Methodology
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In order to determine the states with the most hazardous materials incidents in transit, researchers at Trace One used the latest data from the Department of Transportation’s Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration. The researchers ranked states by the total hazmat transit incidents per 100,000 residents during the 5-year period of April 1, 2021 through April 1, 2026. Hazardous materials, as defined by the Secretary of Transportation, are those substances or materials that are capable of posing an unreasonable risk to health, safety, and property when transported in commerce. This includes hazardous substances, hazardous wastes, marine pollutants, elevated temperature materials, and more.
In the event of a tie, the state with the larger total number of hazmat transit incidents was ranked higher. For additional context, total hazmat transit damages, total hazmat transit incidents causing death or hospitalization, and the most common hazmat in transit incidents in each state were also calculated.
For complete results, see U.S. States Most Exposed by Hazardous Materials Transport Incidents on Trace One.
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