A new state report says toxic chemical releases from industries and federal facilities are declining in Virginia.
An annual inventory released Wednesday by the Department of Environmental Quality says toxic chemical releases into the air, land and water totaled 46.3 million pounds in 2010, the latest available data. That's a 4.2 percent decrease from 2009.
Toxic chemicals released into the air fell 5.8 percent, while water releases dropped 2.7 percent.
Industries reported a total 911.4 million pounds of toxic chemicals managed on-site, transferred off-site or released on-site. That's up 1.1 percent from 2009.
About 79 percent of all on-site releases were by chemical manufacturing, utilities and food manufacturing industries.
Copyright AP - Associated Press
