According to Toxic Release
Inventory (TRI) reports submitted by manufacturing
facilities in accordance with the Emergency Planning and Community
Right-to-Know Act (EPCRA), millions of pounds of toxic chemicals have
been released
and transferred in Santa Cruz County
from 1987 through
1997. In 1991 the General Accounting Office (GAO) (GAO/RCED-91-121)
estimated that these reported releases and transfers could represent as little
as 5% of the actual toxic load we are exposed to in our communities.
For more about what TRI is and is NOT
see the menu items to the left and see:
Since the 1991 GAO report, the
situation has improved somewhat. Additions
have been made to the TRI list of reportable chemicals and federal facilities
must now report their releases. The EPA is proposing to add more facilities
and is considering, in response to a directive from President
Clinton, a Chemical Use Inventory (CUI) that promises to track toxic
chemicals throughout the cycle of production and consumption.
For more
information see the "links" menu selection (to the right) and see:
On the following pages you will
find "hit-able" and "zoom-able" maps of Santa
Cruz County. The first map indicates the general locations of (1) Toxics
Release Inventory (TRI) facilities, (2) privately owned facilities that
receive off-site transfers, and (3) publicly owned treatment works (POTWs).
This map encompasses the entire county and within it you will find four
clusters. "Zoom-in" on any cluster (Watsonville, Santa Cruz, Scotts Valley,
and Ben Lomond) by pointing-and-clicking on the area of the map. A more
detailed map will appear.
At this second level the map will indicate local streets, roads, and highways,
and the location of each facility. Stickpins, like on a map at home, pinpoint
the exact location of each facility. As well, the facilities are identified
by the letters (T) for TRI facilities, (O) for privately owned facilities that
receive off-site transfers, and (P) for POTWs. One of these letters is on the
head of each of the stickpins indicating the type of that facility.
You can then point-and-click on any facility's "stickpin" to find its name,
address, parent company, contact and other useful information, including a
table summarizing their annual releases and transfers. You can click
on a year (from 1987-1997) to view a facsimile of the detailed report
submitted by the facility for that year explaining their releases and
transfers in more detail.
Through various links or by using our search-engine you will also find many
documents that explain, tell the history, the benefits, the shortcomings, and
the future of TRI and Right-to-Know reporting. There are also tables listing
the human health and environmental effects of the more commonly released
chemicals and metals and New Jersey Department of Public Health Hazardous
Substance Fact Sheets for each TRI chemical released or transferred in
Santa Cruz County.
Included are several links to
other sites where important information
about TRI releases and transfers, government programs and
documents, and environmental organizations can be found.
