Indigenous Tribes and Their Communities

The Toxics Release Inventory (TRI) reporting for metal mining, electric utilities, paper, chemical manufacturing, primary metals, and other industries near federally recognized tribal lands in the U.S. is an essential part of environmental protection and transparency. These facilities, which meet specific TRI reporting thresholds under Section 313 of the Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act (EPCRA), must annually submit data on toxic chemical releases, waste management, and pollution prevention activities by July 1 to the EPA and the relevant state or tribal authorities.

Key details include:

Industry coverage: TRI data reporting applies broadly across numerous sectors, including metal mining, electric utilities, paper manufacturing, chemical manufacturing, and primary metals industries. These industries are responsible for disclosing releases of designated toxic chemicals to the environment, including air, water, and land, plus transfers for disposal or treatment.
Facilities near tribal lands: Data submissions under TRI are also made to federally recognized tribes if facilities are located near these lands, ensuring tribal governments have access to toxic release information relevant to their communities.
Data scope: The TRI reports cover the types and amounts of toxic chemicals released, managed as waste, or reduced through pollution prevention. This information supports tribal and community decision-making processes and enforcement actions where needed.
Regulatory enforcement: EPA oversees compliance with TRI reporting requirements through regional offices and may impose penalties or corrective actions for violations. Tribal authorities have roles in monitoring and can receive compliance support from EPA.
Recent updates: EPA continues to expand TRI reporting to cover more chemicals, such as the addition of seven new per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) starting with Reporting Year 2024, affecting numerous industries subject to TRI, including chemical manufacturing and possibly metal processing sectors near tribal lands.

In 2022, 2,150 facilities on or within 10 miles of tribal land reported to TRI, representing 250 different federally recognized tribes. Of the total waste managed by these facilities, 30.7 million pounds were disposed of on site, and 5.4 million pounds were disposed of off-site. The majority of on-site disposals were to land (13.9 million pounds), followed by air (12.6 million pounds), and water (4.1 million pounds). The majority of off-site disposals were to land (25.6 million pounds), followed by air (8.8 million pounds), and water (6.6 million pounds).

The EPA works with 49 federally recognized tribes on a government-to-government basis to protect the land, air, and water in Indian country. Resources for tribes are available on the TRI for Tribal Communities webpage, which provides detailed analyses of TRI data, links to other online tools, and contact information for EPA's Tribal Program Managers. The TRI Toxics Tracker is an interactive tool for exploring releases and waste management of TRI chemicals from facilities on or near tribal lands. Users can filter the data in the TRI Toxics Tracker by industry sector, chemical, and/or tribe using buttons in the top row. The table below lists federally recognized tribes with at least one TRI-reporting facility on their lands, along with the total releases and waste managed on the tribe's lands.

[1] EPA (2021). Toxics Release Inventory (TRI) Program. https://www.epa.gov/tri [3] EPA (2021). Toxics Release Inventory (TRI) for Tribal Communities. https://www.epa.gov/tri/tri-tribal-communities [5] EPA (2021). Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS). https://www.epa.gov/pfas

The Toxics Release Inventory (TRI) encompasses various sectors such as metal mining, electric utilities, paper manufacturing, chemical manufacturing, and primary metals industries, which disclose releases of designated toxic chemicals to land, water, and air, including waste management and pollution prevention activities.
Annually, TRI data submissions are made to federally recognized tribes if facilities are located near tribal lands, ensuring these communities have access to relevant information about toxic releases.
In 2022, 2,150 facilities on or within 10 miles of tribal land reported to TRI, with data showing that the majority of on-site disposals were to land (13.9 million pounds), followed by air (12.6 million pounds), and water (4.1 million pounds).
To protect the land, air, and water in Indian country, the EPA collaborates with 49 federally recognized tribes on a government-to-government basis, providing resources and tools like the TRI for Tribal Communities webpage and the TRI Toxics Tracker for detailed TRI data analysis.
EPA's focus on environmental science and health-and-wellness is evident in recent updates, as seven new per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) have been added to TRI starting with Reporting Year 2024, potentially affecting numerous industries near tribal lands, such as metal processing sectors.