Tons of Reported Hazardous Waste Generation
in Rhode Island (Actual)
Source: US EPA Conservation and Recovery
Information System (RCRIS) and the Biennial Reporting System (BRS).
Hazardous Waste Generation Trends
BIENNIAL HAZARDOUS WASTE REPORTS
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Tons of Reported Hazardous Waste Generation
in Rhode Island (Actual)
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Source: US EPA Conservation and Recovery
Information System (RCRIS) and the Biennial Reporting System (BRS).
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Trends in Reported Hazardous Waste Generation
in US (in millions of tons)
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Source: US EPA Conservation and Recovery
Information System (RCRIS) and the Biennial Reporting System (BRS).
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There is a national decline in hazardous waste generation. Nationwide trends in reported waste generation have shown between a 35 and 40 percent decrease in the past decade. Over the past 10 years, hazardous waste generation in Rhode Island has declined as well, even though the number of large quality generators (LQGs) has remained relatively the same (average 107).
On average, the state has shown a 27 percent decline in Biennial Waste Report generation totals over the past 10 years. Numerous factors play a role in the decrease, including significant process changes and other cost minimization tactics. Rhode Island has also experienced a loss of manufacturing industries. Biomedical research companies and high-tech firms have replaced heavy manufacturing. Comparatively, the new wave of "industry" has considerably less waste associated with it than its predecessors. Finally, two of the state's largest companies, Stanley and Gorham Silver, left Rhode Island and transferred operations overseas. There are numerous other factors listed below that are necessary to recognize when analyzing the RI Biennial Reporting data.
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Tons of Reported Waste Generation in
Rhode Island (Corrected Value)
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* - Reported waste total corrected for
remediation project.
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Source: US EPA Conservation and Recovery
Information System (RCRIS) and the Biennial Reporting System (BRS).
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1991 - Data quality is considered accurate. It is interesting to note that 10 companies contributed more than 67 percent or approximately 9,854 tons of the 14, 653 tons of waste generated and reported in the BRS state total. The largest generator for reporting year 1991 was Ocean State Steel, who generated almost 2,000 tons of hazardous waste.
1993 - Like 1991, data quality is considered accurate. There was approximately a 30 percent decrease of waste generated over the 2 year period. Although the top 10 generators did not contribute a significant percentage to the total, like the previous reporting year, Ocean State Steel was the top generator again, contributing 2,550 of the 10,169 tons.
1995 - Data for reporting year 1995 have been omitted. The data is considered unreliable by RI DEM for numerous reasons. First, the generation totals, according to the State Summary Reports produced by the US EPA, top 25,000 tons. This number is considered anomalous because it most likely includes large quantities of non-hazardous waste which would account for such an unusually high total. Second, the largest treatment facility in the state filed electronically in 1995. The data were not able to be imported into the state summary reports.
1997 - Data for reporting year 1997 are considered to be accurate. Waste generation has increased slightly from 1993 totals to 11,643 tons. However, similar to earlier years, the top 10 generators in the state contributed significantly to the total waste reported to the BRS - almost 71 percent (8,251 tons). This is especially significant for reporting year 1997. Over half of that 71 percent comes from Mobil Oil Company, who reported 4,670 tons of hazardous waste. This was a one time generation due to a large remediation project in the Port of Providence. Therefore, when one takes onto account the Mobil Oil remediation project, the corrected waste generation for the state total 7,740 tons, and reflect the declining generation trends. Reporting year 1997 is also significant because of changes in National Biennial Reporting requirements for waste waters. This caused a marked decline in national generation trends, shown in the "Trends in Reported Hazardous Waste Generation in US" graph above. However, due to the shift in the Rhode Island industrial sector, as well as process changes, RI hazardous waste reports did not historically capture large amounts of waste water. Therefore, RI did not see as significant of a decrease between 1995 and 1997.
Click here for more information about the National Biennial Reporting System and reporting errors.
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