Ohio chemical disaster

2023 - 2 - 16

Post cover — Image courtesy of "The New York Times"

What We Know About the Train Derailment in Ohio (The New York Times)

On Feb. 3, a train derailed in the village of East Palestine, setting off evacuation orders, a toxic chemical scare and a federal investigation.

“The assessment phase that will occur after the emergency is over will help to determine that information.” is still investigating the cause of the derailment. Residents have complained about headaches and feeling sick since the derailment. Just after the derailment, about 1,500 to 2,000 residents in East Palestine were told to evacuate the area. But it installed a secondary intake on the Guyandotte River in case an alternate source was needed. on Feb. 6, and the contents were diverted to a trench and burned off. [said](https://response.epa.gov/site/site_profile.aspx?site_id=15933) it had not detected contaminants at “levels of concern” in and around East Palestine, although residents may still smell odors. [said](https://response.epa.gov/sites/15933/files/Norfolk%20Southern%20East%20Palestine%20Train%20Derailment%20General%20Notice%20Letter%202.10.2023.pdf) that about 20 rail cars were reported to have been carrying hazardous materials. About 50 of the train’s 150 cars ran off the tracks on its route from Madison, Ill., to Conway, Pa. [vinyl chloride](https://response.epa.gov/sites/15933/files/TRAIN%2032N%20-%20EAST%20PALESTINE%20-%20derail%20list%20Norfolk%20Southern%20document.pdf), a toxic flammable gas, being of most concern to investigators. In early February, a train carrying toxic chemicals derailed in eastern Ohio, igniting a fire that swept the town of East Palestine in smoke.

Environmental Advocates Call for State of Emergency in Ohio ... (Earthjustice)

A major environmental disaster unfolding in East Palestine, Ohio has prompted environmental organizations to call on Gov. Mike DeWine to declare a state of ...

Our valuable waters, such as the Ohio River and the Great Lakes, must be better protected from the threats to the safety of our drinking water from transporting hazardous chemicals.” [Petrochemicals are toxic chemicals derived from oil and gas](//earthjustice.org/features/petrochemicals-explainer) that are used to make a variety of substances. “As train cars full of toxic chemicals were intentionally burned due to the train derailment in Ohio, health risks are still unclear for residents of East Palestine as well as downstream communities. “This accident points to the urgency for changing how we regulate the transport of toxic materials and petroleum products on, over, and around our precious water resources. “The Norfolk Southern disaster unfolding in East Palestine demonstrates the lengths to which the petrochemical industry and its underregulated toxic emissions needlessly put communities in harm’s way,” said Adam Kron, senior attorney with Earthjustice. The state confirmed the [contaminated waterways have led to the deaths of at least 3,500 fish](https://abcnews.go.com/US/waterways-ohio-river-contaminated-train-derailment-carrying-hazardous/story?id=97195028). The lack of government response has meant more explosive tank cars with [“Civil War-era braking systems”](https://www.levernews.com/rail-companies-blocked-safety-rules-before-ohio-derailment/) traveling through towns and neighborhoods. Mike DeWine to declare a state of emergency after a train carrying hazardous and carcinogenic chemicals derailed and exploded, contaminating nearby waterways, soil, and the air residents are breathing. “When important source waters like this are contaminated by spills caused by corporate greed and lack of protective regulations, the impacts reverberate downstream and harm communities for years — we have seen it time and time again,” said Earthjustice Legislative Counsel Julian Gonzalez. [hazardous and carcinogenic petrochemical derivatives](https://www.newsweek.com/ohio-train-derailment-toxic-chemicals-list-epa-1780805) used in factories to make paint, adhesives, plastics, and more. Following the explosions, state officials ordered residents living within a mile of the explosions to evacuate immediately, said River Valley Organizing Development Director Emily Wright, who lives a few miles from the disaster site. [chemicals have spilled into the Ohio River, which covers 14 states and provides drinking water to more than 5 million people](https://ohioriverfdn.org/ohio-river/quick-facts/#:~:text=The%20Ohio%20River%20is%20the,the%20Army%20Corps%20of%20Engineers.).

DeWine on company behind Ohio chemical spill: We will 'hold their ... (Politico)

Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine on Wednesday said the company whose train derailed in eastern Ohio and sent up a plume of toxic chemicals needs to stick around to ...

“We’re going to hold this company accountable, and we’re going to be here until this problem is cleaned up.” We are cleaning up the site in an environmentally responsible way, reimbursing residents affected by the derailment, and working with members of the community to identify what is needed to help East Palestine recover and thrive.” The EPA also plans to hold Norfolk Southern accountable for the derailment, Regan added. But officials are advising residents who do return home to use bottled water, as the release of the chemicals affected local waterways — even killing about 3,500 fish. “He pledged to me, ‘we’re gonna stay.’ We’re going to hold them to what they said. The company has said publicly, too, that it will continue to assist with cleanup and fund remediation.

Dead fish, chemical smells and headaches: The fallout from Ohio's ... (Euronews)

Almost two weeks after a freight train carrying hazardous materials was derailed in Ohio, USA, residents are reticent about returning home.

