Toxic Releases in Indiana in Decline, but…

The quantity of toxic chemicals released in the state has continued to decline, according to the Indiana Department of Environmental Management, the Indianapolis Star/News reported on Mar. 15. Total releases fell to 59 million pounds in 1997 from 67 million in 1996, the most recent figures available.

The totals principally include pollutants released into the air by manufacturers with at least 10 employees that use chemical quantities exceeding a given threshold

Toxic releases dropped 12% even as production rose 4%, said Paula Smith, acting assistant commissioner for the department's Office of Pollution Prevention and Technical Assistance.

Lake County, with its steel mills, led the state in total releases in 1997 with 6.5 million pounds. However Smith said the mills had helped to lower the state's overall releases by implementing pollution prevention and control strategies. Smith also singled out R.R. Donnelley & Sons printing company for reducing its use of solvent-based inks and cleaners.

Toxic releases in fact have diminished steadily during the ‘90s, said Smith, who, however, acknowledged that they remain high compared with those in other states. She attributed the state's historically high rank in toxic releases to the prevalence of heavy industry.

From 1992 to 1996, Indiana ranked 11th or higher in toxins released into the air, land, or water injected underground or placed in on-site landfills designed to contain waste. The data for 1997, released on Mar. 14, do not include toxic releases into landfills, Smith said.

The state, said Smith, currently has an initiative aimed at reducing the level of styrene releases.