The US town of East Palestine narrowly escaped a catastrophe in early February. A train derails, toxic substances catch fire. Apparently everything is fine now. But the city's residents still have many questions - and hardly ever get any answers.
Nearly two weeks after a train carrying highly toxic chemicals derailed and burst into flames in northeast Ohio, many of the evacuees in East Palestine are reluctant to return. According to the authorities, a small amount of vinyl chloride was released in the accident. In the meantime, however, it is safe to return to the city northwest of Pittsburgh. The air quality is good, the water supply is intact.
The crashed train was en route to the neighboring state of Pennsylvania on February 5 when 50 of its 140 cars derailed near East Palestine. A fire then broke out and thick black clouds of smoke rolled over the city. Ten of the wagons were loaded with dangerous goods, including five with vinyl chloride, according to the NTSB. Vinyl chloride is classified as a carcinogen by the US Cancer Institute. The gas is used to manufacture PVC plastic pipes, which are often used in plumbing systems.
According to authorities, no one was injured. However, all residents within a 1.6 kilometer radius had to evacuate their homes. This affected up to 2,000 of the approximately 4,700 residents of the town. In addition, a so-called shelter order was issued for the entire city. "We cannot stress enough that we are asking everyone to stay away from the scene," the mayor wrote on Facebook at the time.
In the meantime, this should no longer be necessary, but the residents are unsure whether it is really safe again. A local resident told the Washington Post that her family felt headaches and nausea after being at her home over the weekend. There was a pungent odor in the area that reminded her of a mixture of nail polish remover and burning tires, Mara Todd said. She doesn't feel she has enough information, said the 44-year-old, who is now in Kentucky with her family.
One of the demands is that a list of all goods transported by train is published. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, the main chemicals, besides vinyl chloride, were its by-products phosgene and hydrogen chloride, butyl acrylate and others. However, neither the Environmental Protection Agency EPA nor the National Transportation Safety Board NTSB have released a full list of the chemicals on the train. Such lists are usually part of the final report after similar disasters, which are completed months later.
The residents fear, however, that there are still significant burdens. Dead fish had been sighted in some waters, returning residents had been advised to open windows, turn on fans and wipe down all surfaces with diluted bleach. Experts were also unsure whether all possible chemical residues had really disappeared. The fact that a reporter who had asked critical questions had to leave a press conference also makes many doubt that all information will be made public.
According to the New York Times, as of February 13, the EPA had tested the air in about 290 homes. No vinyl chloride or hydrogen chloride was found. Both substances can cause life-threatening respiratory problems.
One of the evacuees, Ben Ratner, told CNN that he and some family members were extras in a 2022 film adaptation of the Don DeLillo novel White Noise. In this story, a train derails and spills chemicals, leading to an "air poisoning event" that forces the evacuation of a small college Midwest town.
Meanwhile, the Norfolk Southern rail company has offered to cover hotel expenses for people who don't want to return just yet. The company that operated the derailed train must also pay for potential cleanup costs, authorities said. The first lawsuits have already been filed, including allegations that Norfolk Southern have exposed the city's residents to toxic substances and fumes.
Eric Whitining told the Washington Post that some nights it smells like an "overchlorinated swimming pool" and his eyes sting. He returned to East Palestine after calls from the authorities. "In a small town, we have to trust them because what else can we do?" Whiting said. "We have to trust that they won't lie to us."
