Logan
County is 47th of 102 Illinois counties on the
five-year sum-totaled list for 1997 to 2002. The list is ordered
from the highest to lowest in total pounds of releases and
transfers. The base was set in 1988 as 73,766 pounds.
1997 --
5,105 pounds
1998 --
287,155 pounds
1999 --
234,470 pounds
2000 --
375,011 pounds
2001 --
272,637 pounds
Total
'97-'01 -- 1,174,378 pounds
Industrial facilities release these
chemicals directly into the environment, process or dispose of them
on-site, or transfer them to other sites for disposal, treatment or
recycling. In 2001, 94 of Illinois' 102 counties were required to
report toxic releases and transfers.
Since 1998, additional chemicals have
been required to be reported, and reporting thresholds have been
lowered; therefore, actual decreases can be assumed to be greater
than the numbers reflected. Total releases and transfers were 230.7
million pounds in 1988, 162.1 million pounds in 2000 and 140.2
million pounds in 2001, accounting for a 39 percent reduction since
1998 and a 13.5 percent reduction from 2000 to 2001 alone.
Air emissions have declined from 114.2
million pounds in 1998 to 54.7 million pounds in 2001, a 52 percent
reduction. From 2000 to 2001 alone, releases of air toxins declined
by 13.8 million pounds (20.2 percent).
"This significant reduction in releases
of chemicals into our air, ground and water is the result of
compliance with federal and state regulatory programs and an
increase in voluntary actions by companies," said Illinois EPA
director Renee Cipriano. "Regulatory programs are designed to limit
the amounts released and the resulting risk. The Illinois EPA
continues to make reductions of dangerous chemicals a top priority"
Water releases of 7.9 million pounds
and on-site land releases of 22.7 million pounds represent an
increase of 16.4 percent and 18.2 percent, respectively, between
2000 and 2001. Off-site transfers to publicly owned treatment works
decreased by 10.7 percent to 10.5 million pounds while other
off-site transfers increased 3.3 percent to 44.2 million pounds.
A total of three million pounds of
persistent, bioaccumulative toxic releases, or PBTs, were reported
for 2001, accounting for 2.2 percent of the total reported
chemicals.
While there have been approximately
57.3 million more pounds of releases and transfers reported for 41
counties in Illinois since 1992, there have been a total 56.7
million pounds of decreases for 48 other counties. Peoria County
experienced the largest increase, at 28.4 million pounds, and
Douglas County had the largest decrease, at 23.3 million pounds. The
accompanying list includes detailed information about these changes
for the counties with the 10 largest reductions and increases from
1992 to 2001. Also listed are the 10 counties and 10 facilities with
the most releases and transfers of toxic chemicals in 2001.
The reports on toxic releases are
required by a federal law known as the Emergency Planning and
Community Right to Know Act of 1986, passed by Congress to give the
public and all levels of government more information about chemicals
in our communities. For 2001, about 1,500 Illinois facilities
submitted toxic chemical release information to the Illinois EPA.
Significant changes in various communities, 1992 to 2001
Decreases
Douglas County
ranked first out of 102 counties in
Illinois with reduced releases and transfers of these chemicals from
1988 to 2001, showing a decline of 23,275,048 pounds.
Whiteside County
ranked second out of 102 counties in
Illinois with reduced releases and transfers of these chemicals from
1992 to 2001, showing a decline of 10,449,067 pounds.
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Cook
County ranked third out
of 102 counties in Illinois with reduced releases and transfers of
these chemicals from 1992 to 2001, showing a decline of 4,862,335
pounds.
Putnam County
ranked fourth out of 102 counties in
Illinois with reduced releases and transfers of these chemicals from
1992 to 2001, showing a decline of 1,890,098 pounds.
Coles County
ranked fifth out of 102 counties in
Illinois with reduced releases and transfers of these chemicals from
1992 to 2001, showing a decline 1,426,551 pounds.
JoDaviess County
ranked sixth out of 102 counties in
Illinois with reduced releases and transfers of these chemicals from
1992 to 2001, showing a decline 1,419,733 pounds.
Madison County
ranked seventh out of 102 counties in
Illinois with reduced releases and transfers of these chemicals from
1992 to 2001, showing a decline 1,229,040 pounds.
Lake County
ranked eighth out of 102 counties in
Illinois with reduced releases and transfers of these chemicals from
1992 to 2001, showing a decline 1,173,737 pounds.
St. Clair County
ranked ninth out of 102 counties in
Illinois with reduced releases and transfers of these chemicals from
1992 to 2001, showing a decline 1,153,086 pounds.
Rock Island County
ranked 10th out of 102 counties in
Illinois with reduced releases and transfers of these chemicals from
1992 to 2001, showing a decline 1,125,554 pounds.
Increases
Peoria County
ranked first out of Illinois' 102
counties, with 94 reporting, in releases and transfers increases
from 1992 to 2001, showing an increase of 28,375,293 pounds.
Macon County
ranked second out of 102 counties in
Illinois in releases and transfers increases from 1992 to 2001,
showing an increase of 7,233,204 pounds.
Montgomery County
ranked third out of 102 counties in
Illinois in releases and transfers increases from 1992 to 2001,
showing an increase of 4,672,527 pounds.
Tazewell County
ranked fourth out of 102 counties in
Illinois in releases and transfers increases from 1992 to 2001,
showing an increase of 3,530,814 pounds.
Vermilion County
ranked fifth out of 102 counties in
Illinois in releases and transfers increases from 1992 to 2001,
showing an increase of 2,662,209 pounds.
Will County
ranked sixth out of 102 counties in
Illinois in releases and transfers increases from 1992 to 2001,
showing an increase of 1,741,693 pounds.
Christian County
ranked seventh out of 102 counties in
Illinois in releases and transfers increases from 1992 to 2001,
showing an increase of 1,345,692 pounds.
Adams County
ranked eighth out of 102 counties in
Illinois in releases and transfers increases from 1992 to 2001,
showing an increase of 1,145,980 pounds.
Morgan County
ranked ninth out of 102 counties in
Illinois in releases and transfers increases from 1992 to 2001,
showing an increase of 1,124,005 pounds.
Sangamon County
ranked 10th out of 102 counties in
Illinois in releases and transfers increases from 1992 to 2001,
showing an increase of 777,213 pounds.
The entire
report is available for viewing or downloading at
http://www.epa.state.il.us/.
[Click
here to download the Adobe Acrobat reader for the PDF file.]
[Illinois
Environmental Protection Agency
news release] |