EPA state rankings · updated August 2026
Environmental Rankings by State
States ranked by reported pollution, hazardous-waste, and drinking-water indicators from EPA Toxics Release Inventory, Superfund, and health-based SDWIS extracts, single-metric tables, not overall environmental quality scores.
- #1 releases · Alaska
- 3.9B
- TRI 2023 leader
- Top-12 cutoff
- 317.9M
- Release threshold
- ranking tables
- 6
- Hub coverage
- preview rows
- 126
- Live extract
The headline finding
Alaska reports the highest TRI release total at 3.9B. The top-12 cutoff is 317.9M (#12), and the leader-to-tail spread is 3.6B across 21 states (median 337.8M).
- 3.9B
- #1 Alaska · TRI releases
- 317.9M
- top-12 release cutoff
- 3.6B
- leader-to-tail spread
- 2023
- TRI reporting year
Release pounds count reported mass, not toxicity-weighted risk. Open each full ranking for all states in the extract.
This hub surfaces 6 ranking tables (126 state rows shown). Open any full ranking for all 50 states plus territories in the current extract.
Key findings from the current EPA extract
Snapshot leaders from PlainEnviro's live database as of 2026-08-25. Each bullet reflects one reported metric, not an overall environmental score.
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Highest toxic release volume
Alaska reports 3.9B in total TRI release pounds in the 2023 reporting year extract.
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Most TRI-reporting facilities
Texas has 2,342 facilities in the TRI universe, a count of reporting sites rather than release volume.
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Most Superfund NPL sites
New Jersey lists 153 National Priorities List sites in the current EPA inventory.
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Most health-based water violation records
Texas shows 35,693 health-based SDWIS violation records in PlainEnviro's extract, not a water-quality index.
Ranking categories and federal sources
Each table below answers one environmental-data question with a single EPA-backed metric. Open the full ranking for all states and territories in the extract.
Most TRI Facilities
States with the most Toxics Release Inventory reporting facilities, industrial pollution hotspots.
Most Toxic Chemical Releases
States with the highest total pounds of toxic chemicals released into the environment.
Superfund Sites by State
States ranked by EPA National Priorities List hazardous waste site counts.
Water Violations by State
States ranked by raw health-based SDWIS violation-record counts, not a water-quality score.
Fewest Health-Based Water Violation Records
States with the lowest raw count in PlainEnviro's EPA health-based violation extract; not a water-safety ranking.
Most Water Systems
States with the largest number of public water systems serving their populations.
Most TRI Facilities
States with the most Toxics Release Inventory reporting facilities, industrial pollution hotspots.
Top states in the current extract
| # | State | Facilities |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Texas | 2,342 |
| 2 | Ohio | 1,546 |
| 3 | California | 1,426 |
| 4 | Pennsylvania | 1,261 |
| 5 | Illinois | 1,145 |
| 6 | Indiana | 1,028 |
| 7 | Wisconsin | 991 |
| 8 | North Carolina | 924 |
| 9 | Michigan | 918 |
| 10 | Georgia | 867 |
| 11 | Florida | 864 |
| 12 | Tennessee | 740 |
| 13 | New York | 697 |
| 14 | Alabama | 661 |
| 15 | South Carolina | 660 |
| 16 | Missouri | 621 |
| 17 | Minnesota | 592 |
| 18 | Iowa | 546 |
| 19 | Virginia | 520 |
| 20 | Kentucky | 489 |
| 21 | Oklahoma | 485 |
Most Toxic Chemical Releases
States with the highest total pounds of toxic chemicals released into the environment.
