[ad_1]
East Palestine residents face mounting health risks amid train derailment
Residents of East Palestine, Ohio have been left to grapple with the aftermath of a major train derailment that occurred on Friday, February 5. The Ohio National Guard was activated to assist the village, which is located near the Pennsylvania state line, and many people had to evacuate due to a strong recommendation from authorities.
The train, operated by Norfolk Southern, was carrying a variety of products from Madison, Illinois to Conway, Pennsylvania when it derailed and caught fire. About 50 cars had derailed, 20 of which were classified as carrying hazardous materials. The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) said only 10 cars carrying hazardous materials derailed and five of them were transporting vinyl chloride, not 14 as previously said.
The potential for a major explosion of a tanker car was particularly concerning and officials warned that shrapnel could be hurled up to a mile away. The Ohio governor’s office warned of “the potential for catastrophic failure of a tanker” after a “drastic temperature change” was observed in that car, without specifying what was in it or if it was among those that had transported hazardous materials.
Vinyl chloride, used to make the hard plastic resin polyvinyl chloride in a variety of plastic products, is linked to an increased risk of liver cancer and other cancers, according to the federal government’s National Cancer Institute. Additionally, the derailed cars were also transporting flammable liquids, butyl acrylate and benzene residue from previous shipments, as well as non-hazardous materials such as wheat, plastic pellets, malt liquors and lubricating oil.
The evacuation order affected homes for 1,500 to 2,000 of the city’s 4,800 to 4,900 residents, but officials said it was not known exactly how many were actually affected. Most of those who had gone to an emergency shelter were no longer there on Sunday. Norfolk Southern has opened a relief center in the village to collect information from affected residents.
Environmental Protection Agency officials have been working to remove pollutants from rivers and monitor water quality, but short-term contact with low concentrations of substances in connection with the derailment does not pose a long-term health risk to the residents according to a “Frequently Asked Questions” post on the village’s Facebook page. Despite this, many residents are concerned about their health and the potential long-term impacts of the chemical exposure.
Unfortunately, it is difficult to predict the long-term health effects of this derailment due to the complexity of the situation and the unknowns surrounding the hazardous materials that were on board. The NTSB is currently conducting an investigation into the incident and a preliminary investigation report is expected in the next month or so. Until then, residents of East Palestine can only hope for the best and take steps to protect their health and safety.
[ad_2]
Source
Don’t miss interesting posts on Famousbio
