Why does the public need to know more about toxic chemicals that are transported through their community?

Toxic chemicals enter industrial facilities as raw materials and leave in products and as waste. During transport, these substances pose environmental and public health risks to neighboring communities from spills and other accidental releases. Low-income and minority communities are disproportionately at risk because they are often located near major transportation corridors and truck routes.

In New Jersey, Massachusetts, and Eugene, Oregon, information reported by industrial facilities on the total quantity of toxic chemicals transported into and out of a plant each year allows emergency planning officials and others to identify ­ and work to minimize ­ the greatest risks to schools, water supplies, and other exposure pathways near these facilities.