Got Methyl Mercaptan? Group Maps Chemical Risks Data

It was news when a leak of methyl mercaptan killed four workers at a DuPont chemical plant in La Porte, Texas, November 15, 2014. Maps and data are available to any environmental journalists who want to know about similar hazards near them.

Amanda Frank at the Center for Effective Government quickly used online tools to map out 18 of the biggest chemical facilities handling methyl mercaptan in the U.S.

The same could be done with many more chemicals, many of which are even more hazardous. Data about these chemicals can be found on Right-to-Know Net and EPA's Toxics Release Inventory, which now includes mapping features.

• "Mapping DuPont's Deadly Chemical Leak," The Fine Print blog (Center for Effective Government), November 18, 2014, by Amanda Frank.
• "High-Risk Chemical Facilities — Methyl Mercaptan," Center for Effective Government.
• "Kids in Danger Zones," Center for Effective Government, September 2014.
• "4 Workers Killed at DuPont Chemical Plant," Chemical & Engineering News, November 18, 2014, by Andrea Widener.