US chemical accidents rising as Trump rolls back protections, report finds
Summary
The number of chemical accidents in the US has increased by over 50% since 2021, with more deaths and injuries reported. Despite this rise, the Trump administration is working to remove federal safety rules designed to prevent such disasters at high-risk facilities.Key Facts
- Chemical accidents, including explosions and fires, rose from 83 in 2021 to 131 in 2025.
- Deaths and injuries related to chemical accidents increased by at least 20% in the same period.
- Two recent major accidents included a chemical tank failure in California that forced evacuations of 40,000 people and a chemical tank collapse in Washington that killed 11 workers.
- The Clean Air Act requires over 12,500 facilities to have safety plans to prevent chemical disasters and protect workers and nearby communities.
- The Biden administration updated these safety rules in 2024 to require better technology and disaster response plans.
- The Trump administration has removed a public website that shared chemical location information and is rolling back the 2024 safety updates.
- Critics worry that aging infrastructure and weaker regulations increase the risk of chemical disasters.
- Data on chemical accidents mainly cover releases into the air and may undercount accidents inside plants.
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