New Measures Identify Worst Polluting U.S. Corporations
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PERI researchers Michael Ash and James Boyce along with Rich Puchalsky released the latest yearly editions of the Greenhouse 100 Polluters, Suppliers, and Coal indexes and Toxic 100 Air and Water Polluters indexes, which track the environmental performance of U.S.-based industrial activity using the most recent data available (2022) from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The indexes, created as part of PERI’s Corporate Toxics Information Project (CTIP), include environmental justice indicators to assess impacts on low-income people and minorities.
The Greenhouse 100 Suppliers Index ranks companies by their supply of products that result in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions when released, combusted or oxidized. The top five firms are Marathon Petroleum, Exxon Mobil, Valero Energy, Phillips 66, and Peabody Energy.
The Suppliers Index also offers state-level rankings for the quantity of greenhouse gas emissions from fossil fuels supplied within their borders.
The Greenhouse 100 Polluters Index ranks companies by direct emissions of GHGs from their facilities. The top five companies are Vistra, Southern Company, Duke Energy, Berkshire Hathaway, and American Electric Power.
The Toxic 100 Air Polluters Index tracks total potential chronic human health risk from toxic chemical pollutants released into the air. Standard Industries tops the list, followed by Greenbrier Companies, Huntsman, Kaiser Aluminum, and Tesla.
The Toxic 100 Water Polluters Index ranks companies by potential chronic human health risk by the pounds of toxics released into surface water or sent to water-treatment systems, adjusted for chemical toxicity. The top five companies are Dow, Huntsman, Xylem, Celanese, and Exxon Mobil.
A free, open-access online search tool provides information on every company, not only the top 100. Archives of earlier editions are also available.
The complete Toxic 100 and Greenhouse 100 lists and full press release can be found online at http://toxic100.org/.