TRI-Direct: Interactive Visual Analysis of TRI Data

In this work, we present TRI-DIRECT, an interactive visual analytic system with capabilities to analyze spatio-temporal data for both professional and novice users. The system is motivated by the Toxic Release Inventory (TRI) program of US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and its associated datasets; the TRI program was created in 1986 to track toxic chemical usage, which includes release, recycling, treatment and recovery, and its impact on the environment. The design of the system is motivated for ease of use and its future transition to mobile platforms, so as to have the widest possible impact across users possessing a range of skills/interests. We describe TRI-DIRECT’s design, implementation and capabilities, and present two detailed use cases with the system, (1) Texas vs. Louisiana’s usage and processing of toxic chemicals, and, (2) comparing an urban region, Raleigh, NC, vs. the state of North Carolina.