Toxic Releases of Fluoridated Chemicals
Hydrogen Fluoride (HF) is one of the most common toxic pollutants as reported to the EPA’s Toxic Release Inventory (TRI).
About the Data: TRI data is quite limited and the information on this page only represents what was self-reported to the TRI database. Electric power plants were first required to report to the TRI database in 1998. All data shown below is from 2001-2002 (latest available). All amounts are in pounds.
Where Pennsylvania Stands
- In 2002 alone, Pennsylvania industries report having released 5,878,251 pounds of fluoridated chemicals into the air, placing Pennsylvania third in fluoride emissions. Pennsylvania is directly downwind of Ohio, which by far is #1 in fluoride emissions.
- Pennsyvania ranks #2 in fluoridated waste production behind South Carolina (where nearly 90% of their waste is from a single aluminum company – Alumax). Unlike South Carolina, Pennsylvania’s fluoride pollution is spread out among many facilities. In terms of fluoridated waste from power plants, Pennsylvania ranks #1.
- By industry, 85% of fluoride releases in Pennsylvania are from coal power plants, 5% is from brick manufacturing and 4% from plastic foam manufacturing.
Power Plant Emissions
- Hydrogen Fluoride (HF) emissions are 8% of toxic releases from U.S. power plants. *
- By State: PA has more power plants reporting to TRI, and more power plants reporting HF emissions than any other state. *
See http://cta.policy.net/tri/appendix1.pdf for a list of all power plants that reported to the TRI in 1998. * - By State: PA is #2 in hydrogen fluoride releases from power plants and is #1 in fluoridated wastes
- By Chemical: 87% of reported fluoridated chemical emissions in PA are Hydrogen Fluoride (HF) (most is from coal plants)
- By Facility: 9 of the top 10 fluoride emitters in PA are coal plants.
* Source:Full Report: Toxic Power – What the Toxics Release Inventory Tells Us about Power Plant Pollution (By National Environmental Trust for Clear the Air, the National Campaign Against Dirty Power, August 2000)
In 2002 alone, Pennsylvania industries report having released 5,878,251 pounds of fluoridated chemicals into the air, placing Pennsylvania third in fluoride emissions.
| PA is 3rd in industrial releases of fluoridated pollutants | |
|---|---|
| State | Total Emissions |
| Ohio | 11,914,903 |
| Kentucky | 5,924,777 |
| Pennsylvania | 5,878,251 |
| North Carolina | 5,563,012 |
| Texas | 5,417,404 |
| Indiana | 5,010,501 |
| Georgia | 4,205,650 |
| West Virginia | 3,972,573 |
| Alabama | 3,671,114 |
| Tennessee | 3,471,660 |
| (Click here for listing of all U.S. states) | |
Pennsylvania is directly downwind of Ohio, which by far is #1 in fluoride emissions.
| What makes Ohio #1 in industrial releases of fluoridated pollutants? (2002 data) | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Facility | Pounds | Medium | Chemical | Town, County |
| Vickery Environmental – WMI waste injection site | 5,300,00 | Underground Injection | Hydrogen Fluoride | Vickery, Sandusky County |
| Ohio has 2 coal-fired power plants above 800,000 lbs each and several other rather dirty ones | Air | Hydrogen Fluoride | Stratton, Manchester, Brilliant, New Richmond… | |
| Owens-Corning (Plastics Foam Products) | 768,075 | Stack air | 1-Chloro-1,1-Difluoroethane | Tallmadge, Summit County |
| DOW Chemical Hanging Rock | 635,900 | Air | CFC-114 (Dichlorotetrafluoroethane), 1-Chloro-1,1-Difluoroethane | Ironton, Lawrence County |
| AK Steel Corp. | 573,183 | Air | Hydrogen Fluoride | Zanesville, Muskingum County |
Pennsyvania ranks #2 in fluoridated waste production behind South Carolina (where nearly 90% of their waste is from a single aluminum company – Alumax).
| PA is #2 in fluoridated waste production | |
|---|---|
| State (2002 TRI) | Total Waste |
| South Carolina | 39,875,471 |
| Pennsylvania | 35,705,237 |
| Texas | 33,062,363 |
| Kentucky | 22,932,005 |
| Indiana | 22,222,720 |
| Tennessee | 20,059,296 |
| Ohio | 20,036,402 |
| Maryland | 14,155,452 |
| West Virginia | 12,367,934 |
| New York | 12,204,718 |
| (Click here for listing of all U.S. states) | |
Unlike South Carolina, Pennsylvania’s fluoride pollution is spread out among many facilities.
