Ohio Train Wreck – What Happened?
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On February 3rd, 2023, a train derailment occurred at the northeastern edge of Ohio, in East Palestine, near the Ohio-Pennsylvania border. The incident caused the derailment of 51 train cars, including five carrying thousands of gallons of hazardous chemicals. The resulting plume of smoke, mixed with hazardous chemicals, lingered over the small city for five days. The chemicals released, such as Vinyl Chloride, 2-Butoxyethanol, Isobutylene, phosgene, and Benzene, are highly flammable and toxic. The train caught fire and was unable to be extinguished for a couple of days, releasing hydrogen chloride and phosgene into the air. As a result, the Ohio and Pennsylvania governments declared states of emergency and evacuated residents within a one-mile radius. The plume of smoke was monitored, and air tests confirmed that it was no longer harmful to residents. However, reports of animal deaths caused by the contaminated air have made some residents skeptical. The train derailment also caused chemicals to spill into nearby ground and rivers, resulting in the deaths of an estimated 43,000 sea creatures. While no land animals or humans were harmed, some residents reported the deaths of their animals overnight due to the controlled release of vinyl chloride.
Disasters like this have happened before, with chemical exposure causing long-lasting effects on people. The Chernobyl Nuclear Disaster in 1986 is an example of such an event, where radiation exposure affected millions of people, leading to various sicknesses over the years. Reports of cancer can still be attributed to the disaster decades later. Chemical disasters like these can have lingering effects on people and the environment. Scientists are still unsure about how much chemical waste in the air can affect people and whether it remains permanently in the air. Despite scientists’ assurances that drinking water is safe, some residents remain skeptical.
References:
Doyle, Jonathan. “Toxic Chemicals Connected to Ohio Train Derailment Leave Health Concerns.” Waterdrop, https://www.waterdropfilter.com/blogs/water-contaminants/toxic-chemicals-after-ohio-train-derailment?gclid=Cj0KCQjwtsCgBhDEARIsAE7RYh17EldGq-vZwuRSBmU1TIg4aG1z3_Gq4bFe0YpPcseHWFztRKB84d0aAmCcEALw_wcB.
Orsagos, Patrick. “Crews Release Toxic Chemicals from Derailed Tankers in Ohio.” AP NEWS, Associated Press, 7 Feb. 2023, https://apnews.com/article/ohio-train-derailment-updates-bf5a60de2243cd6f7f730096aa33294c.
“Ohio Catastrophe Is ‘Wake-up Call’ to Dangers of Deadly Train Derailments.” The Guardian, Guardian News and Media, 11 Feb. 2023, http://theguardian.com/us-news/2023/feb/11/ohio-train-derailment-wake-up-call.
