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Do you ever pass industrial parks along the highway and consider what is coming out of the giant stacks attached to factories that constantly billow dark smoke into the air? Chances are that those factories are emitting toxic chemicals, and very close to where you live.
The EPA Toxic Release Inventory is a publicly available source that details the type of toxins being emitted into a certain area and what companies are contributing to this. The data breaks down state populations that are greatly impacted by these toxins, and the statistics are alarming.
According to Stacker, nearly 25% of Ohioans live near a place where harmful, toxic chemicals are released. There are 1,298 toxic release facilities throughout the state, constantly emitting toxins into the surrounding environment.
Ohio is ranked sixth in the nation for the amount of toxins that are produced throughout America. According to TRI data, there were 90.5 million pounds of toxins released throughout Ohio in 2020, and the leading contributor was INEOS Nitriles.
These chemicals are labeled as toxic due to their ability to increase the likelihood of cancers and various health defects. Stacker noted that the facilities that contribute the most to toxic release are the ones that deal with chemicals, electricity, metal mining and waste.