WASHINGTON — Toxic chemical pollution from industrial plants and factories declined by 2 percent in 2006 despite increases in the mining and petroleum sectors, the government said Thursday. Companies reported that 4.25 billion pounds of toxic chemicals were released into the air, onto land, into waterways, injected deep into the ground, or stored on site as waste. That is about 105 million pounds less than 2005. About one-third of the chemicals, or 1.41 billion pounds, were reported released into the air, 7 percent less than in 2005, the Environmental Protection Agency said. An additional...
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