Last updated: May 2026
This page explains what CheckYourZone is, what it isn't, and what you're agreeing to by using it.
The Short Version
CheckYourZone provides environmental hazard information to help you make informed decisions. We're not emergency responders, regulators, or your personal safety consultant. The information here is educational - it's a starting point for awareness, not a substitute for professional guidance or official emergency instructions.
Use this site to learn. Then verify with authoritative sources before making major decisions.
What This Site Is
CheckYourZone aggregates public data about chemical facilities, calculates potential hazard zones, and presents this information alongside preparedness guidance. Our goal is to make publicly available safety information more accessible and actionable.
We provide:
- Facility locations and the chemicals they handle (from EPA's Risk Management Program data)
- Calculated dispersion distances based on chemical properties and established modeling methods
- General emergency preparedness information
- Context about historical incidents
We are:
- An educational resource
- A transparency project
- A starting point for community awareness
What This Site Is Not
We are not:
- Emergency services (call 911 for emergencies)
- A regulatory agency
- Certified safety consultants
- A substitute for local emergency planning
We don't provide:
- Real-time monitoring or alerts
- Guarantees about facility safety
- Legal or professional safety advice
- Predictions about specific incidents
About Our Data
Sources
Our primary data comes from the EPA's Risk Management Program database, obtained through the Data Liberation Project's FOIA efforts. We also reference CDC emergency guides, NOAA chemical data, and other public sources. Each data source is cited where it appears.
Calculations
Where official distance data is unavailable (which is most of the time - see our Journey Log for why), we calculate dispersion distances ourselves using established atmospheric modeling methods. We document our methodology, show our assumptions, and err on the side of caution.
Accuracy
We do our best to present accurate information, but:
- Source data may contain errors or be outdated
- Our calculations are estimates, not predictions
- Real-world conditions vary in ways models can't capture
- Facilities change over time
A note about emphasis: Legal convention asks us to make certain disclaimers prominent. Rather than shout at you in all caps, here's what matters:
The important bit: This information is provided "as is." We can't guarantee it's complete, accurate, or current. Don't make life-altering decisions based solely on what you read here. Verify important information with official sources - your local emergency management agency, the EPA, or the facilities themselves.
Using This Site
You're Welcome To
- Look up hazard information for any location
- Share links to pages on this site
- Use the information for research, journalism, or community organizing
- Contact us with corrections or suggestions
Please Don't
- Scrape the site aggressively (ask us for data access instead)
- Present our information as official government data
- Use the site to harass facilities, employees, or communities
- Copy our content wholesale without attribution
Limitation of Liability
We built this site to help people access public information. We're not responsible for:
- Decisions you make based on information here
- Errors or omissions in source data
- Actions of third parties
- How facilities operate or what chemicals they store
- Events that occur regardless of whether you used this site
In plain terms: We're sharing public information in good faith. If something goes wrong in your life, we're not the ones to blame or sue. The facilities, regulators, and emergency responders are the accountable parties for actual safety - we're just helping you find information.
Changes to These Terms
If we update these terms, we'll note the date at the top. Continued use of the site means you accept any changes. We won't make changes that fundamentally alter this agreement without clear notice.
Contact
Questions about these terms? Reach out:
- Email: amarx@xram.net
- GitHub: https://github.com/atmarx/checkyourzone
These terms are written to be read by humans. If any part is unclear, that's our failure - let us know and we'll fix it.