September 18, 2025Chemical Incident Tracker updated after EPA deletes data
Press Release
Media Contact
Deidre Nelms; Communications Director; Coming Clean; dnelms@comingcleaninc.org, (802) 251-0203 ext. 711.
The Coalition to Prevent Chemical Disasters published updates to its open-access chemical disaster tracking tool today that allow users to see how close they live to highly hazardous facilities covered by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Risk Management Program (RMP). The Chemical Incident Tracker continues to allow users to search for chemical releases, fires and explosions that have been reported in the media since January 2021, using an interactive map. The tracker is updated with new incidents weekly.
Chemical incidents endanger communities on a near daily basis in the U.S. Since January 2021, the coalition has tracked more than 1246 incidents involving hazardous chemicals, an average of five incidents per week. This year, chemical explosions have killed workers, contaminated entire communities, and triggered dozens of evacuations.
In April 2025, EPA removed a public data tool from its website that allowed communities to search for facilities in their zipcode that use and store highly hazardous chemicals above thresholds regulated by the Risk Management Program, and review their accident reports.
The Trump Administration has announced that it plans to “reconsider” updates to the RMP rule finalized in 2024 that were intended to more effectively prevent chemical disasters. And it has encouraged Congress to eliminate the Chemical Safety Board, the only independent agency that investigates chemical disasters and issues independent safety recommendations.
“The government has a responsibility to protect people from chemical disasters. This fact should not be political, but unfortunately the health and safety of workers and communities continues to be sidelined by this EPA for the desires of chemical companies to avoid transparency or accountability,” said Stephanie Herron of the Environmental Justice Health Alliance for Chemical Policy Reform. “People have a right to know basic information that impacts the safety of their families regardless of political whims, which is why our coalition has stepped in to help fill in the gaps.”
“Workers and fenceline communities have a right to know about chemical hazards that endanger their lives, homes, and families, as called for in the Louisville Charter for Safer Chemicals. It’s scandalous that the Trump Administration is putting the profits of billion dollar companies ahead of the safety of workers, teachers, and families,” said Steve Taylor, Programs Director of the environmental health network Coming Clean.
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Coming Clean is a nonprofit environmental health collaborative working to transform the chemical industry so it is no longer a source of harm, and to secure systemic changes that allow a safe chemical and clean energy economy to flourish. Our members are organizations and technical experts — including grassroots activists, community leaders, scientists, health professionals, lawyers, and farmworker advocates — committed to principled collaboration to advance a nontoxic, sustainable, and just world for all.
The Environmental Justice Health Alliance for Chemical Policy Reform (EJHA) is a national network of grassroots Environmental and Economic Justice organizations and advocates in communities that are disproportionately impacted by toxic chemicals from legacy contamination, ongoing exposure to polluting facilities and health-harming chemicals in household products. EJHA supports a just transition towards safer chemicals and a pollution-free economy that leaves no community or worker behind.
Coming Clean and EJHA are members of the Coalition to Prevent Chemical Disasters. The Coalition includes community members, environmental health and justice organizations, health professionals, and labor groups, calling on the EPA and other federal agencies to enact stronger regulations for facilities that use, store, and manufacture hazardous chemicals. Together we are advocating to improve the safety of our homes, workplaces, hospitals and schools.