A train carrying chemicals and combustible materials derailed in East Palestine, Ohio on February 3rd. Due to poor safety measures, a toxic flammable gas called vinyl chloride caused the derailed train to explode, covering the town in thick black smoke.
The Environmental Protection Agency identified butyl acrylate, ethylhexyl acrylate, and ethylene glycol monobutyl ethers were released into the environment surrounding the tracks. By testing abutting waterways, the Ohio Department of Natural Resources identified the spill has affected around seven and a half miles of stream, killing thousands of fish. The “complex environmental disaster” not only raises concerns regarding the environment but the transportation network in neighboring towns.
Nearly 2,000 residents have since evacuated East Palestine. Norfolk Southern has been testing for toxic pollutants that may cause cancer and damage to the reproductive system for those living closest to the crash. With all twenty rail cars in the crash reported as having contained harmful chemicals, the impact of the explosion on the long-term public health of the town is still unknown.
By Taybah Alam