New data from the EPA shows North Carolina ranks 17th nationwide for toxic chemical releases and pollution.
The EPA's Toxic Release Inventory tracks pollution from plants and manufacturers, and the recently released data is from 2021.
North Carolina's top polluters included American Zinc Products, a zinc manufacturer in Rutherford County; Nutrien's PCS Phosphate, a fertilizer company in Beaufort County; and the Smithfield Tar Heel Hog Processing facility in Bladen County.
Across the state, 59 million pounds of chemicals and pollutants were released, the highest since 2015.
