According to the EPA’s Toxic Release Inventory, the amount of toxics released into our environment in 2002 rose by 5 percent.  This is actually exciting news for some who see this as proof that the Bush Administration has been rolling back important environmental regulations.  But according to a recent article by Joel Schwartz of the American Enterprise Institute, this apparent increase all results from a single copper smelting facility that was shut down that year, and had to report its dismantling as so-called waste.  And what happens when you exclude that one facility?  Well then in 2002, toxic releases actually declined by 3 percent!