The Guardian recently conducted an analysis of chemical accidents in the United States, and the outcomes were grim. According to their data, which was obtained from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), accidental releases of chemicals happen “striking regularity.” In fact, one estimate found that these hazardous incidents occur approximately every two days.
In an excerpt from their article, Carey Gillam wrote: “In the first seven weeks of 2023 alone, there were more than 30 incidents recorded by the Coalition to Prevent Chemical Disasters, roughly one every day and a half. Last year the coalition recorded 188, up from 177 in 2021. The group has tallied more than 470 incidents since it started counting in April 2020.”
To highlight the data visually, the Coalition to Prevent Chemical Disasters created an interactive map showing the location of each reported chemical accident in the U.S. in 2021, 2022, and 2023.