Air Releases
Releases of TRI chemicals into the air have declined notably over the last 10 years. These releases include both fugitive air emissionsAll releases of the EPCRA Section 313 chemical to the air that are not released through stacks, vents, ducts, pipes, or any other confined air stream. and stack air emissionsAll releases of the EPCRA Section 313 chemical to the air that occur through stacks, confined vents, ducts, pipes, or other confined air stream.
This graph shows the 10-year trend in the quantity of chemicals released into the air. EPA regulates air emissions under the Clean Air Act.
Note: This chart excludes natural gas processing facilities which were not required to report to TRI prior to 2022.
From 2014 to 2023:
- Air releases: 245 million pound decrease (-32%).
- The decrease was driven by reduced releases of hydrochloric acid and sulfuric acid to air from electric utilities.
- Note that only those electric utilities that combust coal or oil to generate power for distribution into commerce are covered under TRI reporting requirements. Electric utilities that use only fuels other than coal or oil (such as natural gas) are not required to report to TRI. More information about this sector is available in the Electric Utilities sector profile.
From 2022 to 2023:
- Air releases: 51 million pound decrease (-9%) since 2022.
- The TRI chemicals released into the air in the largest quantities were ammonia and methanol.
This page was published in August 2025 and uses the 2023 TRI National Analysis dataset made public in TRI Explorer in October 2024.