Hundreds of residents were evacuated from East Palestine, Ohio following the fiery derailment and crash of a Norfolk Southern freight train carrying hazardous materials on February 3, 2023. The 100-car freight train that derailed February 3 was carrying hazardous materials including vinyl chloride, ethylene glycol monobutyl ether, ethylhexyl acrylate, isobutylene and butyl acrylate, the US Environmental Protection Agency told CNN.
Michael Graham, a member of the National Transportation Safety Board, told AP News that 14 cars carrying hazardous materials were involved in the derailment “and have been exposed to fire.”
Since the derailment, the evacuation order has been lifted, but according to reports from CNN, residents are still wary about the possible long-term health concerns associated with the hazardous materials and the impact this derailment will have on families and the environment as public water sources and the air are still being tested.
Congressman Jamaal Bowman tweeted on Wednesday, February 15:
“Nearly 1 million pounds of vinyl chloride were on this train. Now, the EPA has confirmed it’s entered the Ohio River basin which is home to 25 million people.
This is one of the deadliest environmental emergencies in decades and no one is talking about it.”