Behind the numbers: Hazmat transportation accidents are on the rise in Midwest – By Katherine Oung (Indianapolis Star) / July 25, 2023
USA TODAY analyzed a decade’s worth of data from the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration about the movement of hazardous chemicals across Indiana, Illinois, Kentucky, Michigan and Ohio. Here are the most important takeaways revealed in the data, as well how reporters evaluated the information.
The number of highway hazmat incidents has been growing
The number of transportation-related hazmat accidents each year in the U.S. has increased steadily in the last decade, from about 16,100 incidents in 2013 to 25,300 last year, according to the federal Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration. The same trend can be seen in the five-state region, where the annual count climbed from 3,400 to 5,300 last year.
An increase in highway accidents, both in the region and nationally, has driven these numbers. The number of rail accidents actually decreased during this time, from 86 in the region in 2013 to 51 in 2022. Accidents in the region involving air transport have remained steady at around 200 a year, while only two barge accidents with hazmat spills occurred in the entire decade.