Top states in the current extract
| # | State | Total lbs |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Alaska | 3.9B |
| 2 | Nevada | 1.8B |
| 3 | Texas | 1.1B |
| 4 | Utah | 1.1B |
| 5 | Louisiana | 690.1M |
| 6 | Indiana | 555.5M |
| 7 | Ohio | 485.0M |
| 8 | Alabama | 411.6M |
| 9 | Tennessee | 380.1M |
| 10 | Arizona | 362.3M |
| 11 | Illinois | 337.8M |
| 12 | Michigan | 317.9M |
| 13 | North Carolina | 284.5M |
| 14 | Missouri | 280.5M |
| 15 | Montana | 276.8M |
| 16 | Mississippi | 269.4M |
| 17 | North Dakota | 263.3M |
| 18 | Pennsylvania | 253.6M |
| 19 | Florida | 247.9M |
| 20 | New Mexico | 239.8M |
| 21 | Georgia | 239.0M |
Superfund Sites by State
States ranked by EPA National Priorities List hazardous waste site counts.
Top states in the current extract
| # | State | Sites |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | New Jersey | 153 |
| 2 | Pennsylvania | 127 |
| 3 | New York | 122 |
| 4 | California | 116 |
| 5 | Michigan | 90 |
| 6 | Florida | 81 |
| 7 | Texas | 70 |
| 8 | Washington | 69 |
| 9 | Illinois | 56 |
| 10 | Indiana | 53 |
| 11 | Ohio | 50 |
| 12 | Minnesota | 49 |
| 13 | Wisconsin | 46 |
| 14 | North Carolina | 42 |
| 15 | Massachusetts | 41 |
| 16 | Missouri | 39 |
| 17 | Virginia | 35 |
| 18 | South Carolina | 34 |
| 19 | Louisiana | 29 |
| 20 | Delaware | 26 |
| 21 | Maryland | 26 |
Water Violations by State
States ranked by raw health-based SDWIS violation-record counts, not a water-quality score.
Top states in the current extract
| # | State | Health-based records |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Texas | 35,693 |
| 2 | Oklahoma | 29,177 |
| 3 | California | 17,705 |
| 4 | Louisiana | 14,536 |
| 5 | New Mexico | 8,034 |
| 6 | Missouri | 6,737 |
| 7 | Arkansas | 5,952 |
| 8 | Colorado | 5,561 |
| 9 | New York | 5,536 |
| 10 | Pennsylvania | 5,292 |
| 11 | Arizona | 5,259 |
| 12 | Alaska | 4,843 |
| 13 | Kansas | 3,819 |
| 14 | North Carolina | 3,120 |
| 15 | Illinois | 3,029 |
| 16 | Washington | 2,879 |
| 17 | Puerto Rico | 2,862 |
| 18 | Georgia | 2,771 |
| 19 | Florida | 2,736 |
| 20 | Oregon | 2,683 |
| 21 | West Virginia | 2,508 |
Fewest Health-Based Water Violation Records
States with the lowest raw count in PlainEnviro's EPA health-based violation extract; not a water-safety ranking.
Top states in the current extract
| # | State | Health-based records |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Guam | 12 |
| 2 | Hawaii | 31 |
| 3 | District of Columbia | 38 |
| 4 | U.S. Virgin Islands | 108 |
| 5 | Delaware | 160 |
| 6 | Northern Mariana Islands | 168 |
| 7 | North Dakota | 185 |
| 8 | Rhode Island | 192 |
| 9 | American Samoa | 293 |
| 10 | Alabama | 538 |
| 11 | Maryland | 556 |
| 12 | South Carolina | 720 |
| 13 | Wyoming | 730 |
| 14 | Iowa | 742 |
| 15 | Connecticut | 801 |
| 16 | Maine | 832 |
| 17 | Nevada | 1,021 |
| 18 | Minnesota | 1,033 |
| 19 | Vermont | 1,111 |
| 20 | Michigan | 1,120 |
| 21 | Massachusetts | 1,140 |
Most Water Systems
States with the largest number of public water systems serving their populations.