| Highest Fluoride Emitting Facilities in PA, in Pounds, by Industrial Category | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Facility Name | City (County) | Total Air (2001-2002) | Total Waste (2001-2002) | Chemicals |
| Blast Furnaces and Steel Mills | ||||
| AK Steel – Butler Works | Butler (Butler) | 30707 | 6740480 | Hydrogen Fluoride |
| Allegheny Ludlum Corp. | Brackenridge (Allegheny) | 3855 | 1578400 | Hydrogen Fluoride |
| Allegheny Ludlum Corp. | Vandergrift (Westmoreland) | 260 | 5793570 | Hydrogen Fluoride |
| Allegheny Ludlum Corp. | Leechburg (Armstrong) | 260 | 430040 | Hydrogen Fluoride |
| J&L Specialty Steel Inc. | Midland (Beaver) | 262 | 626078 | Hydrogen Fluoride |
| Brick and Structural Clay Tile | ||||
| Glen Gery Brick | Shoemakersville (Berks) | 79800 | 79800 | Hydrogen Fluoride |
| Glen-Gery Corp. Bigler Plant | Bigler (Clearfield) | 42000 | 42000 | Hydrogen Fluoride |
| Glen-Gery Corp. Hanley Plant | Summerville (Jefferson) | 34600 | 34600 | Hydrogen Fluoride |
| Glen-Gery Corp. York Plant | York (York) | 54200 | 54200 | Hydrogen Fluoride |
| Watsontown Brick Co. | Watsontown (Northumberland) | 13240 | 27057 | Hydrogen Fluoride |
| Electric Services | ||||
| Allegheny Energy Inc. Armstrong Power Station | Kittanning (Armstrong) | 150150 | 150000 | Hydrogen Fluoride |
| Allegheny Energy Inc. Hatfield Power Station | Masontown (Fayette) | 680680 | 680000 | Hydrogen Fluoride |
| Brunner Island Steam Electric Station | York Haven (York) | 530800 | 530800 | Hydrogen Fluoride |
| Cheswick Power Station | Springdale (Allegheny) | 193200 | 193200 | Hydrogen Fluoride |
| Conemaugh Station | New Florence (Indiana) | 67005 | 1467000 | Hydrogen Fluoride |
| EME Homer City Generation L.P. | Homer City (Indiana) | 370005 | 550000 | Hydrogen Fluoride |
| Keystone Station | Shelocta (Armstrong) | 1300020 | 1381000 | Hydrogen Fluoride |
| PP&L -Montour Steam Electric Station | Danville (Montour) | 493000 | 493000 | Hydrogen Fluoride |
| Shawville Station | Shawville (Clearfield) | 220005 | 234000 | Hydrogen Fluoride |
| Sunbury Generation L.L.C. | Shamokin Dam (Snyder) | 200000 | 370000 | Hydrogen Fluoride |
| Other | ||||
| Air Prods. & Chemicals Inc. Specialty Gas Div. [Industrial Gases] | Tamaqua (Schuylkill) | 1,000 | 1,250,790 | Fluorine Hydrogen Fluoride |
| Firestone [Plastic Foam Product] | Youngwood (Westmoreland) | 78083 | 78083 | Chlorodifluoromethane Dichlorodifluoromethane |
| Air Prods. & Chemicals Inc. Specialty Gas Div. [Industrial Gases] | Tamaqua (Schuylkill) | 75 | 13775 | Fluorine |
| Nat’l Refrigeration and Air-Con [Coolant and Air Conditioning] | Bensalem (Bucks) | 4159 | 4159 | 1,1-Dichloro-1-Fluoroethane 2,2-Dichloro-1,1,1-Trifluoroethane Chlorodifluoromethane Dichlorodifluoromethane Trichlorofluoromethane |
| Sunoco Inc. (R&M) Philadelphia Refinery [Petroleum Refining] | Philadelphia (Philadelphia) | 0 | 387755 | Hydrogen Fluoride Dichlorodifluoromethane |
| Johns Manville Intl. [Plastics Foam Products] | Hazleton (Luzerne) | 97944 | 100279 | 1,1-Dichloro-1-Fluoroethane Chlorodifluoromethane Trichlorofluoromethane |
| Atlas Roofing Corp. [Plastics Foam Products / Mineral Wool] | Camp Hill (Cumberland) | 24768 | 24768 | Trichlorofluoromethane / 1,1-Dichloro-1-Fluoroethane |
| York Intl. Corp. [Refrigeration and Heating Equipment] | York (York) | 68963 | 76003 | 1,1-Dichloro-1-Fluoroethane Chlorodifluoromethane Dichlorotetrafluoroethane (CFC-114) Trichlorofluoromethane |
| GE Erie Plant GETS [Railroad Equipment] | Erie (Erie) | 26005 | 26000 | Hydrogen Fluoride |
| Superior Tube Co. [Steel Pipe and Tubes] | Collegeville (Montgomery) | 1330 | 26020 | Hydrogen Fluoride |
| Cabot Performance Materials [Primary Nonferrous Metals / Industrial Inorganic Chemicals] | Boyertown (Berks) | 15050 | 4755900 | Hydrogen Fluoride |
By industry, 85% of fluoride releases in Pennsylvania are from coal power plants, 5% is from brick manufacturing and 4% from plastic foam manufacturing.
