Ohio train derailment raises pollution and health concerns

This month, a freight train carrying toxic chemicals crashed in East Palestine, Ohio. 38 cars derailed and 12 were damaged in a fire that followed the accident. No injuries have been reported, but the derailed cars caught fire and released toxic fumes, including vinyl chloride that the train was carrying. Vinyl chloride is a colorless gas that has been recognized as a carcinogen by the National Cancer Institute.

The probable cause of the derailment was a mechanical failure of one of the car’s axles, although the National Transportation Safety Board said it did not expect to be able to submit a definitive preliminary report for about two weeks. Residents were forced to evacuate to prevent a larger, uncontrolled explosion, and Norfolk Southern, which owns the train, carried out a “controlled combustion release” of vinyl chloride, a combustible material, which blanketed the village of East Palestine.

Residents at the site said that in the days following the “release”, thousands of dead fish appeared in streams, “our chickens died suddenly, foxes panicked, other pets got sick, and we ourselves suffered from headaches, burning eyes and sore throats”.

Hundreds of residents of an Ohio town met with state officials on Feb. 15 to discuss the health threats they face in the wake of a train derailment. Norfolk Southern, which had no official present at the meeting, said in a statement only that “after consultation with community leaders, we are increasingly concerned about the increasing physical threats against our staff and community members”.

Resident Kathy Dyke asked at the meeting if his three young grandchildren would grow up here and develop cancer in five years. Speaking of the Norfolk Southern Railway, Dyke thundered, “Why are they secretive? They didn’t come here to provide support and for three days we didn’t even know what was on the train.”

Trent Conaway, mayor of East Palestine, Ohio, sought to reassure citizens, saying, “We need to make our citizens feel safe in their homes.” Conaway and Ohio Governor Mike DeWine said the air quality in East Palestine was “safe” but that residents should not drink tap water just yet out of an abundance of caution.

Eric Olson of the Natural Resources Defense Council, an environmental and public health nonprofit, said in an interview that the unknown risks from the derailment far outweighed the assurances given by officials. “There are obviously some very toxic chemicals mixed in here, And I haven’t seen any public report that calculates how many pounds or gallons of these chemicals were released.” He also revealed that the air and water tests done so far were limited and “not all that reassuring.”

On February 16, Michael Regan, administrator of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, visited East Palestine to assess the response and hear from residents. At a press conference on the same day, Regan promised to absolutely hold Norfolk Southern accountable.

At least five lawsuits have now been filed against Norfolk Southern, including a letter from Ohio’s state Attorney General, Dave Yost, saying his office is considering legal action.