Top states in the current extract
| # | State | Systems |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Texas | 4,620 |
| 2 | California | 3,068 |
| 3 | Washington | 2,410 |
| 4 | New York | 2,242 |
| 5 | North Carolina | 1,958 |
| 6 | Illinois | 1,785 |
| 7 | Pennsylvania | 1,783 |
| 8 | Georgia | 1,722 |
| 9 | Missouri | 1,688 |
| 10 | Florida | 1,513 |
| 11 | Michigan | 1,434 |
| 12 | Colorado | 1,109 |
| 13 | Ohio | 1,089 |
| 14 | Iowa | 1,078 |
| 15 | Virginia | 1,050 |
| 16 | Minnesota | 998 |
| 17 | Mississippi | 989 |
| 18 | Wisconsin | 978 |
| 19 | Arizona | 949 |
| 20 | Oregon | 943 |
| 21 | Oklahoma | 882 |
State environmental profiles
States appearing in multiple rankings above. Open a profile to see TRI facilities, water systems, Superfund sites, and county breakdowns in one place.
Texas
Appears in: Most TRI Facilities, Most Toxic Chemical Releases, Water Violations by State +1 more
California
Appears in: Most TRI Facilities, Superfund Sites by State, Water Violations by State +1 more
Louisiana
Appears in: Most Toxic Chemical Releases, Water Violations by State
Frequently asked questions about these rankings
Which state leads in toxic chemical releases?
In PlainEnviro's current EPA TRI extract, Alaska reports the highest total pounds released (3.9B). This counts reported release mass, not overall environmental quality.
Do these rankings measure tap water safety or quality?
No. The water-related tables count health-based SDWIS violation records and public water systems from EPA extracts. They are not composite water-quality scores and should not be read as "cleanest" or "safest" drinking water rankings.
How are state positions calculated?
Each table orders states by one reported federal metric: TRI facility counts, TRI release pounds, Superfund NPL site counts, health-based violation-record counts, or public water system counts. Ties follow the ordering in the underlying EPA extract.
Where does the underlying data come from?
Industrial metrics come from the EPA Toxics Release Inventory; hazardous-waste site counts from the Superfund National Priorities List; drinking-water figures from PlainEnviro's health-based SDWIS extract. See the methodology page for program links and refresh cadence.
Which state has the most Superfund sites?
New Jersey leads the current NPL site count extract with 153 listed sites. Site count reflects legacy industrial footprint, not current cleanup status on every parcel.
Can I compare two states side by side?
Yes. Use the Compare two states form above to open PlainEnviro's /compare view with EPA-backed facility, water-system, and Superfund fields for both states.
How often is this data updated?
PlainEnviro refreshes when upstream EPA releases change. The portal extract vintage shown on this page is 2026-08-25; TRI release totals use the 2023 reporting year while health-based SDWIS records run through 2025 in the current build.
Why are some rankings labeled health-based violation records?
The SDWIS extract counts formal health-based violation records tied to public water systems, not a laboratory scorecard of every contaminant. Fewer records in the extract does not prove safer tap water without reading the underlying system pages.
Methodology and limitations
Federal data sources
TRI facility and release totals come from EPA's Toxics Release Inventory (U.S. EPA environmental datasets). Superfund counts reflect the National Priorities List inventory. Drinking-water tables use PlainEnviro's health-based SDWIS violation-record extract through 2025, not a consumer water-quality scorecard.
What these rankings do not measure
No table here ranks overall environmental quality, community health risk, or tap water taste. A state can lead in release pounds while reporting fewer violation records, or the reverse. Use state profiles, facility pages, and system-level records for context beyond any single sorted column.
Every figure on PlainEnviro is rendered directly from EPA environmental compliance data, no number is typed in by an editor. Rankings are computed directly from EPA data. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.
According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, these rankings are computed from PlainEnviro's database of more than 25,000 TRI-reporting facilities, 49,190 public water systems and 1,839 Superfund National Priorities List sites; toxic-release totals cover the 2023 TRI reporting year, while the health-based drinking-water extract runs through 2025. Every position is a direct ordering of reported federal figures, not an assessment of environmental quality or health risk; see our methodology for full source citations and refresh cadence.
Download the environmental statistics extract cited on this page: plainenviro-environmental-rankings.csv (EPA public records · CC BY 4.0).