Chemical security

Chemical disasters: EPA plan would keep us in the dark

Last month's chemical leak in Baytown, Texas is a stark reminder that many of us live perilously close to extremely hazardous chemical facilities. On Sunday, July 17, an unknown amount of explosive gas was released from a refinery pipeline prompting authorities to evacuate private homes and issue a 'shelter-in-place' alert for the entire neighborhood. 

Chemical releases such as Baytown's happen with startling frequency and have the potential to impact thousands. The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has identified 466 chemical facilities across the nation that each put 100,000 or more people at risk of a poison gas disaster. Since the West, Texas, disaster just a little over 3 years ago, there have been more than 430 chemical incidents resulting in 82 deaths.  

While millions of Americans live or work in areas threatened by chemical disasters, not every community shares this risk equally. A recent demographic analysis by the Environmental Justice Health Alliance found that the percentage of Black people living closest to America’s most dangerous facilities is 75% greater than the U.S. as a whole, and the percentage of Latinos is 60% greater. The poverty rate closest to these dangerous facilities is 50% higher.