Guidelines Manual, Chapter TwoFY2018–FY2025
§2Q1.2
Mishandling of hazardous or toxic substances or pesticides · 0.1% of federal cases · Guidelines Manual
The datafile contains cases reported to the Commission with sentencing documents. Sentence length statistics use the Commission's capped variable (sentences of 470 months or longer, including life, are recorded as 470 months) and exclude sentences of probation or a fine only. Figures are aggregates of past cases and are not a prediction for any case.
§ 1Length of prison terms
Interquartile range 0–10 months; mean 6. 0 cases at the 470-month cap.
§ 2Summary
§2Q1.2 (mishandling of hazardous or toxic substances or pesticides) was the primary guideline in 274 cases sentenced across 8 fiscal years (FY2018–FY2025), 0.1% of all cases, with 30 in FY2025. The Commission classes most of them as environmental.
The median prison term under §2Q1.2 was 3 months (all cases nationally: 24 months); 33% of cases carried a prison term.
39% of sentences were within the guideline range. Of the rest, 33% were below the range on a government motion, 28% below it for other reasons and 0% above it. The departure and variance table below uses the Commission's nine SENTRNGE categories.
FY2025 had more cases than FY2018 (30 against 26). The median prison term in FY2024 (4 months) was shorter than in FY2018 (9 months).
§ 3Departures and variances
Within guideline range 39%Above range 0%Below range, government sponsored 33%Below range, other 28%Not determinable <10
| Commission category (SENTRNGE) | Cases | Share | All cases |
|---|---|---|---|
| Within range | 107 | 39.2% | 47.4% |
| Upward departure | 0 | 0.0% | 0.5% |
| Above-range variance | 0 | 0.0% | 2.6% |
| §5K1.1 substantial assistance | 39 | 14.3% | 9.5% |
| §5K3.1 early disposition | 0 | 0.0% | 9.2% |
| Government-sponsored departure | <10 | — | 1.9% |
| Government-sponsored variance | 43 | 15.8% | 8.0% |
| Downward departure | 10 | 3.7% | 2.1% |
| Below-range variance | 65 | 23.8% | 18.8% |
| Missing or indeterminable | <10 | — | — |
Shares are of cases with a determinable range status. Departures cite a provision of the Guidelines Manual; variances rest on the statutory sentencing factors (18 U.S.C. §3553(a)) after United States v. Booker.
§ 4Cases by fiscal year
| Fiscal year | Cases | Prison | Median months | Within range | Below, gov. | Below, other | Above |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2018 | 26 | 39% | 9 | — | — | 39% | 0% |
| FY2019 | 31 | — | — | 36% | 39% | — | 0% |
| FY2020 | 18 | — | 3 | — | — | — | 0% |
| FY2021 | 54 | 33% | 0 | 57% | 20% | 22% | 0% |
| FY2022 | 49 | 31% | 3 | 48% | 29% | 23% | 0% |
| FY2023 | 31 | 32% | 5 | 32% | — | 39% | 0% |
| FY2024 | 35 | 31% | 4 | — | 49% | — | 0% |
| FY2025 | 30 | — | — | — | 50% | — | 0% |
§ 5Offence types the Commission assigns
| Primary offence type | Cases | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Environmental | 274 | 100.0% |
§ 6Districts with the most cases
| District | Cases | Prison | Median months | Within range | Below, gov. | Below, other |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Southern District of California S.D. Cal. | 66 | 44% | 2 | 89% | — | — |
| Western District of North Carolina W.D.N.C. | 13 | — | — | — | — | 0% |
| Western District of Michigan W.D. Mich. | 12 | — | — | 0% | — | — |
| Middle District of Pennsylvania M.D. Pa. | 11 | — | — | — | — | — |
| Northern District of New York N.D.N.Y. | <10 | fewer than 10 cases | ||||
| Eastern District of Missouri E.D. Mo. | <10 | fewer than 10 cases | ||||
| District of Oregon D. Or. | <10 | fewer than 10 cases | ||||
| District of New Jersey D.N.J. | <10 | fewer than 10 cases | ||||
| Southern District of Ohio S.D. Ohio | <10 | fewer than 10 cases | ||||
| District of Connecticut D. Conn. | <10 | fewer than 10 cases | ||||
| District of Alaska D. Alaska | <10 | fewer than 10 cases | ||||
| Central District of California C.D. Cal. | <10 | fewer than 10 cases | ||||
| District of Idaho D. Idaho | <10 | fewer than 10 cases | ||||
| Western District of Washington W.D. Wash. | <10 | fewer than 10 cases | ||||
| District of Kansas D. Kan. | <10 | fewer than 10 cases | ||||
| Western District of New York W.D.N.Y. | <10 | fewer than 10 cases | ||||
| District of Minnesota D. Minn. | <10 | fewer than 10 cases | ||||
| District of Nevada D. Nev. | <10 | fewer than 10 cases | ||||
| Southern District of Florida S.D. Fla. | <10 | fewer than 10 cases | ||||
| District of Puerto Rico D.P.R. | <10 | fewer than 10 cases | ||||
By circuit
| Circuit | Cases | Prison | Median months | Within range | Below, gov. | Below, other |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| District of Columbia Circuit | <10 | fewer than 10 cases | ||||
| First Circuit | <10 | fewer than 10 cases | ||||
| Second Circuit | 23 | — | — | — | — | — |
| Third Circuit | 23 | — | — | — | 52% | — |
| Fourth Circuit | 25 | — | — | — | 44% | — |
| Fifth Circuit | <10 | fewer than 10 cases | ||||
| Sixth Circuit | 25 | — | — | — | 40% | 44% |
| Seventh Circuit | 13 | — | — | — | — | — |
| Eighth Circuit | 22 | — | — | — | — | — |
| Ninth Circuit | 105 | 39% | 2 | 62% | 25% | 14% |
| Tenth Circuit | 12 | — | — | — | — | — |
| Eleventh Circuit | 12 | — | — | — | — | — |
§ 7Questions and answers
What is §2Q1.2?
Section 2Q1.2 of the Guidelines Manual: mishandling of hazardous or toxic substances or pesticides. On this site a case is counted under a guideline when the Commission records it as the primary guideline (GDLINEHI) applied at sentencing.
What is the typical sentence under §2Q1.2?
The median prison term over FY2018–FY2025 was 3 months, with the middle half between 0 and 10 months.
How often do sentences under §2Q1.2 depart or vary from the range?
61% of sentences were outside the guideline range. Substantial-assistance motions under §5K1.1 accounted for 14% and below-range variances for 24%.
Which districts see the most §2Q1.2 cases?
the Southern District of California (66), the Western District of North Carolina (13) and the Western District of Michigan (12).
§ 8Provenance
Source: United States Sentencing Commission, Individual Offender Datafiles, fiscal years 2018–2025 (US government works), aggregated by this site; the FY2025 file is dated 29 Apr 2026. Guideline is the Commission's GDLINEHI field (primary guideline applied). Counts below 10 are hidden or pooled. Errors in this site's processing are corrected at the next build; see corrections. Methodology.