Evacuation of the East Palestine Township, Ohio, village of five tanker firefighters after a train derailed near the Pennsylvania state line
EAST PALESTINE, Ohio — Evacuated residents can safely return to the Ohio village where crews burned toxic chemicals after a train derailed five days ago near the Pennsylvania state line, East Palestine Fire Chief Keith Drabick said Wednesday.
Authorities in East Palestine had warned that burning vinyl chloride that was in five of the derailed tanker cars would send hydrogen chloride and the toxic gas phosgene into the air. They said that air monitoring hasn’t found harmful levels inside or outside of the mile-radius evacuate zone. There are air and water samples that show it’s now safe, and the order to leave is lifted. He credited state and federal officials and agencies that helped with the emergency response.
James Justice of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency said around-the-clock air monitoring has shown normal, un-concerning levels. Hundreds of data points from that “show that the air quality in the town is safe,” he said.
He reiterated that there was a robust air monitoring system in place and data from that showed nothing at a level that would be cause for health concern. Monitors did detect toxins in the air during the controlled burn at the derailment site, but other samples outside that area did not.
Hundreds of people living near the site were forced to leave because of fears that a hazardous, highly flammable substance would ignite after the February 3 incident. To prevent a potentially deadly explosion, toxic vinyl chloride gas was vented and burned, releasing a plume of black smoke over the town for days.
Environmental Protection Agency and Norfolk Southern Investigation of a Derailed Rail Car in East Palestine, Ohio, on Friday, April 15. It is unclear how many dangerous chemicals are left in the area
The commander of the Ohio National Guard previously said that members would take readings inside homes and businesses as officials looked to make sure the air was safe before lifting the order.
About 50 cars, including 10 carrying hazardous materials, derailed in a fiery crash Friday night on the edge of East Palestine. Federal investigators say a mechanical issue with a rail car axle caused the derailment.
Some business owners and East Palestine residents have filed lawsuits against Norfolk Southern, saying the company was negligent and demanding the company fund court-supervised medical screenings for serious illnesses that may be caused by exposure to those chemicals.
On Sunday, the EPA released a list, written by Norfolk Southern, of the toxic chemicals that were in the derailed cars. ethylhexyl acrylate can cause headaches, nausea, and respiratory problems in people exposed to it, as well as isobutylene, which can make people dizzy and sleepy.
The evacuation order was lifted on Wednesday and since then, there have been a growing number of reports about people experiencing a burning sensation in their eyes, animals falling ill and a strong odor lingering in the town.
As of Sunday the EPA said there had been no levels of concern in East Palestine.
There have not been any detections of hydrogen and vinyl chloride in the 289 homes that were screened as of Monday. There are more than 100 homes that need to be evaluated in the indoor air screening program.
A number of health risks can be caused by breathing or drinking vinyl chloride. People who breathe the chemical over many years may also experience liver damage.
Other chemicals of concern at the site include phosgene and hydrogen chloride, which are released when vinyl chloride breaks down; butyl acrylate; ethylene glycol monobutyl ether acetate; and 2-ethylhexyl acrylate, according to the US Environmental Protection Agency. All of these chemicals have the capacity to change when they break down and interact with other things in the environment.
The EPA has been monitoring for several other hazardous chemicals, including phosgene and hydrogen chloride, which are released by burning vinyl chloride. Hydrogen chloride and phosgene can cause different types of health problems, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Environmental Testing of Local Air and Water: Implications for Air Quality, Water Treatment, and Residents’ Rights in East Palestine, OH, USA
The professor at The Ohio State University who studies indoor air quality said people are going to be concerned about long-term exposure that comes at lower levels since we are entering a longer term phase of this.
She added that indoor spaces can be an important point of exposure, which is why she urges East Palestine residents to take part in EPA’s at-home air screening.
Dannemiller recommends residents to wipe down surfaces, especially areas that collect dust, and wash items that absorb smells, such as bed sheets and curtains. She recommends vacuuming in short bursts to make sure that it doesn’t get into the air.
Hundreds of worried people gathered to hear state officials tell them — as they did earlier in the day — that testing so far has shown local air is safe to breathe and to promise that safety testing of the air and water would continue.
The railroad operator Norfolk Southern did not attend the gathering, citing safety concerns for its staff, and residents demanded more transparency from them.
Norfolk Southern said in a statement it was not going to the open house because of a “growingphysical threat to our employees and members of the community around this event.”
Wednesday’s meeting came amid concerns about the smoke and odors, as well as questions about the impact on drinking water and what was happening with the clean up.
“Why are they being hush-hush?” asked a Villager about the East Palestine Railroad Derailment and the Norfolk Southern Railroad
“Why are they being hush-hush?” Kathy Dyke said of the railroad. “They’re not out here supporting, they’re not out here answering questions. We didn’t know what was on the train for three days.
Residents in and around East Palestine near the Pennsylvania state line are unsure if the railroad will be held responsible for what occurred, because it offered help to families who left.
Yost wrote a letter to the company about the pollution that continues to affect the area around East Palestine.
The latest tests show the water in five of the village’s wells is free from contaminants, according to the Environmental Protection Agency. The EPA recommends testing private water wells because they are closer to the surface.
Approximately 3,500 fish, mostly small ones, were killed by the spill in Ohio, which affected more than seven miles of streams.
The $1 million fund is being created by Norfolk Southern to help the community of over 4,700 people while they are continuing the work of removing spilled contaminants from the ground and streams.
“We will be judged by our actions,” Norfolk Southern President and CEO Alan Shaw said in a statement. In order to help East Palestine, we are cleaning up the site, reimbursing residents who were affected by the derailment and working with the community to identify what is needed.
