Knowledge is power
FencelineData.org shifts the balance of power from chemical producers to journalists, community members and advocates who can hold them accountable.
The data you need
One system. Multiple EPA programs.
EPA data can be difficult to navigate and interpret, with FencelineData.org, access multiple datasets including federal data on chemical and greenhouse-gas emissions and enforcement actions in one place.
- Toxics Release Inventory (TRI)
- TRI tracks the management of certain toxic chemicals that may pose a threat to human health and the environment. U.S. facilities in different industry sectors must report annually how much of each chemical is released to the environment and/or managed through recycling, energy recovery and treatment.
- Greenhouse Gas Reporting Program (GHGRP)
- The GHGRP requires reporting of greenhouse gas (GHG) data and other relevant information from large GHG emission sources, fuel and industrial gas suppliers, and CO2 injection sites in the United States.
- Enforcement and Compliance History Online (ECHO)
- ECHO provides integrated compliance and enforcement information for more than one million regulated facilities nationwide.
This tool fills a consolidation gap that environmental reporters frequently face: while plenty of information on toxic substances is collected by state and federal agencies and a matter of public record, it is stored in disparate and often clunky systems. This web dashboard pulls much of that data into the same place, helping to make crucial public health information available to reporters and ensuring they’re not missing a major piece of the puzzle when covering the latest plant fire or spill. I think it will also help residents themselves in a city like Houston, where people frequently wish they knew more about what exactly is being released from the industrial facility next door.
Frequently asked questions
Why don’t I see a particular facility that I’m concerned about?
Our initial launch includes only those facilities that report to the Environmental Protection Agency’s Toxics Release Inventory. Only facilities that exceed certain thresholds of pollution for fewer than 1,000 chemicals must file these reports. There are presently more than 21,000 facilities that file TRI reports. By comparison, EPA’s Federal Registry System has nearly 6 million records, many of which are duplicates. FencelineData.org plans to harmonize these records using a combination of community science, AI, and data quality controls. This will streamline access to facility-level information.
Where can I submit feedback? What kind of feedback is FencelineData.org seeking?
Submit your feedback on FencelineData.org here .
How many years of data are available? Will more historical data be added?
FencelineData.org includes data from three EPA programs: Toxics Release Inventory reports from 2019 to 2022, Greenhouse Gas Reporting Program (GHGRP) data from 2022, and the most recent 18 months of Enforcement and Compliance History Online (ECHO) data. Our team routinely updates this data directly from the EPA and applies a combination of AI and human intelligence to correct facility location information.
What do the chemical hazards mean?
FencelineData uses authoritative open-access sources to associate hazards with chemicals. It correlates hazards only where the source states the association is probable or higher. The system’s development plans include additional chemical hazard information.
FencelineData Hazard Association Sources (last updated March 27, 2024)
- Carcinogens
- California Proposition 65
- European Chemical Agency InfoCards
- Plastichem Project
- U.S. Dept. of Health & Human Services 15th Report on Carcinogens
- U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Toxics Release Inventory Basis of OSHA Carcinogens
- International Agency for Research on Cancer Monographs On the Evaluation of Carcinogenic Risks to Humans
- NIOSH - Thirteen OSHA Carcinogens
- Developmental and Reproductive Toxicants
- Mutagens
- Neurological Toxicants
- Endocrine Disruptors
- Asthmagens
When will I be able to provide data from my community?
Incorporating local, community-sourced data is a central goal of FencelineData.org. We cannot include local datasets at this time, but we are building a framework to incorporate and centralize community data in the future.
What features will FencelineData.org add in the future? How can I support the development of these features?
- Training materials and program: In our next phase of development, we will develop training materials and programs for different types of users.
- Geographic expansion: FencelineData.org will incorporate data from countries outside of the United States, but likely not until 2025 or later.
- Socio-demographic information and climate-related data: We plan to add socio-demographic and weather/climate-related datasets to help contextualize the active and potential harm of chemical release and production.