As part of the Climate Desk partnership, this article was originally published by the Guardian and is being reprinted here.
Early in February, a train transporting hazardous chemicals from Pennsylvania to Illinois derailed, sparking a massive fire and raising fears of an impending explosion. Despite promises from authorities, the situation has locals anxious and has shown how susceptible many Americans are to such situations.
As chemicals being carried by train, operated by Norfolk Southern Corporation, were discharged to avert an explosion, up to 2,000 nearby houses had to be evacuated.
Residents who had been evacuated last week were allowed to return to their houses, but despite officials’ determination that the area is safe, locals are worried about the lingering effects of the chemicals in the air, water, and soil. Officials are still looking into the derailment’s potential long-term environmental effects.
What is known so far regarding the derailment and chemical discharge is listed below.
What Took Place
A train traveling from Conway, Pennsylvania, to Madison, Illinois, derailed on the evening of Friday, February 3. At least 50 of the 150 train cars were involved. In East Palestine, Ohio, a town of about 5,000 people near the border of Pennsylvania and Ohio, the train derailed. The length of the derailed carriages caught on fire in a massive blaze. No accidents or fatalities were reported.
Over a dozen vehicles carrying vinyl chloride, a carcinogenic chemical, were involved in the derailment and may have been exposed to the fire, thus officials ordered the evacuation of everyone within a mile of the derailment.
On February 6, officials implemented a mandatory evacuation, threatening to arrest people who refused to flee, as concerns of an explosion mounted. According to Governor Mike DeWine, leaving was a matter of life and death.
To stop an explosion, workers ultimately released dangerous chemicals from five stranded tanker cars. The train cars were punctured in a few places, releasing chemicals that were then ignited in pits. Huge clouds of black smoke could be seen pouring into the sky over homes in photos of the chemical discharge.
On Wednesday, February 8, officials gave the all-clear for evacuated residents—who were sleeping in shelters and schools—to go back to their houses since air and water tests had been judged safe.
What chemicals were released
Vinyl chloride, a chemical used to manufacture PVC, a rigid resin used in plastic items, was the most alarming substance transported by the derailed train. Vinyl chloride is highly flammable and colorless.
It has been connected to leukemia, lung cancer, and a rare kind of liver cancer, among other cancers. Dizziness and sleepiness are two short-term symptoms of exposure, however, long-term exposure can result in hospitalization and even death. Butyl acrylate, another substance on board that is utilized in plastic manufacture, was also present.
Ethylhexyl acrylate, isobutylene, and ethylene glycol monobutyl ether were among the three previously unreported substances that were spilled during the incident, according to information later made public by the Environmental Protection Agency.
Derailment and Chemical Release Investigation
The derailment, according to the National Transportation Safety Board, which looks into serious rail accidents, was brought on by a broken axle rod connecting two train wheels. A fire under the train was visible in surveillance camera footage from a Salem, Ohio, factory before the train arrived in East Palestine. The cause of the derailment is still being looked into.
The EPA has been aggressively keeping an eye on the environment in East Palestine and the nearby municipalities. Residents have signed up for the agency’s optional house screenings.
In 291 tested homes as of February 13th, with 181 properties still awaiting screening, the EPA has not found either vinyl chloride or hydrogen chloride (hydrochloric acid), two chemicals that are generated while burning vinyl chloride. Residents have been informed by officials that testing has confirmed the safety of the area’s drinking water.
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Worries from Locals
Despite assurances from authorities that the air and water quality in the area is safe, locals who live close to the derailment have complained of a variety of health issues, including nausea and a burning sensation in their eyes.
A local TV news channel was informed by a resident of a community ten miles north of East Palestine that six of their poultry mysteriously perished a day after the chemical release.
Another neighbor said they saw dead fish floating in a neighboring creek. Concerns have been raised by experts over the agency’s lack of testing for additional compounds that could have been produced by burning the dangerous items.
Norfolk Southern is being sued by local business owners and citizens in an effort to force the railroad to pay for medical examinations for everyone living within 30 miles of the derailment.
The corporation is accused of failing to take reasonable precautions to shield nearby residents from poisonous substances, toxic gases, and carcinogens, according to the lawsuit.
The EPA advised Norfolk Southern that it might be responsible for derailment-related expenses, like cleanup and avoidance work.
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Previous Hazardous derailments
According to reports, up to 25 million Americans reside in regions where trains transporting toxic chemicals, including those that can cause explosions, are susceptible to deadly derailments.
In November of 2012, just over ten years ago, a similar derailment in New Jersey resulted in the environmental release of 23,000 gallons of vinyl chloride. According to investigative news outlet the Lever, the incident triggered a drive for more regulation of the rail industry about how it manages the transportation of toxic goods, including crude oil and hazardous chemicals.
The campaign ultimately resulted in a rule that mandated the retrofitting of trains transporting harmful materials with electronic braking systems, which instantly stop the trains’ cars rather than front to rear as traditional brakes do.
Under pressure from lobbyists who claimed the move would be expensive for rail firms, the Trump administration revoked the rule.
