Lead Compounds

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PBT

EPA TRI Category Code: N420

Lead Compounds (EPA TRI Category Code N420) is a chemical tracked by the EPA Toxics Release Inventory (TRI) program under Section 313 of the Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act. The TRI requires industrial facilities above specified threshold quantities to disclose annual manufacturing, processing, and otherwise-used volumes, along with quantities released to air, water, land, and off-site transfers.

Across the United States, 3,142 facilities have filed TRI Form R disclosures for Lead Compounds, with a cumulative reported release volume of 1325.9M lbs. The chemical is not flagged as a carcinogen in the TRI classification set. It is also listed as a persistent, bioaccumulative, and toxic (PBT) substance, a category subject to lower reporting thresholds and elevated regulatory concern. The largest individual disclosure in the current dataset comes from RED DOG OPERATIONS in AK at 811.0M lbs.

TRI volumes are self-reported estimates, not measured stack emissions, and each pound counts equally regardless of chemical toxicity, so total pounds should not be equated with total risk. Inclusion of a chemical or facility in the TRI does not itself establish a health hazard; it documents the public right-to-know record. Consult EPA's IRIS (Integrated Risk Information System) and the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry for health-effect summaries.

Release Summary

Total Releases
1325.9M lbs
Number of Facilities
3,142
Carcinogen
No
Persistent Bioaccumulative Toxicant
Yes

Which facilities release the most of this chemical?

Facilities with the largest reported releases of Lead Compounds. Up to 50 shown.

# Facility Release (lbs)
1 Red Dog Operations 811.0M lbs
2 Kennecott Utah Copper Mine Concentrators & Power Plant 246.2M lbs
3 Hecla Greens Creek Mining Co 35.8M lbs
4 Cripple Creek & Victor Gold Mining Co 22.9M lbs
5 Coeur Rochester Inc 22.8M lbs
6 Montana Resources LLC 18.2M lbs
7 Nevada Gold Mines LLC - Carlin South Area 16.0M lbs
8 Buick Mine/mill 12.8M lbs
9 Buick Resource Recycling Facility LLC 9.6M lbs
10 Kennecott Utah Copper Smelter & Refinery 9.2M lbs
11 Bald Mountain Mine 8.6M lbs
12 Freeport-McMoran Morenci Inc 7.1M lbs
13 Oceanagold Haile Gold Mine 7.0M lbs
14 Fletcher Mine/mill 6.9M lbs
15 Sweetwater Mine/mill 6.6M lbs
16 Fort Knox Mine 6.4M lbs
17 Befesa Zinc Metal LLC 6.2M lbs
18 Brushy Creek Mine/mill 5.4M lbs
19 Enersys Energy Products Inc-Springfield 2 (formerly Northsta 5.3M lbs
20 Max Environmental -- Yukon Facility 4.3M lbs
21 Enersys Energy Products Inc-Springfield 1 (formerly Northsta 3.9M lbs
22 Clarios LLC 3.8M lbs
23 Smoky Valley Common Operation 3.6M lbs
24 Kg Mining (bald Mountain) Inc South Operations Area (soa) 3.6M lbs
25 Asarco LLC Ray Complex/ Hayden Smelter & Concentrator 3.4M lbs
26 Wharf Resources 1.6M lbs
27 Ecw Landfill Corp. 1.6M lbs
28 Marigold Mining Co 1.6M lbs
29 Pinto Valley Mine 1.5M lbs
30 Gerdau Long Steel North America - Jackson Mill 1.5M lbs
31 Envirofocus Technologies 1.1M lbs
32 Asarco LLC Ray Mine Operations 972.1K lbs
33 Atlantic Alumina Gramercy Operations 802.6K lbs
34 Nevada Gold Mines LLC - Arturo Mine 733.2K lbs
35 Chemours Delisle Plant 672.7K lbs
36 Clean Harbors Buttonwillow LLC 662.4K lbs
37 Ecobat Resources New York LLC 648.6K lbs
38 Cleveland-Cliffs Steel LLC 602.9K lbs
39 Wayne Disposal Inc 550.3K lbs
40 Ammunition Operations LLC 516.1K lbs
41 Clean Harbors Lone Mountain LLC Lone Mountain Facility 512.9K lbs
42 Gibson Generating Station 483.9K lbs
43 US Army Fort Campbell 444.3K lbs
44 American Electric Power Amos Plant 411.1K lbs
45 Mosaic Fertilizer Llc-New Wales Plant 383.5K lbs
46 Fiore Gold Pan Mine 374.4K lbs
47 Nevada Gold Mines Llc- Long Canyon Mine 371.4K lbs
48 Eq Detroit Inc 352.1K lbs
49 Clean Harbors Grassy Mountain LLC 351.0K lbs
50 Outokumpu Stainless USA LLC 342.7K lbs

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Lead Compounds?
Lead Compounds (EPA TRI Category Code: N420) is a chemical tracked by the EPA Toxic Release Inventory (TRI) program. It is classified as a persistent bioaccumulative toxicant (PBT). 3,142 facilities in the United States report releasing this chemical to the EPA.
How much Lead Compounds is released in the U.S.?
U.S. facilities have reported a total of 1325.9M lbs of Lead Compounds releases to the EPA Toxic Release Inventory across 3,142 facilities. Release quantities are self-reported estimates. This includes releases to air, water, land, and off-site transfers.
Is Lead Compounds harmful to health?
Lead Compounds is not classified as a carcinogen in the EPA TRI database. It is classified as a persistent bioaccumulative toxicant (PBT), meaning it persists in the environment and accumulates in food chains. Health effects depend on exposure levels, duration, and route. For specific health questions, consult a toxicologist or your local health agency.
Which facilities release the most Lead Compounds?
The largest reported releasers of Lead Compounds include facilities across multiple states. Release data is self-reported annually to the EPA under the TRI program. View the full list of 3,142 facilities on this page.
Why is Lead Compounds listed under code N420 instead of a CAS number?
N420 is an EPA TRI Category Code, not a CAS Registry Number. EPA assigns category codes (N-prefix and K-prefix) to chemical groups that share reporting requirements, for example, "Lead Compounds" covers many distinct compounds aggregated for TRI reporting. Individual constituents may have their own CAS Registry Numbers (e.g., elemental Lead is CAS 7439-92-1), but the group is reported under the single TRI Category Code.

Health Information

Persistent Bioaccumulative Toxicant (PBT): This chemical is classified as a PBT by the EPA. PBT chemicals are toxic, persist in the environment, and bioaccumulate in food chains. Because of these properties, even relatively small releases can pose a significant threat to human health and the environment over time.

Data comes from the EPA Toxic Release Inventory (TRI) program. Release quantities are self-reported by facilities and may represent estimates. The total shown aggregates reports across all facilities and reporting years.

PlainEnviro presents this data without advocacy framing. The presence of a chemical in the TRI database does not by itself indicate a health risk at current exposure levels. For health-related questions about specific chemical exposures, consult your local health agency or a toxicologist.

Related

Data sourced from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). See our methodology for details. Retrieved and formatted by PlainEnviro Editorial

Disclaimer: This information is provided for informational purposes only and does not constitute professional advice. Data is sourced from the EPA Toxic Release Inventory (TRI). Consult a qualified professional before making decisions based on this data.