February 27, 2023 by Maggie Trautner (’25)
On February 3, a Northfolk Southern train traveling through East Palestine Ohio derailed. This already tragic accident turned closer to catastrophic with the presence of toxic and harmful chemicals in 11 out of approximately 50 cars involved in the accident. Chemicals spilled from the derailed trains–such as vinyl chloride–are the cause of much concern for residents of the surrounding areas.
Vinyl chloride in particular is an easily flammable substance, primarily used to make PVC and, according to the National Cancer Institute, is a known carcinogen. In response to the presence of vinyl chloride, an evacuation was placed in effect and a controlled release burn was issued on February 6 in an attempt to burn off the hazardous compounds. A huge black plume of smoke was released during the controlled burn, but, thankfully, the air quality is not reported to have decreased.
Along with concerns to immediate health and air pollution, water contamination is being questioned. The county’s five wells that provide water for most of the population are located about a mile from the site of the derailment. Following the incident, a water quality update was released on February 15 by the Governor of Ohio, Mike DeWine. He shared that the water was safe after testing, but private wells should still be tested. This report is a relief for some, but skeptics are always present, and this case is no exception. Doubt continues as to the water’s safety.
The anxiety around water contamination comes partly from the reported thousands of dead fish found in the water surrounding the accident site including in the Ohio River. These fish, as well as other animals, have been reported to be sick or to have died after the crash. One dairy farm owner, Taylor Holzer, reported to WKBN that he had several foxes take critically ill and that he believes the polluted air is at fault.
Citizens are worried for their safety as well as the safety of family members, as the long-term effects of this kind of disaster are unknown. “Is it OK to still be here? Are my kids safe? Are the people safe? Is the future of this community safe?” resident Lenny Glavan said, expressing her distress around the event to a CNN reporter at a community meeting held a week after the accident. As some are comparing the derailment to other tragic events, it’s important to note that it is rare to have a hazardous leak of chemicals into the atmosphere of this scale, but that the disaster is not quite at a nuclear level. Although the government is taking measures to reassure people that things will end up okay, questions are endless for people not just near the site, but for folks everywhere as they seek reasoning behind something out of their control.
Despite the shock many are feeling, this dystopian-like event is not as inconceivable as it may seem. According to the Association of American Railroads, an estimated 2.2 million cartloads of chemicals were transported by freight railroads in 2021. A certain amount of chemicals and hazardous materials are essential for our county’s operations and industry, but the question of how much is truly needed is raised as we witness the devastating effects of accidents like these.
“There needs to be a lot more regulatory oversight and action to address not just the safety and the actual transport around these chemicals, but also just stemming our production of all these chemicals,” said Jimena Díaz Leiva, the science director for the nonprofit Center for Environmental Health, in an interview with CBS News. The specific train, Northfolk South 32N, is also disclosed to have had previous concerns regarding its size and weight. A staggering 151 cars and 18,000 tons combined for, what turned out to be, a dangerous combination. If the train had not been so out of proportion, as many cars may not have gotten involved, and it may have not been such a wide-scale event. Although necessary measures are being taken in the aftermath of the incident, there is still concern about the potential of similar tragedies occurring if additional precautions aren’t taken. With such high stakes, one can only hope a valuable lesson has been learned and that change will be made.