EPA TRI Facility · Food
The Hillshire Brands Co
Zeeland, MI · Parent: Tyson Foods Inc
- Total releases
- 399.2K lbs
- Chemicals reported
- 4
- Latest report
- 2023
- Primary pathway
- Water Discharges
The Hillshire Brands Co is an EPA Toxics Release Inventory reporter in Zeeland, MI, in the food sector. It reported 109.8K lbs of releases across 4 chemicals in 2023, and 399.2K lbs in total across its 2019-2023 reporting years. That ranks 2,216 of 25,986 TRI facilities nationwide by cumulative reported pounds, counting each facility over however many years it has filed. Reported volume fell against 2022. Pounds reported are not a measure of toxicity or health risk.
The Hillshire Brands Co has reported 399.2K lbs of toxic releases across 4 chemicals to the EPA Toxic Release Inventory, based on annual facility disclosures from 2019 through 2023. The facility operates in the Food sector. The primary release pathway is water discharges, accounting for 92% of total releases. All release data shown below is self-reported to the EPA under the Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act (EPCRA) Section 313.
Where this facility sits in the TRI record
Among the 1,979 Food facilities in this database, The Hillshire Brands Co reports the 268th-largest volume, placing it in the top 13.5% of its sector. Its reported volume is concentrated rather than spread: Nitrate compounds (water dissociable; reportable only when in aqueous solution) alone is 92.1% of the total.
Placement is computed from reported TRI pounds in this database. Thresholds are fixed across every facility page: concentrated ≥60% of volume in one chemical, county-dominant ≥25% of the county total, carcinogen-heavy ≥50% of pounds. Share-based statements are shown only for sites reporting at least 1,000 lbs, because a share of a very small total is not a meaningful signal. Reported pounds are self-reported estimates and do not measure toxicity or health risk.
The Hillshire Brands Co files annual Form R disclosures to the EPA Toxics Release Inventory under EPCRA Section 313, classified under NAICS 311612 (Food). Across 5 years of records spanning 2019–2023, the site has disclosed 399.2K lbs in cumulative toxic releases across 4 distinct chemicals.
The dominant release pathway is water discharges at 365.5K lbs (91.6% of total volume), followed by air releases at 7.3%. Between 2019 and 2023, reported totals increased by 179% - from 39.3K lbs to 109.8K lbs. The facility is operated under parent company Tyson Foods Inc.
TRI Form R values are self-reported estimates, not measured stack emissions, and treat every pound of reported chemical equally regardless of toxicity. Inclusion in the TRI database does not establish a health risk to nearby residents; it documents the annual reporting record that The Hillshire Brands Co has filed with the EPA under federal community right-to-know requirements.
Annual disclosure change
What changed: EPA TRI 2023 reporting year
- The Hillshire Brands Co's total reported releases fell from 111.3 thousand lb in 2022 to 109.8 thousand lb in 2023, based on EPA TRI filings.
- The Hillshire Brands Co's off-site transfers rose from 1.4 thousand lb in 2022 to 2.8 thousand lb in 2023, based on EPA TRI filings.
- The Hillshire Brands Co's air releases fell from 9.7 thousand lb in 2022 to 8.5 thousand lb in 2023, based on EPA TRI filings.
- The Hillshire Brands Co's water releases fell from 100.2 thousand lb in 2022 to 98.5 thousand lb in 2023, based on EPA TRI filings.
Quick Facts
Compare this facility
See how The Hillshire Brands Co stacks up against nearby facilities and the typical reporter.
68826.5× more than the comparison
2.0× more than the comparison
Comparison reflects reported pounds and chemical counts, not toxicity or health risk. Averages cover facilities reporting any release.
How does this facility release toxic chemicals?
How The Hillshire Brands Co releases toxic chemicals into the environment. Total: 399.2K lbs.
Emissions Trend Summary
From 2019 to 2023, total releases increased by 179% (39.3K lbs to 109.8K lbs).
Reported total releases by year
The Hillshire Brands Co - annual TRI totals
- 2019 0
2019
0 million lbs
- 2020 0
2020
0 million lbs
- 2021 0
2021
0 million lbs
- 2022 0
2022
0 million lbs
- 2023 0
2023
0 million lbs
What this shows Year-over-year reported totals. TRI figures are self-reported estimates and can swing with production levels, waste-rock handling and reporting changes, not only with emissions controls.
| Year | Total | Chemicals |
|---|---|---|
| 2019 | 39.3K lbs | 3 |
| 2020 | 51.1K lbs | 4 |
| 2021 | 87.7K lbs | 3 |
| 2022 | 111.3K lbs | 4 |
| 2023 | 109.8K lbs | 4 |
Chemical Releases
Aggregated across all reporting years (2019–2023). Sorted by total release volume.
| Chemical | Total | Flags |
|---|---|---|
| Nitrate compounds (water dissociable; reportable only when in aqueous solution) | 367.7K lbs | - |
| Ammonia | 31.3K lbs | - |
| Sodium nitrite | 150 lbs | - |
| Nitric acid | 0 lbs | - |
Location
Nearest TRI Facilities to The Hillshire Brands Co
The closest other reporting facilities in Michigan, ordered by distance.
About TRI Data
Data as of 2023 reporting year. Source: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Toxic Release Inventory.
Data comes from the EPA Toxic Release Inventory (TRI) program. Facilities that manufacture, process, or otherwise use listed toxic chemicals above threshold amounts are required to report annually to the EPA.
Release quantities are self-reported by the facility and may represent estimates rather than exact measurements. "Total releases" includes releases to air, water, land, and off-site transfers for disposal. Quantities shown here are aggregated across all available reporting years.
PlainEnviro presents this data without advocacy framing. The presence of a facility in the TRI database does not by itself indicate a health risk. For site-specific health questions, consult your local environmental or health agency.
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Explore More Data for Michigan
What to do with this facility's data
Use this facility profile as a starting point, then check how it compares.
- See whether releases reported by The Hillshire Brands Co are rising or falling over time. View trends
- This facility ranks #2,216 of 25,986 TRI facilities nationwide by total reported releases - among the top 8.5% of reporting sites by volume. Ranking reflects reported pounds, not toxicity or health risk. See the full rankings
- Check Michigan's statewide profile for the full picture: total facilities, water systems, and Superfund sites. View Michigan profile
TRI release totals are self-reported estimates submitted to the EPA, not independently measured stack emissions; a high rank reflects reported volume, not necessarily local health risk.
Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.
Related
Sources & how this page was built
Every figure on this page traces to public, federal-government data on The Hillshire Brands Co. The records below are the primary sources; our methodology explains how they are joined, computed, and verified.
- EPA Toxics Release Inventory (TRI) Basic Data Files - annual self-reported chemical-release filings. epa.gov
- EPA TRI Program, chemical & reporting reference - what each chemical is and how releases are counted. epa.gov
- EPA Facility Registry Service (FRS) - authoritative facility location and identity. epa.gov
- EPA Enforcement & Compliance History Online (ECHO) - regulatory and compliance context. echo.epa.gov
- EPA Envirofacts - the EPA data warehouse that exposes these datasets. enviro.epa.gov
Retrieved and formatted by PlainEnviro. TRI release totals are self-reported estimates, not measured stack emissions.
According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the Toxics Release Inventory has required annual industrial disclosure since its creation under the Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act in October 1986, and this facility's record is drawn from PlainEnviro's database of more than 25,000 EPA-tracked facilities through the 2023 reporting year; see our methodology for full source citations and refresh cadence.