Chemical Spills, Gas Clouds, Train Derailments, Factory Fires - Manmade disasters and toxic releases in the news

Chemical Spills, Gas Clouds, Train Derailments, Factory Fires

Manmade disasters and toxic releases in the news

It seems like there has been an explosion (pardon the phrase) or manmade disasters in the past several years. Is it sloppiness? Poor maintenance? Sabotage? At present, we do not know and it is impossible to know who to trust for accurate information. It is wise to seek information from a variety of sources.  Do not assume you can trust the truth nor accuracy of one sources, whether it is a news channel, the government ot social media.

Here are links to some of the more notable toxic releases in the news:

• Palestine, Ohio train derailment and toxic chemical spill, fire and release February 2023
• Storage tank fire, Oklahoma, February 2023
• Kissimmee, Florida - warehouse fire, burning plastic

Search for a specific spill

• You can search the government database of reported incidents and spills here.

What to do to protect yourself and your family

• Reporting chemical spills
• Hazardous Materials Information (SDS, MSDS, chemical information)
• Disaster Assistance (FSIS)
• Emergency Disinfection of Drinking Water (EPA)
• Resources for Food Safety and Storage in Emergency Situations (National Agricultural Library)
• What Can I Do If There Is A Problem With My Drinking Water? (EPA)
• Extension Disaster Education Network (EDEN) (Cooperative Extension Service, Illinois)
• Preparing for a Disaster (Emergency Management, Collier County, Florida)
• Power Failure: How to Protect Foods (Department of Public Health, Seattle-King County, Washington)
• What Consumers Can Do to Prevent Foodborne Illness (Department of Health, South Dakota)
• Disaster Handbook (Cooperative Extension Service, Florida)

 

DOT spills incidents statistics

U.S. Department of Transportation Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration Office of Hazardous Material Safety 2022 (All Column Values) Hazmat Summary by Transportation Phase

Transportation Phase Incidents Hospitalized Non-Hospitalized Fatalities Damages IN TRANSIT 8,408 5 8 1 $62,001,981 IN TRANSIT STORAGE 675 0 0 0 $326,598 LOADING 4,036 0 4 0 $452,568 UNLOADING 11,566 2 3 0 $3,726,834

Click on the numbers in the above report to see a listing of specific incidents making up the number. To sort by column click on any column heading (once for ascending and twice for descending). Source: Hazmat Intelligence Portal, U.S. Department of Transportation. Data as of 2/16/2023.

 

References:

Many references are incorporated into the text above, by the links to the sources. Below are additional references.