The causes of a release of nitrogen oxides and nitric acid that occurred in Bogalusa, Louisiana in 1995 resembled those of the MIC release in Bhopal, India. The initiating event in both accidents was the entry of water into a storage vessel, which started a series of chemical reactions. An analysis of the underlying causes of these accidents shows some striking similarities (e.g. large quantities of a toxic chemical in storage, lack of instrumentation, inadequate mechanical systems, inadequate operating and maintenance procedures). Further, in both incidents a similar pattern of previous incidents, ignored warnings and ignored safety recommendations existed. Several layers of administrative and engineering options that could have prevented or mitigated these incidents are discussed. It is hoped that the identification of recurring root and contributing causes will help to prevent future accidents.