Ohio Train Derailment - An Ecological Disaster

Source: NPR

On February 3rd, a train carrying large amounts of hazardous chemicals derailed in East Palestine, Ohio, a small community of 5,000 people near the Pennsylvania border situated between Pittsburgh and Cleveland. The train is operated by Norfolk Southern Railway, which manages almost 20,000 miles of the railroad along the eastern United States. At the time of the accident, 50 of the train’s 150 cars came off the track, leading to a large fire breaking out and a massive smoke plume covering several miles of the area. 

Of greatest concern with the situation is the presence of various hazardous chemicals including vinyl chloride, ethylhexyl acrylate, and isobutylene.  

Vinyl chloride is a volatile organic compound and a known carcinogen that targets the liver, central nervous system, blood, respiratory system, and lymphatic system. It has a variety of applications, including its use in the production of polyvinyl chloride (PVC), a plastic resin used in piping and construction. Its volatility results in it being extremely flammable at most ambient temperatures, which explains the danger caused to the community by the derailment and the almost instant ignition of a fire that took hours to days to extinguish. Notably, vinyl chloride is naturally broken down by sunlight into other chemicals like formaldehyde, which can leach into water systems and cause further contamination. 

Vinyl Chloride Quick Facts

Ethylhexyl acrylate is also a carcinogen that causes irritation in the skin, eyes, nose, and throat, and can cause acute effects such as throat irritation, cough, and shortness of breath. It is used in the production of adhesives and construction materials.  

Isobutylene is a flammable gas that can negatively affect the central nervous system if someone comes into unprotected contact with it. It can cause drowsiness and asphyxia if exposed via skin contact or inhalation. It has practical uses in the manufacturing of rubber tires for vehicles. 

Governor Mike DeWine issued an evacuation order for those living within a one-by-two-mile radius of the derailment site. Gov. DeWine also activated the Ohio National Guard to aid in canvassing and evacuation efforts. As the situation developed, Norfolk Southern decided to intentionally burn off the remaining vinyl chloride as a safety measure while the evacuation order was in place.  

The derailment comes in the wake of train worker union negotiations that averted a strike in late 2022. The United States Congress passed, and President Biden later signed, a measure to avert the strike, and railway companies avoided having to provide the additional sick days that workers were asking for. More presently, documents surfaced after the derailment indicating that railroad companies and special interest groups successfully lobbied for the removal of a regulatory rule that would require them to install and update their fleet’s braking systems with a new, safer electronic braking system. A former senior official at the Federal Railroad Administration, Steven Ditmeyer, confirmed that the electronic braking system would have reduced the severity of the accident. 

It will take months to evaluate and assess the risk picture posed by this incident. The evacuation order in the area has since been lifted, but Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) officials urge residents who are returning to their homes to thoroughly wipe down surfaces and vacuum in short bursts only. The EPA also communicated that while local water regulatory agencies had not yet detected anomalies in the Ohio River water, service providers have added additional water monitors to ensure that any contamination would be detected. No deaths or injury reports had been reported at the time of writing.  

Still, questions swirl regarding the actual safety of the area in the wake of the disaster. Residents are reporting strong chemical odors inside and outside of their homes, and some have confirmed feelings of lightheadedness, nausea, and headaches. For the long term, the EPA has confirmed that a deep environmental and ecological assessment of the greater area will take place. This will include monitoring of air, water, and soil typical of standard a EPA assessment. The agency, however, indicated that their assessment will only occur once the emergency status of the accident has been lifted.