Environmental Data Guides
Educational resources to help you understand EPA environmental data, toxic releases, water quality, and Superfund cleanup sites, drawing on the EPA Toxics Release Inventory (established under EPCRA in 1986), the Safe Drinking Water Information System, and the Superfund National Priorities List, with coverage across all 50 states.
All guides reference EPA data covering more than 25,000 industrial facilities, 49,000+ water systems, and over 1,800 Superfund sites.
Which guide should you read first?
Understanding the Toxics Release Inventory (TRI)
What TRI reports tell you about industrial pollution in your area, how to interpret release data, and what the numbers mean for community health.
How to Read EPA Water Quality Violations
What health-based violations mean, how the EPA tracks drinking water safety, and how to check your water system's compliance record.
What Is a Superfund Site?
How contaminated sites get on the National Priorities List, what cleanup involves, and how to check if you live near one.
Environmental Justice: Who Lives Near Polluters?
How pollution exposure varies by community, what EPA TRI data reveals about industrial facility locations, and how to investigate your own area.
America's Biggest Polluters: Top TRI Facilities by Total Releases
Which US industrial facilities report the highest toxic chemical releases, what chemicals they emit, and why volume alone does not capture the full picture.
How to Read EPA Environmental Compliance Reports
What ECHO inspection records, violation classifications, and enforcement actions reveal about a facility, and how to interpret the data without a legal background.
Understanding EPA Facility Data
What the EPA tracks about industrial facilities through ECHO, TRI, and Superfund, how compliance, transparency, and cleanup data differ, and how to interpret each.
How to Check Environmental Quality in Your Area
A step-by-step guide to evaluating environmental conditions by cross-referencing industrial facilities, water quality, air quality, and contamination data.
Methodology
Our guides are based on publicly available data from authoritative government sources. All statistics, ratings, and figures cited in these guides are drawn directly from official datasets and publications, with sources clearly referenced throughout.
We aim to present complex government data in plain language that is accessible to general audiences. When methodologies differ between data sources or change over time, we note these variations inline. Our editorial process includes regular reviews to ensure accuracy and timeliness of the information presented.