Ohio Train Derailment: Here’s What We Know

It has been more than a week since some 50 cars of a freight train derailed in a fiery, mangled mess on the outskirts of eastern Palestine near the Pennsylvania state line, apparently due to a mechanical problem with a railroad car axle. No one was injured in this wreck. But concerns about air quality and dangerous chemicals on board the train prompted some villagers to leave the village, and officials later ordered the immediate area to be evacuated as fears grew over a possible explosion of smoldering debris.

Officials, wanting to avoid the risk of an uncontrolled explosion, decided to intentionally release toxic vinyl chloride from five train cars and burn it, causing flames and black smoke to once again rise high into the sky. The harrowing scene had people questioning the possible health effects for local residents in the area and beyond, although authorities claimed they were doing their best to keep people safe.

In the days since, residents’ concerns and questions have only abounded – in part compounded by misinformation circulating online.

More on what we know:

WAS CONTROLLED BURNING SAFE?

Vinyl chloride is linked to an increased risk of certain types of cancer, and officials warned at the time that burning it would release two worrisome gases – hydrogen chloride and phosgene, which was weaponized in World War I. Air at the site during the controlled burn and that officials kept people away until that dissipated. They say continued aerial surveillance carried out for the railroad and by government agencies has found no dangerous levels in the area – including tests in nearly 400 homes – since residents have been allowed to return. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has shared aerial surveillance results online.

WHAT ARE THE CONTINUING CONCERNS?

Even in communities beyond East Palestine, some residents say they are concerned about the long-term effects of even low-level exposure to site pollutants. The village has scheduled a town hall at the local high school for Wednesday night to hear questions from residents whose concerns have included lingering odors, how to ensure responsibility for cleaning, and what to do with pets and livestock that are sick or died the derailment.

The risk to such animals is low, according to the Ohio Department of Agriculture, which recommended people contact a local veterinarian with concerns about the health of their livestock or pets. The department has received no official reports of livestock or pet illnesses or deaths directly related to the incident, although such a finding would require an autopsy and laboratory work, ODA said.

The derailment also raised questions about railroad safety, although federal data shows accidents involving hazardous materials of this magnitude are very rare. Soon after the evacuation order was lifted, trains rolled past East Palestine again.

WHAT ABOUT SOIL AND WATER?

Pollutants from derailed cars leaked into some waterways and were toxic to fish, but officials said drinking water in the area remained protected.

In addition to vinyl chloride, at least three other substances — butyl acrylate, ethylhexyl acrylate and ethylene glycol monobutyl — have been released into the air, soil or water, according to a letter from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency notifying rail operator Norfolk Southern of possible liability for cleanup costs.

Norfolk Southern’s response, in accordance with its preliminary remediation plan, included efforts to clean up spilled contaminants from surface soil and nearby streams, as well as air quality monitoring, soil sampling and surveys of residential water wells.

The Ohio Department of Natural Resources estimates the spill affected more than 7 miles of streams and killed about 3,500 fish, mostly small ones like minnows and darters.

In response to reports that butyl acrylate has been discovered in the nearby Ohio River, some water companies that get drinking water from it — even hundreds of miles away from the site — say they can monitor water quality or step up treatment processes as a precaution and temporarily shut down those inlets if necessary.

IS THE INFORMATION ON SOCIAL MEDIA ABOUT THIS SITUATION ACCURATE?

As with any evolving situation, misinformation and exaggeration about the derailment has been circulating online for the past few days.

For example, social media users falsely claimed that drinking water throughout the Ohio River drainage basin was contaminated, even though many areas in the multi-state region were unaffected by the chemical release.

Footage of dark, ominous clouds has also circulated with claims showing eastern Palestine after the burning, although the footage appeared online as early as November 2022.

As information evolves, disinformation experts stress that people should exercise caution before sharing unverified claims.

WHAT COULD HAVE CAUSED THE ACCIDENT?

Investigators examined the train car that caused the derailment and have surveillance video of a home showing “what appears to be a wheel bearing in the final stages of an overheating failure just prior to the derailment,” the National Transportation Safety Board said Tuesday. His preliminary report is expected in two weeks.

However, rail operator Norfolk Southern and the NTSB have not publicly answered one of the big questions about the February 3 derailment: When exactly were the crew made aware of a mechanical problem with a railroad car axle — the suspected cause — and did they respond? appropriate?

A trackside detector alerted the crew to a mechanical problem “just before the derailment” and emergency braking was initiated, a member of the National Transportation Safety Board said this weekend.

Safety videos from two companies in Salem, Ohio, show the underside of a rail car glowing brightly from an apparently fiery axle, indicating the train with this malfunction may have traveled more than 20 miles before derailing, the Pittsburgh Post- Gazette. The NTSB says it is also reviewing this video.

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