People exposed to air toxics at sufficient concentrations and durations may have an increased chance of developing cancer or experiencing other serious health problems, including damage to the immune system as well as neurological, reproductive (reduced fertility), developmental, and respiratory problems. Click here for more information on the health impacts of specific air pollutants, including air toxics.

Two EPA Web sites provide information on locations of reported toxic chemical releases and ambient concentrations of toxics nationwide.

 Toxics Release Inventory (TRI)

You can find out if there have been any toxic chemical releases reported in your neighborhood in the Toxics Release Inventory (TRI), a nationwide database of information on toxic chemical releases and other waste management activities by certain covered industry groups and federal facilities. Simply enter your Zip Code, and the TRI will search for and report the most current available data on toxic chemical releases in your area. This inventory was established under the Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act of 1986 (EPCRA), expanded by the Pollution Prevention Act of 1990, and is maintained by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

 National-Scale Air Toxics Assessment (NATA)

> View NATA Maps.

Toxic pollutants in the air or deposited on soils or surface waters can impact the environment. Animals, like humans, can experience health problems if exposed to sufficient concentrations of air toxics over time. Numerous studies conclude that deposited air toxics are contributing to birth defects, reproductive failure, and disease in animals. Persistent toxic air pollutants are of particular concern in aquatic ecosystems because the pollutants accumulate in sediments and may bioaccumulate in tissues of animals at the top of the food chain to concentrations many times higher than in the water or air.

Toxic pollutants that mimic hormones also pose a threat to the environment. In wildlife such as birds, shellfish, fish, and mammals, exposure to DDT, dioxins, mercury and other pollutants has been associated with decreased fertility, decreased hatching success, damaged reproductive organs, and altered immune systems.

Air toxics are regulated by both state and federal programs. Idaho's Air Toxics Program regulates approximately 350 toxic air pollutants (TAPs), while EPA's federal program regulates 187 hazardous air pollutants (HAPs). Both TAPs and HAPs are referred to as air toxics.

Idaho's TAP program preceded the federal program. Some areas overlap in the state and federal programs.

Idaho's TAP Program is a stand-alone risk-based program that regulates approximately 350 pollutants determined by their nature to be toxic to human or animal life or vegetation. Idaho's regulations prohibit emission of these contaminants alone or in combination with other contaminants in amounts that would injure or unreasonably affect human or animal life or vegetation.

TAP emission limits from industrial sources are limited by acceptable ambient concentrations (AACs) for carcinogenic and non-carcinogenic pollutants and by screening emission levels (ELs) for non-carcinogens.

AACs are the maximum concentration levels allowed in the outside air from a pollution source or sources under construction or modification. Compliance is often verified by computer modeling or ambient air sampling. AACs for non-carcinogens are 24-hour averages. These levels can be found in IDAPA 58.01.01.585. Acceptable ambient concentrations for carcinogens (AACCs) are annual averages. These levels can be found in IDAPA 58.01.01.586.

ELs are stack-based emission levels based on pounds of each pollutant emitted per hour. Compliance is often verified by engineering calculations, computer modeling, or stack sampling. Emission levels for non-carcinogens can be found in IDAPA 58.01.01.585, while emission levels for carcinogens can be found in IDAPA 58.01.01.586.

 Relationship to the Federal HAP Program

If a new or modified source emits an air toxic that is regulated by both Idaho's program and EPA's HAP program, then the source is exempt from the state program for the specific pollutant regulated by the federal standard. If the source emits additional TAPs not covered under the applicable federal standard, then the source is subject to the state regulations for those pollutants.

 Chemical Accidental Release and Prevention:

 Clean Air Act Section 112(r)

Chemical accidents can occur at businesses of any size. Many small businesses handle ammonia, chlorine, and other chemicals that could pose a risk to the surrounding community if an accident were to occur. Section 112(r) of the 1990 Clean Air Act Amendments prescribes a series of requirements aimed at preventing and minimizing the consequences of chemical accidental releases. more

The NATA is an ongoing comprehensive evaluation by EPA of air toxics in the U.S. It is designed to help EPA, state, local, and tribal governments, and the public better understand the extent of the air toxics problem in the U.S. and to help focus future efforts to reduce air toxics and associated health impacts. The assessment includes four steps:

1. Inventory air toxics emissions.
2. Estimate annual average outdoor air toxics concentrations.
3. Estimate exposure concentrations (what people are estimated to breathe).
4. Characterize potential public health risks.

Information gained by the NATA will help EPA accomplish the following:

• Identify air toxics of greatest potential concern.
• Characterize the relative contributions to air toxics concentrations and population exposures of different types of air toxics emissions sources.
• Set priorities for the collection of additional air toxics data to improve estimates of air toxics concentrations and their potential public health impacts. Important additional data collection activities include upgraded emission inventory information, ambient air toxics monitoring, and information on adverse effects to health and the environment.
• Establish a baseline to track trends over time in modeled ambient concentrations of air toxics.
• Establish a baseline for measuring progress toward meeting goals for inhalation risk reduction from ambient air toxics.

EPA has released two phases of the NATA, which evaluated 32 high priority TAPs. The first phase includes estimated air toxics emissions and outdoor air concentrations. The second phase provides estimates of human exposure to these pollutants and associated health risks. The NATA will help DEQ target areas of the state where more detailed information and air toxics reduction strategies are needed.

For more information, visit EPA's NATA Web site.

Under EPA's Urban Air Toxics Program, states will be required to assess local air quality data to identify urban areas where air toxics emissions need to be reduced. States also must devise a process for developing and implementing strategies to reduce health risks from air toxics, provide an opportunity for public participation and review, and develop tools to evaluate whether emissions have been reduced.

 What Is the Integrated Urban Air Toxics Strategy?

The Integrated Urban Air Toxics Strategy is a framework for addressing air toxics emissions in urban areas. The strategy defines a county as "urban" if it includes a metropolitan statistical area with a population greater than 250,000 or the U.S. Census Bureau has designated more than 50% of the population as "urban." (Note: This definition does not necessarily apply for regulatory or implementation purposes.)

Under the national air toxics program, EPA has and will continue to develop a number of national standards for stationary and mobile sources to improve air quality in urban and rural areas. The strategy complements these efforts by focusing on achieving even further reductions in air toxics emissions in urban areas. The strategy outlines actions to reduce emissions of air toxics, as well as assessment activities to improve EPA's understanding of the health and environmental risks of air toxics in urban areas.

The strategy includes a list of 33 urban air toxics that pose the greatest potential health threat in urban areas and a list of area sources responsible for a substantial portion of these air toxics emissions. This list includes 29 area source categories, 13 of which are new and 16 are under development or already subject to standards.

For more information, visit EPA's Urban Air Toxics Strategy Web site.

Technical Air Toxics (U.S. EPA Web site)

Details about efforts underway to reduce air toxics.

Concerned Citizens (U.S. EPA Web site)

Links to information about pollution in several categories, including home and family, information resources, initiatives, and workplace issues.

Toxics Release Inventory (U.S. EPA Web site)

Information about more than 650 toxic chemicals that are being used, manufactured, treated, transported, or released into the environment.

National Safety Council

Information on chemicals, including exposure and risk guidelines.

Mobile Source Air Toxics (U.S. EPA Web site)

Information on regulations for air pollutants from mobile sources.