Chemicals in communities

Community Right-to-Know has been an important aspect of pollution prevention since 1986 when Congress passed the federal Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act (EPCRA) as a part of the Superfund Amendment and Reauthorization Act (SARA). EPCRA establishes a database framework so that local governments can develop chemical emergency response programs. In part, Community Right-to-Know informs the public of chemical releases to air, water and land by reporting facilities in their communities.

This information encourages pollution prevention planning so that opportunities to reduce or eliminate pollution at its source are recognized. It plays a significant and widespread role to help reporting facilities, state and local environmental agencies and communities develop a broad perspective on chemical hazards and opportunities to reduce them for the benefit of all concerned.

Public data and evaluation

What's In My Neighborhood | www.pca.state.mn.us/backyard/neighborhood.html
Visitors can use MPCA's interactive map or a text-based search to locate sites or properties that have been investigated and/or cleaned up through MPCA programs.

Toxic Release Inventory | www.epcra.state.mn.us/tri/triquery.asp
Minnesota Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act (EPCRA) Program's searchable database includes annual chemical release and management data from reporting facilities back to 1988. Search the database by chemical or Minnesota facility, city or county. [The EPCRA Program was formerly known as the Emergency Response Commission (ERC).]

Manifested Shipments of Hazardous Waste report
This state report identifies trends in shipments and management of hazardous waste by Minnesota generators. The report presents a breakdown of hazardous waste shipped by industry sector and by county and lists the top 100 hazardous waste generators in Minnesota. The most recent report (June 2001), looks at trends for 1996-1999.

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency | www.epa.gov/triexplorer/
The U.S. EPA TRI Explorer database allows for similar searches as the Minnesota ERC database. Searchable by zip code, state, or all of the United States.

Environmental Defense | www.scorecard.org
This database is maintained by non-profit Environmental Defense and includes information on livestock operations, Superfund sites and other sources of pollution in our communities.

Industry Sector Community Guides (Environmental Defense) | www.environmentaldefense.org/article.cfm?ContentID=1048
The community guides describe manufacturing processes, wastes generated, and pollution prevention options for select industry sectors. For those who live near manufacturing plants or other industrial facilities, it is common to wonder whether the facility is doing all it can to protect the health of neighboring residents and the environment. This information will help facilitate productive discussions between neighbors and plant personnel about what pollution prevention opportunities are available.

Southeast Minneapolis Environmental Inventory (Southeast Como Improvement Association) | www.secomo.org/site/ei/
This site is designed to give residents a brief glimpse of what types of facilities are in and around southeast Minneapolis and serves as an example of how communities can raise awareness among neighbors. The facilities profiled either currently have or have had an air permit file with the MPCA and many also report to the federal Toxic Release Inventory.

Chemicals and toxicity

Minnesota Department of Health: Air Quality and Health Risk Values | www.health.state.mn.us/divs/eh/air/index.htm
This site features information about the Department of Health's efforts to improve Minnesota's air quality, including their development of Health Risk Values (HRVs), which are used to assist in the assessment of potential health risks associated with chemicals in ambient air. HRVs can be used for assessing risks in the environmental review process, issuing air permits, risk assessments and other site-specific assessments.

U.S. Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry | www.atsdr.cdc.gov/toxfaq.html
ToxFAQs™ contains summaries for over 150 hazardous substances found at hazardous waste sites, including information about exposure and health concerns regarding these chemicals.

Material Safety Data Sheets | www.ilpi.com/msds/index.html
Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS) are required to identify the toxic chemicals used in products, thereby informing users of potential risk. Maintained by the University of Kentucky, this site briefly describes the MSDS and provides web links to searchable databases.

University of Minnesota Extension Service
www.extension.umn.edu/pesticides/pesticides/pesticideresources.html
Extension's site serves as a gateway to a broad collection of resources on pesticides. Links to general information, as well as details about pesticides' health and toxicity characteristics and how they are regulated.

Resources for businesses

Industry Best Practices for P2
Best practices and technologies are important to companies that want to save money and gain a competitive advantage. Links to MnTAP and other online collections make such information easier to find.

Minnesota Guide to Pollution Prevention Planning
The P2 Guide (1999) was developed to help facilities comply with the Minnesota Toxic Pollution Prevention Act. The guide includes background on the concepts and benefits of pollution prevention, as well as step-by-step guidance for developing a facility pollution prevention plan.

Minnesota's Pollution Prevention Fees
The Minnesota Toxic Pollution Prevention Act (TPPA) requires the payment of pollution prevention fees on January 1 of each year. The fees support prevention assistance activities in the state: the Minnesota Technical Assistance Program (MnTAP), grants, workshops, conferences and educational materials.