
This page was published in January 2021 and uses the 2019 TRI National Analysis dataset made public in TRI Explorer in October 2020.