37
TRI Programs in Other Countries
Greece, Hungary, Italy, Ireland, Japan, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta,
Mexico, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden,
Switzerland, the United Kingdom, and the United States (U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency 2009; OECD 2009).
What follows is a description of several existing PRTR programs.
CANADIAN NATIONAL POLLUTANT
RELEASE INVENTORY PROGRAM
The National Pollutant Release Inventory (NPRI) is Canada’s legislated, publicly
accessible inventory of pollutant releases and transfers. It comprises information
reported by facilities to Environment Canada under the Canadian Environmental
Protection Act, 1999 (CEPA 1999), together with air pollutant emission estimates
compiled for facilities not required to report and nonindustrial sources such as motor
vehicles, residential heating, forest fires, and agriculture.
The NPRI is Canada’s principal effort for tracking and public reporting of
releases of toxic substances and other substances of concern. It is used to identify
and monitor sources of pollution in Canada as well as to develop indicators for the
quality of air, water, and land. Information collected through the NPRI is used by
Environment Canada in its chemicals management programs, and it is made publicly
available to Canadians each year. Public access to the NPRI motivates industry to
prevent and reduce pollutant releases. NPRI data help the government of Canada to
track progress in pollution prevention, evaluate releases and transfers of substances
of concern, identify and take action on environmental priorities, conduct air quality
modeling, and implement policy initiatives and risk management measures.
The first report by Canada’s NPRI was released in 1995 and contained pollutant
release and transfer information reported for 1993. In 2007, this list consisted of 347
uniquely listed substances or substance groups, compared with 178 when the NPRI
program was established.
The NPRI collects information only from industrial, commercial, institutional,
and other facilities that meet reporting requirements. These reporting requirements
are based on the number of employees at the facility; the quantity of the substances
manufactured, processed, used, or released; and the type of activities performed
at the facility. For the 2007 reporting year, over 8,500 industrial, commercial, and
other facilities reported to the NPRI on their releases, disposals, and transfers for
recycling of approximately 10 billion pounds of toxic substances and other substances of concern (Environment Canada 2009b). On-site releases for 2008 are
shown in Table 4.1.
AUSTRALIAN NATIONAL POLLUTANT INVENTORY
The Australian National Pollutant Inventory (NPI) is a database of emissions managed by the Australian government. The stated purpose of the NPI is to maintain
and improve air and water quality, minimize environmental impacts associated with
hazardous waste, and improve the sustainable use of resources.
TRI Programs in Other Countries
Greece, Hungary, Italy, Ireland, Japan, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta,
Mexico, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden,
Switzerland, the United Kingdom, and the United States (U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency 2009; OECD 2009).
What follows is a description of several existing PRTR programs.
CANADIAN NATIONAL POLLUTANT
RELEASE INVENTORY PROGRAM
The National Pollutant Release Inventory (NPRI) is Canada’s legislated, publicly
accessible inventory of pollutant releases and transfers. It comprises information
reported by facilities to Environment Canada under the Canadian Environmental
Protection Act, 1999 (CEPA 1999), together with air pollutant emission estimates
compiled for facilities not required to report and nonindustrial sources such as motor
vehicles, residential heating, forest fires, and agriculture.
The NPRI is Canada’s principal effort for tracking and public reporting of
releases of toxic substances and other substances of concern. It is used to identify
and monitor sources of pollution in Canada as well as to develop indicators for the
quality of air, water, and land. Information collected through the NPRI is used by
Environment Canada in its chemicals management programs, and it is made publicly
available to Canadians each year. Public access to the NPRI motivates industry to
prevent and reduce pollutant releases. NPRI data help the government of Canada to
track progress in pollution prevention, evaluate releases and transfers of substances
of concern, identify and take action on environmental priorities, conduct air quality
modeling, and implement policy initiatives and risk management measures.
The first report by Canada’s NPRI was released in 1995 and contained pollutant
release and transfer information reported for 1993. In 2007, this list consisted of 347
uniquely listed substances or substance groups, compared with 178 when the NPRI
program was established.
The NPRI collects information only from industrial, commercial, institutional,
and other facilities that meet reporting requirements. These reporting requirements
are based on the number of employees at the facility; the quantity of the substances
manufactured, processed, used, or released; and the type of activities performed
at the facility. For the 2007 reporting year, over 8,500 industrial, commercial, and
other facilities reported to the NPRI on their releases, disposals, and transfers for
recycling of approximately 10 billion pounds of toxic substances and other substances of concern (Environment Canada 2009b). On-site releases for 2008 are
shown in Table 4.1.
AUSTRALIAN NATIONAL POLLUTANT INVENTORY
The Australian National Pollutant Inventory (NPI) is a database of emissions managed by the Australian government. The stated purpose of the NPI is to maintain
and improve air and water quality, minimize environmental impacts associated with
hazardous waste, and improve the sustainable use of resources.