US non-profit organisation Peer (Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility) has highlighted the number of serious chemical incidents across the US in recent years, aiming to stress the risks attached to the US government’s proposals to reduce incident prevention requirements. Peer also emphasises the important role of the US Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board (CSB), which president Donald Trump’s administration is trying to eliminate.
Peer’s analysis is based on the CSB’s public reporting of serious incidents, with figures available since 2021. Peer says the data show a 50% overall increase in incidents between 2021 and 2025 (83 to 133 incidents), with a 20% increase in incidents involving injuries or fatalities from 2024 to 2025. However, a more comprehensive look into that same dataset provides a more nuanced picture.