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• Tennessee remains #3 in the country for toxic air emissions, according to the 2002 Toxic Release Inventory. 

• Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) continues to be the state's largest emitter of toxins to the air, releasing more than 30 million pounds yearly from coal-fired power plants. 

• Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) power plants are a major emitter of mercury, a potent neurotoxin that accumulates in the food chain after being emitted into the air and settling in water.  It causes birth defects and neurological disorders even at very low levels. 

• Air toxins cause serious respiratory and heart disease in Tennesseans, adding to our rates of asthma, emphysema, heart disease, and lung cancer. 

• The single greatest air polluter in the state for all chemicals is Lenzing Fibers Corp., in Hamblen County.  The Toxic Release Inventory reports that the company released over 17 million pounds of chemicals to the air in 2000, most of which are developmental and reproductive toxins that may cause birth defects and infertility.  That's more than 3 pounds for every person in Tennessee. 

• Persistent, Bioaccumulative, and Toxic (PBT) chemicals are of particular concern not only because they are toxic but also because they remain in the environment for long periods of time, are not easily destroyed, and build up or accumulate in body tissue.  For PBT chemicals, UCAR Carbon Company in Maury County topped the list with 20,503 pounds released into the air in 2000. 

• Coal-fired power plants as a group emit the most significant portion of air toxics and are currently uncontrolled for these chemicals. 

• Children are especially vulnerable to air toxics.  Their bodies are still developing and they spend more time than adults do outside, breathing in polluted air and coming into contact with polluted water and soil.  Children in poverty are at an even greater risk.  Not only are these children more likely to live near a polluting industry or power plant, but these children also typically have poor nutritional status, limited access to health care, and substandard housing conditions, all of which make them more vulnerable to toxics in the air.

**Click here for a summary of TN's 2002 Toxics Release Inventory (TRI)**

 

• Monitoring the Toxic Release Inventory and pushing for efforts to reduce all toxins released to the environment 

• Educating Tennessee citizens about health risks from toxins, major polluters, and policies that would improve air quality across the state 

• Participating extensively in the Tennessee Pollution Prevention Roundtable (P2R) that aims to achieve voluntary toxics reductions by the industries of TN 

• Advocating for air toxic regulations in Tennessee that go beyond federal laws 

• Participating as a member of the TN Clean Air Task Force (TCATF), a coalition formed to reduce air pollution from TVA's 11 coal-fired power plants in Tennessee.  Activities include: holding press conferences, conducting interviews with reporters, raising issues at meetings of the Air Pollution Control Board, and meeting with staff and management of the Air Pollution Control Division of TDEC.

• Let your elected representatives know that Tennessee deserves better than being the #3 state for toxic air pollution. 

• Show your support for cleaner energy sources, modern pollution control standards for coal-fired power plants, and an end to merchant power plants located in Tennessee. 

• Ask your elected representatives to establish and enforce limits for the release of toxic chemicals into our air, water, and land. 

• When you learn about a company that is a significant polluter, tell your neighbors and colleagues, boycott the company's products, and send letters to the president of the company and local newspapers alerting them of your actions. 

• Sign up for Tennessee Environmental News (T.E.N.) here on TEC's website to receive regular email updates about toxic release news in Tennessee.

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