There was a train derailment in a small town in Ohio recently, just around two weeks ago, on February 3rd. The town is East Palestine, which is on the Ohio side of the border with Pennsylvania, and relatively near Pittsburgh (about 20 to 25 miles, give or take). A train derailment in itself is awful, because that almost always incurs loss of life. Yet this one wound up being a much bigger story even than that.
Certain chemicals had been released, and officials worried that this could trigger a major explosion. So on Monday, February 6th, there was an evacuation order for the entire town, which is obviously highly unusual. I remember seeing one news report on television - sorry, but this was at work, and I cannot remember the specific station - where several local officials there were saying that they cannot stress enough the seriousness of the evacuation order.
Officials tried to release the chemicals in a controlled manner. However, there were complications. Not everyone left. In fact, over 180 homes remain occupied by local residents. After that, a number of people reported a burning sensation in their eyes. Also, animals were growing sick.
What was it?
Well, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) investigated:
On Sunday, the EPA released a list, written by Norfolk Southern, of the toxic chemicals that were in the derailed cars. In addition to vinyl chloride and butyl acrylate, it mentions ethylhexyl acrylate, which can cause headaches, nausea, and respiratory problems in people exposed to it; as well as isobutylene, which can make people dizzy and drowsy.
Clearly, the story did not end with the evacuation order. Again, many people did not heed the order and remained in town. There are still concerns about the quality of the air and water in East Palestine, even though officials have given the indication that everything is safe. Not surprisingly, there are lawsuits. And this story, which already had been reported initially as a train derailment, has captured headlines nationally since for other, more complicated reasons.
Not surprisingly, there are conspiracy theories that have not exactly helped. If anything, these have muddied the already unclear waters even more. Officials are trying to combat some wild theories, and attempting to bring calm and order and explaining the facts of the case. The Ohio River was close to the crash site, and this river provides the drinking water for many in the region. But conspiracy theorists have reported that the contamination zone is much wider than officials have suggested, and could impact up to thirty percent of the population of the United States.
EPA officials are urging local residents to take their at-home screening-tests. There are both short-term and long-term ailments that are possibilities. At the moment, it seems that nobody knows quite what to expect.
Below are a couple of links to this story, one by the Associated Press, and another an update by NPR concerning this story:
Health concerns grow in East Palestine, Ohio, after train derailment by Juliana Kim, February 14, 2023:
https://www.npr.org/2023/02/14/1156567743/health-east-palestine-ohio-train-derailment-chemicals
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