1 in 5 People in Missouri Live near Toxic Release Sites

The number of people who live near toxic release sites in Missouri is quite concerning, it is higher than the national average according, did you have any idea about this?

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According to an article on stacker.com a little over 21% of people in the Show-Me State of Missouri live near a Toxic Release Site. In the article they say...

"Communities may not even be aware of it, but corporate sites across the U.S are releasing toxins into the surrounding land, air, and water. After an accidental release from a chemical plant in West Virginia chemical plant in 1985, Congress passed the Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act."

With information from this Act stacker compiled data with census data to figure out what percentage of people in each state live near these toxic release sites, the national average is 17% of people. Missouri meanwhile is the 23rd worst state for this at 21.7% of people, compared to Illinois which is 36th on the list, at the national average of just over 17%. In the article, they say this about Missouri...

"Combination mine-and-mills comprised four of five of Missouri’s top toxin-emitting sites in 2020...The vast majority of toxins were released into the land."

Now while Missouri's numbers arent great they are certainly not close to being in the top 3 worst states in the country, which are, Wyoming, Iowa, and Wisconsin all of these states have over 32% of their population living near these Toxic Release Sites.

Now the article doesn't go too in-depth about what could happen if you live near these toxic release sites except for the fact that they give you links to learn about what happened in West Virginia in 1985, but overall it makes you wonder, do you really know if the area of the country you are living in is that safe?