The total quantity of all types of pollution tracked by the federal government increased 323 million pounds, or 1.4 percent, from 1998 to 1999.
EPA’s Toxics Release Inventory tracks chemicals released as waste into the air, water or land, and other types of wastes, such as chemicals that are recycled, burned for energy recovery, or treated on- or off-site. The TRI includes information on 644 toxic chemicals and chemical compounds reported by industry.