Yellowstone's Growing Tourist Surge Triggers Explosive Waste Crisis

With Yellowstone's annual visitation surging from 3.8 million in 2020 to 4.8 million in 2025, discarded bear spray cans are becoming a critical safety hazard at regional waste facilities. Workers face monthly pressurized capsicum spray explosions that force evacuations and cause respiratory distress, exposing a dangerous gap between robust tourism infrastructure and hazardous waste management protocols. The crisis underscores how rapid park growth can spawn unexpected environmental and occupational health challenges requiring urgent policy intervention.