In 2025, the
U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board (CSB) launched a significant new series of publications called Chemical Incident Reports. These reports provide the public with concise summaries and probable causes for serious accidental chemical releases reported to the agency.
Overview of 2025 Incident Report Volumes
Throughout 2025 and into early 2026, the CSB released four distinct volumes of these reports, collectively covering dozens of incidents that resulted in fatalities, serious injuries, and billions in property damage.
- Volume 1 (January 2025): Summarizes 26 accidental release events across 15 states, resulting in five fatalities and approximately $700 million in damage.
- Volume 2 (March 2025): Covers 25 serious incidents in 14 states, including events that led to seven fatalities and $1 billion in property damage.
- Volume 3 (July 2025): Details 30 incidents occurring between 2020 and early 2025, including a hot water release in Mississippi.
- Volume 4 (February 2026): Examines high-consequence incidents from 2025, specifically highlighting those caused by workers mistakenly disassembling active equipment.
Major 2025 Incidents Highlighted
The CSB opened several major investigations into fatal or high-damage events that occurred during the year:
- PBF Energy Martinez Refinery (Feb 1, 2025): An explosion and fire in Martinez, CA, caused by workers inadvertently opening a pipe flange on an active system, resulting in roughly $924 million in damage.
- Olin Corporation (May 20, 2025): A release of 8,000 pounds of toxic chlorine gas in Freeport, TX, after a maintenance worker disassembled a rupture disc holder on an active system.
-
U.S. Steel Clairton Plant
(Aug 11, 2025): A catastrophic coke oven gas explosion in Clairton, PA, that killed two employees and injured several others.
- Accurate Energetic Systems (Oct 10, 2025): One of the deadliest incidents in years, where massive explosions at an explosives manufacturing facility in McEwen, TN, killed 16 people.
Key Safety Themes in 2025 Reports
- Positive Equipment Identification: Many reports emphasize the lack of effective methods for workers to distinguish between nearly identical active and decommissioned piping.
- Safety Management Failures: Investigations frequently pointed to gaps between written procedures and actual field practices, especially during maintenance outages or “turnarounds”.
- Probable Cause Identification: For the first time, these reports include the CSB’s determination of probable cause for events that were not the subject of a full, multi-year agency investigation.
