“The Ohio River, since 2001, has received the most chemicals released into a water body in the United States, and 2013 was no exception,” the report said. It said 92 percent of releases were form one class of chemicals, nitrate compounds, which are widely used in fertilizers. Although nitrate and nitrate compounds are not among EPA’s 126 priority pollutants, they are listed as a toxic chemical by Emergency Planing and Right-to-Know Act (EPCRA).
About 73 percent of the total release come from one facility in Rockport, Ind., a carbon and steel finishing operation.
The report is available at www.orsanco.org.