Ohio derailment that spilled toxic chemicals and shook community should raise alarms here
In fact, accidents, like the one in northeastern Ohio, are happening with striking regularity, according to a recent analysis by The Guardian. The story, which used data collected by the Environmental Protection Agency and by nonprofits that track chemical accidents, shows that accidental releases — be they through train derailments, truck crashes, pipeline ruptures, or industrial plant leaks and spills — are happening consistently across the country.
In the first seven weeks of this year, there were more than 30 accidents 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 identified more than 470 incidents since it started keeping track in April 2020.
High-risk industrial and commercial facilities that use and/or store hazardous chemicals are found in every state, according to the Coalition to Prevent Chemical Disasters. Some 124 million people — nearly 40% of the U.S. population — live within 3 miles of one of about 12,500 hazardous facilities included in the EPA’s Risk Management Program.
Providence, especially the city’s 02905 zip code, is home to accidents waiting to happen. About a dozen polluters in 02905 are routinely listed in the EPA’s Toxics Release Inventory. This section of the city contains a greater number of polluting facilities than any other zip code in Providence County.
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