US chemical tank disasters remain rare despite recent incidents, experts say

For several tense days last week, tens of thousands of southern California residents were left wondering whether a 7,000-gallon chemical storage tank would either explode or spill out into the streets. The episode cast in sharp relief the risk of chemical spills and explosions that lurk behind every corner of modern life. The methyl methacrylate that recently left the city of Garden Grove teetering on the edge of disaster is just one of many toxic chemicals commonly found in American cities. Oil refineries process petroleum products whose combustibility is precisely what makes them so valuable. Refrigerated warehouses across the country rely on the cost-effective refrigerant ammonia, which is both corrosive and flammable. The paper industry uses hydrogen sulfide, a compound whose accidental release has killed six workers in three separate incidents over the last three years, according to the Chemical Safety Board (CSB). But despite being surrounded with industrial hazards, the risk of a catastrophic incident is not as high as it would seem. Chemical disasters remain extremely uncommon, according to a review of recent CSB investigations. The CSB investigated just five major chemical spills or explosions in 2025 and 2024. …