The National Transportation Safety Board said it has video showing a wheel bearing overheating just prior to the train derailing, which is believed to be the cause of the malfunction with the rail car axle. The report is expected to be published in about two weeks.
Source: https://www.npr.org/2023/02/16/1157396582/upset-ohio-town-residents-seek-answers-over-train-derailment
Air Quality, Education, and the Environment: An Ohio Derailment Rashes Health Impact Study During the February 8, 2008 Train Wreck
Misinformation and exaggerations spread online, and state and federal officials have repeatedly offered assurances that air monitoring hasn’t detected any remaining concerns. Ohio’s health director said Tuesday that low levels of contaminants can cause odors or symptoms such as headaches.
Some residents of east Palestine, Ohio, say they have become sick after coming back to their homes this week and are concerned that the symptoms are related to chemicals released after a train wreck two weeks ago.
Residents were given the all-clear to return to their homes February 8 after air monitoring in East Palestine did not detect any elevated chemicals of concern.
“When we went back on the 10th, that’s when we decided that we couldn’t raise our kids here,” Amanda Greathouse said. There was a terrible, lingering smell that “reminded me of hair perming solution.”
Greathouse said that when they left, she had a rash on her arm and had her eyes burning.
“The chemical smell was so strong that it made me nauseous,” Greathouse said. I wanted to leave the place as quickly as I could. I only took a couple of pieces of clothes because I worried about putting them on my kids, and they smelled like chemicals.
She has kept her children out of preschool since the train wreck. Even though her son’s teacher has promised her that students are using only bottled water, she’s worried about other types of contamination.
I like the teachers of my son at the preschool but I am still afraid. Some teachers have voiced their concerns about air quality.
Source: https://www.cnn.com/2023/02/17/health/ohio-derailment-rashes-health-impacts/index.html
Health Impacts of a Chemical Release in East Palestine, Ohio, according to Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine: ‘It’s not a Risk to My Family’s Health’
We are fortunate that we have a home of our own. I didn’t think I would say that. I can not endanger my family’s health for the sake of my landlord.
The request for medical experts from the US Department of Health and Human Services has been granted and officials should be arriving early next week to help prop up a clinic, according to Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine.
The water and the air are safe, according to the science. He said that there are residents of East Palestine who are concerned.
The Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry, part of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, also says it expects to have a team on site Monday, according to a CDC spokesperson who requested that they not be named because they weren’t authorized to share the details. A chemical exposure assessment will be conducted to assess the impact of a chemical release on the community.
It could be the mixture of several of the petroleum-based volatile organic compounds that is exposing the community.
Haynes wants to conduct a study in East Palestine to give residents information on their chemical exposure in the area.
Source: https://www.cnn.com/2023/02/17/health/ohio-derailment-rashes-health-impacts/index.html
How Safe Can You Get? DeSanzo, a Mom, and Two Kids in East Palestine who are allergic to sore throats and having pink eye from the train wreck
“They need all the help they can get,” she said. “This is a major emergency. This is a major disaster. They need all the assistance that we all can provide.
“How safe is it, really?” said DeSanzo, who lives about half a mile from the derailment with her two grade-school-age children. It isn’t in some people’s heads that they are getting a rash and having pinkeye from chemicals.
After the train wreck, DeSanzo and her kids evacuated just over the state line, where her uncle had an empty duplex. They slept on the couch and the floor.
DeSanzo said she aired out her house, changed her furnace filter, washed their sheets and clothes when she came home. She says that she went to a local immediate care clinic for her kids because they were coughing and had raw throats.
The doctor said she had seen a number of East Palestine residents with similar symptoms, DeSanzo said, and advised them to call poison control and go to the local hospital for a blood test. She hasn’t gotten the blood test yet.
Debbie Pietrzak, a spokesperson for Salem Regional Medical Center, which runs the clinic DeSanzo went to, confirmed that it has treated a small number of residents with symptoms like sore throats and respiratory problems. The hospital’s emergency room has seen fewer than 10 patients from East Palestine, she said.
Our facilities are ready to help anyone who is seeking medical attention, and we are working closely with the County’s health department and other agencies which are monitoring the situation,” Pietrzak said in an email.
Natalie Rine, a pharmacist who directs the Central Ohio Poison Center, said the state’s poison control centers are getting calls from East Palestine residents, too. Experts who staff the help lines are trained in toxicology and can help if chemicals are a health concern.
Source: https://www.cnn.com/2023/02/17/health/ohio-derailment-rashes-health-impacts/index.html
Seeing a doctor: How to find a path for chemical sensitivities and why to return to school, says Ayla Antoniazzi
DeSanzo says she wants to leave but can’t afford to. Her mortgage is about $400 a month, less than half of those of other homes she’s found in the area that are farther from the accident site.
Ayla and Tyler Antoniazzi have lived in East Palestine with their two daughters. They were unsure of moving out, after the train crash, but are now considering it.
I allowed my child to return to preschool at East Palestine Elementary School. She went back for two days and developed another rash on her hands and started complaining of itching, so I pulled her back out,” Ayla said.
That is the right thing to do, according to Dr. Nadeau who chairs the Department of Environmental Health at Harvard.
Some people are sensitive to chemicals and can feel them before a monitor can pick them up. “There’s not a great diagnostic pathway for chemical sensitivities. A lot of it is based off clinical symptoms, including rashes.”
Nadeau and other environmental health experts advise people who are having symptoms to see a health care provider, primarily for medical care but also so their case can be documented.
She said that if a group of people suddenly complained of rash or symptoms, that would help doctors to come together with institutions like the CDC and do a bit more fact-finding.