Toxic chemicals were successfully released from the cars of a derailed Ohio train
Crews managed a controlled breach of five derailed cars on Monday to reduce an explosion threat near the Ohio-Pennsylvania border, authorities said.
The “controlled release” of vinyl chloride began Monday afternoon amid the threat of a possible major explosion from the wreckage of a train carrying hazardous materials that derailed Friday night in East Palestine, Ohio.
A loud boom followed by flames and a plume of black smoke billowing into the sky was seen at the derailment site on Monday afternoon. According to a press release from Norfolk Southern Railway, the multi-car breach was successfully completed.
Norfolk Southern said some of the hazardous material was now burning and expected to drain for a few hours. Scott Deutsch, Norfolk Southern’s regional manager for hazardous materials, said the release should take anywhere from one to three hours.
Deutsch said daytime release would reduce the risk of exploding railcars and allow fumes to disperse more quickly.
“We have been and will continue to monitor air quality with the Ohio EPA,” Norfolk Southern said Monday. “Remediation work on the site can now continue safely.”
Ohio National Guard and law enforcement officials blocked roads into eastern Palestine on Monday as hundreds of residents were warned of the dangers.
Authorities in the community of 4,761 people were enforcing what was previously a strongly recommended evacuation zone within a 1-mile radius of the site where 50 cars ran off the tracks on Friday night, according to the East Palestine Village.
In a two-hour slot on Sunday evening, Ohio Governor Mike DeWine said “a drastic change in temperature” posed the threat of a “catastrophic tanker failure” that could send shrapnel potentially fatal up to a mile away.
‘WORK AGAINST TIME’:Frantic search for survivors after earthquake hits Turkey, Syria; 2,500 dead
MONDAY WEATHER UPDATES:The storm forming in Texas could be severe; heavy snow possible in Washington
While around 500 people in the area refused to leave their homes on Sunday, officials said on Monday that most, if not all, residents had left. Authorities continued knocking on doors on Monday to make sure people were gone.
“You have to go, we’re ordering you to go,” DeWine said at an afternoon news conference to all remaining residents. “It’s a matter of life or death, you are in imminent danger.”
Referencing an evacuation map, DeWine had a stern warning: “If you’re in that red zone, you’re probably very possible death, and if you’re in the yellow zone, definitely serious, long-term injury. “
Here’s what to know about the train derailment in Ohio:
What caused the train derailment in Ohio?
About 50 Norfolk Southern train cars carrying products ranging from wheat and malt liquor to hazardous materials derailed Friday night in a fire accident near the Pennsylvania state line. The train with three crew members on board was traveling from Madison, Illinois, to Conway, Pennsylvania.
A mechanical problem with a rail car axle caused the accident, according to federal investigators. The crew received an alert about the defect shortly before the accident, said National Transportation Safety Board member Michael Graham.
While investigators pinpointed the exact “point of derailment,” the NTSB was still working to determine which car had the axle problem, according to Graham. A preliminary investigation report was expected within the next month.
What is vinyl chloride?
Of the train’s more than 100 carriages, Norfolk Southern said 20 were classified as carrying hazardous materials – defined as cargo that could present any type of hazard “including flammables, combustibles or environmental hazards”.
Five of the 10 derailed cars carrying hazardous materials contained vinyl chloride, according to the NTSB.
WHAT WE KNOW:Ghana striker Christian Atsu reportedly trapped in rubble after Turkey earthquake
Vinyl chloride is used to make the tough plastic polyvinyl chloride resin in a variety of plastic products and is associated with an increased risk of liver cancer and other cancers, according to the federal government’s National Cancer Institute. . Officials stressed on Saturday that they had not confirmed any releases of vinyl chloride other than pressure-relief devices that worked as expected.
“Short-term exposure to low levels of substances associated with the derailment does not pose a long-term health risk to residents,” according to a “Frequently Asked Questions” post on the village’s Facebook page.
The train cars also carried combustible liquids, butyl acrylate and benzene residue from previous shipments, as well as non-hazardous materials such as wheat, plastic pellets, malt liquors and l lubricating oil, officials said.
What will happen if residents refuse to evacuate?
The Columbiana County Sheriff’s Office announced late Sunday the enforcement of the one kilometer evacuation zone in eastern Palestine due to the “high likelihood of toxic gas release and/or ‘an explosion,’ the department said in a statement.
EARTHQUAKE DAMAGES IN TURKEY:Photos capture the devastating aftermath of a powerful 7.8 magnitude earthquake
Shops, schools and several roads had closed Monday in eastern Palestine. The Eastern Palestine Police Department evacuated its communications center on Monday while promising via social media that 911 emergency services would not be affected.
According to the sheriff’s office, people refusing to evacuate can be arrested and charged with a misdemeanor and possible child endangerment if children are in the household.
“Please, for your own safety, keep your families away from danger,” authorities shared via social media.
Contributor: Emily Mills, Akron Beacon Journal; The Associated Press
USA Today