| Top Fluoride Emitting Industries in PA, in Pounds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Industrial Category | Total Air (2001-2002) | Percentage |
| Electric Services | 4,975,394 | 85% |
| Brick and Structural Clay Tile | 286,536 | 5% |
| Plastics Foam Products | 200,795 | 4% |
| Travel Trailers and Campers | 94,531 | 2% |
| Primary Nonferrous Metals | 87,656 | 1% |
| Machinery | 78,813 | 1% |
| Fabricated Metal Products | 39,216 | 1% |
| Chemicals | 18,896 | |
| Lumber | 84,839 | |
| Others | 71,381 | 1% |
Hydrogen Fluoride (HF) emissions are 8% of toxic releases from U.S. power plants in 2001.
By State: PA has more power plants reporting to TRI, and more power plants reporting HF emissions than any other state.
| Power plants reporting HF emissions to TRI in 1999 | ||
|---|---|---|
| State | Number | Percentage |
| Pennsylvania | 27 | 7.3% |
| Ohio | 21 | 5.7% |
| Illinois | 20 | 5.4% |
| Indiana | 19 | 5.1% |
| North Carolina | 16 | 4.3% |
| Florida | 15 | 4.0% |
| Kentucky | 15 | 4.0% |
| Texas | 15 | 4.0% |
By State: PA is #2 in hydrogen fluoride releases from power plants and #1 in fluoridated wastes
| Top States in Hydrogen Fluoride Releases from Power Plants, 2002 | ||
|---|---|---|
| State | Total HF Releases | Total HF Waste |
| Ohio | 5,427,927 | 7,143,570 |
| Pennsylvania | 4,975,394 | 8,352,009 |
| North Carolina | 4,230,627 | 4,592,139 |
| West Virginia | 3,359,874 | 5,813,000 |
| Indiana | 3,271,509 | 5,601,618 |
| Georgia | 3,037,887 | 3,037,887 |
| Kentucky | 2,821,239 | 5,476,639 |
By Chemical: 92% of reported fluoridated chemical emissions in PA are Hydrogen Fluoride (HF) (most is from coal plants)
| Fluoridated Chemical Air Releases in Pennsylvania | |
|---|---|
| Chemical | Total Air Releases in pounds (2001-2002) |
| Hydrogen Fluoride | 5,438,092 |
| 1,1-Dichloro-1-Fluoroethane | 284,955 |
| Chlorodifluoromethane | 151,995 |
| 2-Chloro-1,1,1,2-Tetrafluoroethane | 4,752 |
| Boron Trifluoride | 2,459 |
| Total | 5,882,253 |
By Facility: 9 of the top 10 fluoride emitters in PA are coal plants.
| Top 10 Fluoride Emitting Facilities in PA, in Pounds | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Industry Type | Facility Name | City (County) | Total Air (1998-99) | Total Waste (1998-99) | Chemicals |
| Electric Services | Keystone Station | Shelocta (Armstrong) | 1300020 | 1381000 | Hydrogen Fluoride |
| Electric Services | Allegheny Energy Inc. Hatfield Power Station | Masontown (Fayette) | 680680 | 680000 | Hydrogen Fluoride |
| Electric Services | Brunner Island Steam Electric Station | York Haven (York) | 530800 | 530800 | Hydrogen Fluoride |
| Electric Services | PP&L -Montour Steam Electric Station | Danville (Montour) | 493000 | 493000 | Hydrogen Fluoride |
| Electric Services | EME Homer City Generation L.P. | Homer City (Indiana) | 370005 | 550000 | Hydrogen Fluoride |
| Electric Services | Shawville Station | Shawville (Clearfield) | 220005 | 234000 | Hydrogen Fluoride |
| Electric Services | Sunbury Generation L.L.C. | Shamokin Dam (Snyder) | 200000 | 370000 | Hydrogen Fluoride |
| Electric Services | Cheswick Power Station | Springdale (Allegheny) | 193200 | 193200 | Hydrogen Fluoride |
| Electric Services | Allegheny Energy Inc. Armstrong Power Station | Kittanning (Armstrong) | 150150 | 150000 | Hydrogen Fluoride |
| Plastics Foam Products | Johns Manville Intl. | Hazleton (Luzerne) | 97944 | 100279 | 1,1-Dichloro-1-Fluoroethane Chlorodifluoromethane Trichlorofluoromethane |
Top 10 Fluoride-polluting Counties in Pennsylvania
| Top 10 Fluoride Emitting Counties in PA, in Pounds | |
|---|---|
| County | Amount |
| Armstrong | 1450170 |
| Greene | 680680 |
| York | 666514 |
| Indiana | 524015 |
| Montour | 493000 |
| Northampton | 286982 |
| Berks | 275609 |
| Clearfield | 269524 |
| Allegheny | 200480 |
| Snyder | 200000 |
Last modified: 6 February 2005
http://www.actionpa.org/fluoride/chemicals/emissions.html