Toxic Train Derailment in Ohio
Smoke rises from a derailed cargo train in East Palestine, Ohio, on February 4, 2023. – The train accident sparked a massive fire and evacuation orders, officials and reports said Saturday. No injuries or fatalities were reported after the 50-car train came off the tracks late February 3 near the Ohio-Pennsylvania state border. The train was shipping cargo from Madison, Illinois, to Conway, Pennsylvania, when it derailed in East Palestine, Ohio. (Photo by DUSTIN FRANZ / AFP) (Photo by DUSTIN FRANZ/AFP via Getty Images)
February 21, 2023
On February 3rd, only a few weeks ago, a train carrying toxic chemicals derailed in East Palestine, Ohio. The train was carrying vinyl chloride. According to cancer.gov, “Vinyl chloride is a colorless gas that burns easily. It does not occur naturally and must be produced industrially for its commercial uses”. It can kill people very quickly if it is at a high enough level. It also increases the risk of cancer drastically. It is used to make PVC, which is like a hard plastic resin. Which is then used to make a variety of different things, like pipes, wires, packing materials, and so much more. When the train first derailed, it caused a huge blaze of toxic chemicals. The smell of chlorine has been in this community. And people are wondering if their families are safe. There was an order of evacuation put in place on February 3rd, but over 5,000 still stayed. The order was lifted just 5 days later, when professionals were able to consider the water and the air safe. Thankfully, nobody has died. But many people decided to go stay elsewhere, just to take extra precautions.
Sources:
https://www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/causes-prevention/risk/substances/vinyl-chloride
https://www.cnn.com/2023/02/15/us/ohio-train-derailment-east-palestine-residents/index.html
