Pollution Prevention and Toxic Releases in Appalachia: Insights from the Toxics Release Inventory

OBJECTIVE: Appalachia, a region delineated as 410 counties across 13 states, had 2,564 facilities reporting to EPA's Toxics Release Inventory in 2002. Releases and pollution prevention practices were compared to facilities in non-Appalachian counties. Analyses were also performed at the level of subregion (North, Central, South) to minimize confounding by government policies and to explore heterogeneity.

METHODS: Statistical tests included the Kruskal-Wallis test of analysis of variance, binomial test for confidence intervals and two proportions, log linear maximum likelihood analysis of variance, and interaction plots of log transformed data.

RESULTS: Median total releases were significantly higher for facilities in Appalachia than non-Appalachian facilities (5,267 vs. 4,049 lbs., p = 0.002). Significantly more likely were releases into surface water (p<0.001) and on-site disposal of toxic waste (p=0.003).

Releases into all environmental media, as well as total releases, from facilities in Northern Appalachia were significantly higher than their non-Appalachian counterparts (1.6 to 10.7-fold, all p<0.001). Facilities in certain SIC codes were associated with higher total releases when located in Appalachia. In a log-linear model subregions differed significantly in the use of worker participatory methods, with establishments in the Northern subregion most frequently reporting the use of worker participation (10%).

CONCLUSIONS: This systematic study suggests that the Appalachian region may be disparately impacted by toxic releases. Further investigation could provide a basis for designing educational and regulatory interventions for pollution prevention in this oft-neglected region.