T he train that derailed in East Palestine, Ohio, this month and forced officials to release toxic fumes into the air to avoid explosion had been carrying at least five hazardous materials at the time of the accident, including a chemical linked to liver damage, Environmental Protection Agency officials said.
In a letter sent Sunday to freight operator Norfolk Southern, EPA officials said the materials were found in at least 10 of the 50 cars that derailed on the 150-car freight train on Feb. 3, prompting officials to order the “controlled release” of the fumes into the air just days later in an effort to avoid explosion.
Those chemicals included vinyl chloride, which has been linked to liver damage and a rare form of liver cancer in cases of acute exposure, and butyl acrylate, a clear, colorless liquid characterized by a sharp odor and known to cause a burning sensation and shortness of breath when it is inhaled, EPA officials said.
Short-term exposure to high concentrations of vinyl chloride can cause drowsiness, loss of coordination, disorientation, nausea, and headaches, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Other hazardous materials released in the derailment include ethylhexyl acrylate, which can cause dizziness, drowsiness, nausea, and headaches, and isobutylene, a highly flammable gas that is used in antioxidants, rubber, and the production of high-octane plane fuel.
Andrew Whelton, a professor of environmental and ecological engineering at Purdue University, told the Washington Examiner that the spill has created multiple public health concerns due to both the liquids and solids that were spilled after the crash — which themselves pose a risk to soil, surface water, and groundwater — as well as the risks posed by the combustion process, “which create a whole bunch of different byproducts.”
OHIO TRAIN DERAILMENT PRELIMINARY SAFETY REPORT TO BE RELEASED TWO WEEKS AFTER CRASH
The Norfolk Southern document on EPA’s website indicates “that a bunch of different materials that haven't been publicly discussed were either burned or spilled,” he said. “This includes polyvinyl chloride resin, like solid resin pellets, polyethylene resin pellets, [and] oil.”
He said that “local, state, and federal agencies need to take point on disasters like this. And they also need to communicate what they know, when they know it, to the public. That is not happening.”
Gov. Mike DeWine said Tuesday that the state faced “two bad options” when deciding whether or not to order the controlled release.
“One option was to do nothing and wait for the car to explode,” DeWine said. He said an explosion was described as highly probable.
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That explosion would have been “catastrophic," DeWine said, adding that he was told it would have resulted in shrapnel shooting out from the site and reaching as far as a mile from the derailment.