[hydrogen](https://www.euronews.com/green/2022/12/29/green-hydrogen-fuel-of-the-future-has-big-potential-but-a-worrying-blind-spot-scientists-w) chloride and phosgene. State and local agencies are conducting sampling throughout the Ohio River. Contact with ethylhexyl acrylate, a carcinogen, can cause burning and irritation of the skin and eyes. However, it said autopsies and lab work would be required to make such a determination. It is produced industrially to make polyvinyl chloride (PVC). Around 50 cars were involved in the accident, including 10 of those carrying toxic materials. [carcinogenic](https://www.euronews.com/green/tag/cancer) gas. But one resident told Reuters news agency their home already smelled like chemicals. No one was injured in the incident. [hazardous](https://www.euronews.com/green/tag/chemicals) materials. A controlled burn was carried out to prevent this, releasing a cloud of [toxic fumes](https://www.euronews.com/green/tag/toxic-waste).

'They're understandably concerned': The fiery Ohio train crash has ... (Fortune)

A black plume rises over East Palestine, Ohio, as a result of a controlled detonation of a portion of the derailed Norfolk Southern trains Monday, Feb. 6, 2023.

This is one reason the state’s [health director told residents](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C0Vb1CmT98c) with private wells near and downwind of the derailment to use bottled water until they can have their wells tested. [The Conversation](https://theconversation.com) under a Creative Commons license. https://www.youtube.com/embed/3p2ZW8Y863M?wmode=transparent&start=0 Video of the derailment and fire. This is a common treatment technique and was used after an 2015 oil spill in the Yellowstone River [near Glendive, Montana](https://dojmt.gov/lands/sites/bridger-yellowstone-river-oil-spill-2015/). We’ve also seen from oil spills on the coasts of [Alaska](https://hakaimagazine.com/news/wounded-wilderness-the-exxon-valdez-oil-spill-30-years-later/) and [Alabama](https://soilsmatter.wordpress.com/2020/04/01/how-did-deepwater-horizons-spill-affect-the-coastal-soils-and-wetlands-in-the-gulf-of-mexico/) that oil chemicals can find their way into soil if it isn’t remediated. [warned](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C0Vb1CmT98c) about the risk. [detected](https://epa.ohio.gov/monitor-pollution/pollution-issues/east-palestine) some of those chemicals in the nearby waterway and particulate matter in the air from the fire. [Nearly a dozen](https://www.ntsb.gov/news/press-releases/Pages/NR20230214.aspx) cars [carrying chemicals](https://response.epa.gov/sites/15933/files/TRAIN%2032N%20-%20EAST%20PALESTINE%20-%20derail%20list%20Norfolk%20Southern%20document.pdf), including vinyl chloride, a carcinogen, derailed on the evening of Feb. Some of the train cars were intentionally drained and the chemicals set on fire to eliminate them. [details of the cleanup process and a timeline](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C0Vb1CmT98c) of the environmental disaster during a news conference on Feb. A variety of [other](https://epaosc.org/sites/15933/files/TRAIN%2032N%20-%20EAST%20PALESTINE%20-%20derail%20list%20Norfolk%20Southern%20document.pdf) materials were also released, but discussion about those chemicals has been limited. Air stripping causes the light chemicals to leave the water and enter air.

Ohio town faces possible health, environmental disaster (University of Miami)

Five of the 38 cars of a Norfolk Southern Railroad train that derailed Feb. 3 near the small town of East Palestine were carrying vinyl chloride, ...

Hoff, a professor of chemistry in the University of Miami College of Arts and Sciences. “Residents will most likely seek medical monitoring as part of any suit, and advocates and activists will also most likely investigate claims related to the contamination of the air and waterways.” “I am sure advocates will be looking into a variety of claims related to personal injury. Some residents worried about health risks already have filed a federal lawsuit, noted Abigail Fleming, practitioner in residence at the School of Law’s Environmental Justice Clinic. The gas is a known human carcinogen and has been linked to an increased risk of a rare form of liver cancer called hepatic angiosarcoma. Fearing a major explosion, crews performed a controlled release of the toxic chemicals from those five cars.

What's known about the toxic plume from the Ohio train derailment (The Washington Post)

The toxic release from the Ohio derailment continues to pose health questions. Here's what we know about East Palestine, Norfolk Southern railway and other ...

The Environmental Protection Agency has said the air is safe to breathe and Norfolk Southern, the rail company, has pledged to clean up. Josh Shapiro has said Norfolk Southern mismanaged its response to the disaster. 3, causing a massive fire, displacing residents and threatening public health.

Toxic chemical spill in Ohio U.S. sparks concerns of long-term health ... (The Hindu)

It has been more than a week since multiple cars of a freight train carrying hazardous substances derailed near the village of East Palestine in Ohio, U.S., ...

Hydrogen chloride is an irritant that affects the skin, the nose, the mouth, and the eyes. It said it is also monitoring the air round the clock, and working with local authorities to determine the impact of the spill on surface- and groundwater. Fearing further explosion and spillage, officials decided to release toxic vinyl chloride from the derailed cars into a trench and burn it, sending columns of black smoke high up in the air. government’s National Cancer Institute, vinyl chloride is associated with an “increased risk of a rare form of liver cancer (hepatic angiosarcoma), as well as primary liver cancer (hepatocellular carcinoma), brain and lung cancers, lymphoma, and leukaemia”. The train was carrying toxic substances in 20 cars, 11 of which were derailed. The fire damaged 12 additional cars, National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) said in a statement.

Ohio chemical disaster

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