Isla Stubbs explains what we know - and don’t know - so far about the ecological impacts of the recent train derailment in Ohio.
The aftermath of the derailment in East Palestine. Image credit: thunderlips36
On the 3rd February this year, a freight train carrying hazardous materials derailed in East Palestine, Ohio, US. It burned for two days, releasing large amounts of hydrogen chloride and phosgene into the air, as well as other hazardous chemicals. Following this, all residents within a 1-mile radius were evacuated and an emergency response is ongoing. However, this event has seen little reporting despite its severe ecological impact. Two days following the incident, a controlled burn of vinyl chloride was conducted over fears over a major explosion.
The government response has been lacking from the start, where it has been stated that the whole disaster could have been prevented if modern sensors had been implemented. Unfortunately, these were not installed due to costs, however this problem falls on the government for not ensuring these to be required under regulation. Biden has not only been criticised for the lack of response, but also for his visit to Ukraine for the 1-year anniversary of the Ukraine-Russia war. Locals have stated they have felt neglected from this response, and believe he should be standing with East Palestine.
Although the extent of the severity of this event on the local ecology will likely not be known for some time, it has already been reported that dead fish and cattle have been found 100 miles from the derailment site. As of the 8th of February, the Ohio Department of Natural Resources announced that over 3,500 fish had died off in local rivers. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) have since announced that the air in East Palestine is now safe to breathe and water is fit for drinking, allowing residents to return to their homes. However, residents remain sceptical. There have been ongoing anecdotal reports of residents suffering from headaches, and irritated eyes, with cars covered in soot after rainfall, as well as sick and dying pets.
Social media posts have shown countless individual cases that suggest that the situation is not as safe as the EPA have stated. One TikTok shows someone making a coffee with water in East Palestine (as reported as safe to drink) and sizzling when milk was added. There are also many TikToks surrounding the health of rivers, where people have disturbed the river bed to see it plume with a chemical sheen. These anecdotal reports have not only been coming from East Palestine, but from all across Ohio and neighbouring states.
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