Paying a Toxic Price
Terry H. Schwadron
Feb. 16, 2023
More than two weeks after the freight train derailment in East Palestine, Ohio that released toxic spumes, leaked carcinogenic chemicals, and forced evacuation of 2,000 residents, the incident is finally starting to draw attention from the news media.
However necessary the delay, it has seemed strange that the toxicity of the derailment had allowed the incident — a real life version of the book and movie “White Noise,” — to slip from the top headlines of the day.
In part, the area was off-limits even to residents until this week, but without being there, verifiable information also has been difficult to nail down about the short- and long-term environmental effects are turning out to be.
As state and federal agencies have declared an end to the immediate emergency — with no promises about the future — residents returning to the area are reporting a burning sensation in their eyes, animal deaths even miles downstream from the town and a remaining strong local odor.
The Environmental Protection Agency is identifying more toxic chemicals that were in the derailed cars or that formed because of leaks. It seems clear that this area that is just a town on the rail route will be an unintended environmental disaster for a long time.
Fortunately, there have been no reported deaths or serious injuries. But it becomes painfully obvious again that we are paying a continuing environmental price for abusing our available systems in the name of doing business without thinking about reining in our reach.
Measuring the Toxins
At the beginning of February, at least 50 rail cars of 150 ran off the track, pancaking and shooting toxins into the air.
It took a moment to go wrong; it will take years to make right again.
Five Norfolk Southern rail cars were carrying vinyl chloride, a carcinogen that becomes a gas at room temperature that is used to make PVC pipes and industrial coatings. The EPA also has identified ethylhexyl acrylate, which can cause headaches, nausea, and respiratory problems as well as isobutylene, which can make people dizzy and drowsy, and over years, has been associated with liver damage. The EPA is also monitoring phosgene and hydrogen chloride, which can cause irritation and vomiting.
The Ohio Department of Natural Resources told NBC News that the chemical spill resulting from the derailment had killed an estimated 3,500 small fish along eight miles of streams, and local television reported chickens deaths 10 miles away,.
The vinyl chloride was ordered buried to prevent an explosion and officials ordered a controlled release of toxic fumes to neutralize burning cargo inside some of the train cars.
Even if the air clears — there still are measurable amounts of chemicals — there are remaining issues in the ground and water. The EPA, which screened the air in 290 homes, says it is no longer detecting “levels of concern” in the air, though odors remain.
There is talk of precautionary measures in other states drawing water from the Ohio River — even hundreds of miles away.
Uncomfortable Concerns
It’s an incident that re-raises all those uncomfortable concerns that we hear about ever-increasing number of oil pipelines and rail and truck transport of hazardous chemicals.
You shouldn’t need a public debate after such a disaster to remind the politicians that regulations are important and that our society values business needs over public safety.
This town of 5,000 is not going to be anything close to normal for a long time, and the number of questions about the measurable effects continues to rise.
There were some errant attempts at blame for response by the Biden administration, but mostly this has been seen as a train accident beyond partisan politics. Instead, we have witnessed a mostly coordinated if quiet response among a host of state and federal agencies tasked with safety and cleanup.
Sen. J.D. Vance (R-Ohio) seemed muted in saying that a complex environmental disaster would require long-term study, and that the government needs to look at questions about train safety. Of course, it was the Trump administration that rolled back train regulation in 2017.
On the other hand, it felt absurd to hear that Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) was attacking the administration over not spending enough for rail safety when she opposed the entire infrastructure spending bill.
The Ohio Environmental Protection Agency is working on a two-stage cleanup, starting with the removal of materials from the site before moving to an assessment for a remediation plan.
Norfolk Southern says it has spent $1.2 million in reimbursements and cash advances to families to help cover evacuation costs for lodging, travel, food, clothes, and other items, but you can already anticipate there will be a ton of lawsuits. And the EPA has notified Norfolk Southern that it might be found responsible for the cost of cleanup of the site.
These cleanup cost; so do the failures to anticipate problems. What price will we pay for industrial progress?
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