Toxic Releases In Idaho Down In ‘93, Epa Says Agency Says 4.3 Million Pounds Of Chemicals Released Into Air
An annual report by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency reveals the release of toxic chemicals in Idaho in 1993 fell from levels the year before.
The total release of chemicals in the state dropped from 8.2 million pounds to 8 million.
The agency identified 58 Idaho industrial sites where the emissions originated.
About 4.3 million pounds were released into the air, 30,000 into the water and 3.7 million onto land.
Leading the list in total emissions was the Kerr-McGree vanadium facility at Soda Springs with 1.3 million pounds.
About 1.2 million were deposited on the ground, and 153,682 went into the air.
Next was the Potlatch Corp. paper and pulp plant in Lewiston with about 1 million pounds.
Out of the 10 Idaho plants topping the list, Potlatch was the only one with a chemical discharge into the water, at 12,850 pounds.
Amalgamated Sugar Co.’s plants at Paul and Nampa were third with 971,373 pounds and fourth with 731,440, respectively.
They led the list on air emissions with 943,750 and 720,440 pounds.
The J.R. Simplot Co. plant at Caldwell took fifth with a total 591,413 pounds, 31,510 into the air and 559,903 on the ground.
The Simplot plant in Power County came next, with 575,390 pounds overall, 567,120 released into the atmosphere.
Rounding out the list were the Amalgamated sugar plant in Twin Falls with 538,045 pounds; Nu-West Industries at Soda Springs, 452,622; FMC Corp. at Pocatello with 370,175; and Lamb Weston at American Falls with 318,840 pounds.
Industrial releases are on the decline throughout the Northwest and Alaska, the EPA reported.