National Environmental Public Health Tracking Network (with online CE)

National Environmental Public Health Tracking Network

The National Environmental Public Health Tracking Network integrates and presents health exposure and data information data from a variety of national, state, and city sources. It is part of the Environmental Public Health Tracking Program, a US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Agency (CDC) which tracks and studies many of the exposures and health effects that may be related to environmental hazards.

On the Tracking Network, you can view maps, tables, and charts with data about:

• chemicals and other substances found in the environment,  through Web pages as Tracking air quality and Tracking Housing Conditions
• some chronic diseases and conditions through the Health Effects page
• the area where you live through Info by Location

The Resources links at the home page (right column) include

• Communications features as podcasts, inks to social media (Facebook, Twitter), and data sources
• Quick reports which summarize key information

Online Continuing Education (CE) credits are available  through NEHA e-learning.  All CE classes may be viewed for free.  Most CE credits are fee based, however some are free through the CDC and EPA.  ( Tracking 101 online training link at About Tracking Program)

 

 

 

The EPA Toxics Release Inventory (TRI) Program 2009 Data is Now Available

The EPA Toxics Release Inventory (TRI) Program 2009 Data is Now Available

 

Image via WikipediaFrom the National Library of Medicine listerv item:

 

 

The National Library of Medicine TOXMAP (http://toxmap.nlm.nih.gov) and TOXNET TRI (http://toxnet.nlm.nih.gov/cgi-bin/sis/htmlgen?TRI) now include the 2009 Toxics Release Inventory data (TRI), the most current Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) data available.  http://www.epa.gov/tri/tridata/current_data/index.html

20,446 facilities reported to the EPA TRI program in 2009, with 77,610 submissions.

A complete list of TRI chemicals required to be reported to the EPA can be found at http://www.epa.gov/tri/trichemicals/index.htm.

TOXMAP maps the Toxics Release Inventory (TRI) chemicals reported to the EPA, as required by the Emergency Planning and Community Right to Know Act (EPCRA).    http://www.epa.gov/oecaagct/lcra.html

TOXMAP covers on-site TRI releases only and also includes EPA Superfund data. http://www.epa.gov/superfund/

TRI contains information on the annual estimated releases of toxic chemicals to the environment and is based on data collected by the EPA. Mandated by the Pollution Prevention Act, TOXNET TRI data covers air, water, land, and underground injection releases, as well as transfers to waste sites, and waste treatment methods and efficiency, as reported by certain industrial facilities around the United States. TRI also includes data related to source reduction and recycling.

Visiting the Toxics Release Inventory Web site for the first time?

Try these Web pages first. Also, contact a reference librarian for assistance. Librarians at public libraries are helpful. Also consider academic libraries. Call ahead to see what services they provide to the general public. You will probably be pleasantly surprised!

• TRI FAQ’s
• EPA Learn the Issues (including Air , Wastes and Pollution, and Human Health)
• TRI Explorer “is recommended for beginner to advanced users of TRI data. This on-line tool generates reports based on facilities, chemicals, geographic areas, or industry type (NAICS code) at the county, state, and national level. It provides information for on- and off-site disposal or other releases, transfers off-site, and other waste management data.”
• Envirofacts “is recommended for beginner to advanced users of a wide variety of EPA datasets including TRI. EPA created the Envirofacts Warehouse to provide the public with direct access to information contained in its databases on Air, Chemicals, Facility Information, Grants/Funding, Hazardous Waste, Risk Management Plans, Superfund, Toxic Releases.”
• TRI Tools includes the above two links and more
• TRI Resources for data users

Take the Care for Your Air Tour

Take Care of Your Air Tour

Get a quick glimpse of some of the most important ways to protect the air in your home by touring the Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) House. Room-by-room, you’ll learn about the key pollutants and how to address them.

You may take the tour using the Flash supported video, or through the text version.

The Take Care of Your Air tour is provided by the US Environmental Protection Agency.