{
  "id": "1991-may-tri-working-guide-news",
  "slug": "1991-may-tri-working-guide-news",
  "url": "https://dwillis.github.io/uplink/article/1991-may-tri-working-guide-news.html",
  "year": 1991,
  "month": "May",
  "monthNum": 5,
  "headline": "TRI Working Guide News",
  "kicker": "",
  "author_name": "",
  "author_title": "",
  "affiliation": "MICAR",
  "summary": "A new Reporter's Working Guide to the Toxic Release Inventory provides step-by-step instructions for journalists to download, organize, and analyze EPA pollution data to create meaningful environmental stories. MICAR offers the guide in various package options ranging from $30 to $500, including database access and technical tools.",
  "keywords": [
    "pollution",
    "database",
    "reporters"
  ],
  "topics": [
    "Health & Environment",
    "Data & Databases",
    "Investigative Methods"
  ],
  "technologies": [
    "SQL",
    "9-track tape"
  ],
  "full_text": "The Environmental Protection Agency's Toxic Release Inventory (TRI) has been one of the most popular databases used by the readers of UPLINK. It has been the source of excellent industrial pollution stories in Florida, California, Connecticut, Ohio and elsewhere.\n\nBut many reporters still have not used the database.\n\nIn June, N.T.I.S. will make the 1989 TRI available on computer tape. We have found a way to make using these tapes irresistible. MICAR has produced A Reporter's Working Guide to the Toxic Release Inventory.\n\nThis short, step-by-step guide helps reporters download TRI into their computers, organize the data so that is usable, and manipulate the data to produce meaningful reports.\n\nAnd because specific SQL commands are included, reporters using the guide will be able to: identify the major polluters in their area; list the quantities of toxic chemicals discharged by state, county or zip code; identify the most polluted rivers and streams in their area; find out what toxic chemicals are used for; list the most common types of discharges and the list goes on.\n\nThe guide, which is really all you need if you already own the TRI database, costs $30 by itself. But for $50, MICAR will also include the NineTrack Express record profiles needed to download TRI.\n\nIf you do not own TRI, cannot afford it, or simply do not have a tape drive, for $350 MICAR will also supply TRI data concerning your entire state on 3.5\" diskettes. These diskettes contain unabbreviated data, unlike that which N.T.I.S. sells.\n\nFinally, if you wish to purchase the entire TRI database on computer tape, MICAR can supply it for $500. To order, call MICAR at (314)-882-0684.",
  "provenance": {
    "extracted_by": "anthropic/claude-sonnet-4-6",
    "extracted_at": "2026-07-05",
    "verified": true
  },
  "similar": [
    {
      "slug": "1991-december-tri-working-guide-still-available",
      "score": 0.582
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      "slug": "1991-october-tri-working-guide-available-at-micar",
      "score": 0.549
    },
    {
      "slug": "1995-january-how-to-deal-with-epa-data",
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      "score": 0.253
    }
  ],
  "html_url": "https://dwillis.github.io/uplink/article/1991-may-tri-working-guide-news.html",
  "json_url": "https://dwillis.github.io/uplink/article/1991-may-tri-working-guide-news.json"
}