Nearly three weeks after the train derailment in East Palestine, Ohio, environmental and health concerns are continuing to affect its residents. Home to 4,700 residents and barely 30 minutes from downtown Beaver, East Palestine is currently facing an environmental crisis that could potentially create future detrimental consequences.
The Norfolk Southern train derailed while carrying 20 rail cars containing hazardous chemicals including vinyl chloride, a cancer-causing substance that has been associated with lymphoma and leukemia. Vinyl chloride is most often used for PVC plastics in the US but is banned from many European countries.
Other chemicals on the train included ethylene glycol monobutyl ether, isobutylene, and ethylhexyl acrylate. If directly exposed, all of the chemicals can cause dizziness, headaches, irritation, and shortness of breath.
February 6, firefighter crews enacted a “controlled explosion” of the vinyl chloride in the derailed tank cars in fear that it could explode on its own causing even more damage. Burning vinyl chloride can cause production of more toxic chemicals that can be deadly, so before the burn, officials ordered an evacuation of citizens living in a one-by-two mile area around East Palestine, according to NPR journalist Becky Sullivan.
The controlled burn led to an eerie plume of black smoke that loomed over the town. February 8, the evacuation order was lifted and the air quality was deemed as safe. However, locals remain concerned that their health and safety are still in jeopardy.
February 14, government and private environmental experts left less than 10 minutes after air monitor testing due to unpleasant and overwhelming odors. The smells were described as “super glue/pool/fruity like odor” but reported there was no significant detection of vinyl chloride.
East Palestinian, Maggie Guglielmo, was not satisfied with this report, according to the New York Times, and set out to hire her own independent tests. Many locals have continued to smell the lingering odors and have experienced rashes and frequent headaches since the derailment and have expressed wanting to take action into their own hands.
February 21, the Environmental Protection Agency announced it will take control of the hazardous chemicals that were released from the derailment. According to the order, Norfolk Southern Railway must “identify and clean up contaminated soil and water resources, pay for the costs of work performed by the EPA and reimburse the agency for additional cleaning services offered to residents and businesses.”
EPA Administrator Michael Regan said, “Norfolk Southern will pay for cleaning up the mess that they created and the trauma that they inflicted,” at the press conference Tuesday.
According to security footage from businesses in nearby Salem, Ohio, the train had traveled at least 20 miles with a malfunctioning axle before its derailment. A preliminary report from the National Transportation Safety Board is expected next week addressing the mechanical failure.
At least three federal lawsuits have been filed against Norfolk Southern, including two from Pennsylvanians seeking Norfolk Southern to set up health monitoring and to pay for related care for residents within a 30-mile radius of the derailment, according to The Associated Press.
A federal class-action lawsuit was filed accusing “Norfolk Southern of making the situation worse during the controlled release when 1.1 million pounds of vinyl chloride was dumped in the area.”
According to the Natural Resources Defense Council, with chemical spills, health threats can linger long after the emergency. This concern has led many residents to question the safety of the air and water quality and question the EPA’s statements and Norfolk Southern’s promises.
Ryan Murphy, an East Palestine resident expressed, “What's it going to be two years from now?" he said. "Are we going to start seeing cancer cells pop up? Or three weeks from now? I don't know how long that stuff takes to get where it's got to get to.’’
Many others in the community have shared similar concerns.
So far, 4,600 cubic yards of soil and 1.1 million gallons of contaminated water have been removed from the crash site. Nearly 4,000 dead fish and frogs have been found in the stream located by the crash site.
Commentators in the media have begun to refer to the derailment as “Chernobyl 2.0’’ referring to the nuclear power plant disaster that occurred in Ukraine in 1986.
Environmental activist Erin Brockovich is planning to host a town hall meeting to “work with the victims to hold Norfolk Southern accountable.”
With the lack of transparency from the rail company and increased doubt with government agencies, stress still overpowers the community. As our neighbors in East Palestine experience these hardships, our thoughts and support go out to them.
Photo courtesy of Saleem Haddad