Earlier this month a train carrying toxic chemicals derailed in East Palestine, Ohio, creating an extreme environmental disaster. As fires burn and animals die in the wake of the crash, what is next for the people of East Palestine?
The most dangerous chemical carried by the train was vinyl chloride. This toxic and explosive chemical has been shown to cause cancer and other long-term health issues after exposure and is typically used to make plastics. About 1.1 million pounds of vinyl chloride was released into the Ohio air, endangering residents with a cloud of toxic smoke as authorities attempted to avoid a catastrophic explosion. The Norfolk Southern company responsible for this catastrophe is doing its best to mitigate criticism by paying for the clean-up, but the damage is done and the consequences could be massive.
The Ohio river runs along East Palestine and is an important water source for many communities. Although currently there seems to be no change in water quality downstream, the long-term effects remain to be seen. The cancer-causing qualities of vinyl chloride and the other toxic chemicals onboard the train don’t develop for a long time, so this disaster could impact the health of millions of people for years to come.
Environmental consequences are already apparent as animals all over East Palestine are dying from the toxic chemicals in the soil, water and air. Over 3,500 fish have already been reported dead in wake of the incident, with residents also reporting the deaths of many chickens and other pets from the aftereffects of the toxic gas settling.
Although residents have been told it’s safe to return, many are reporting a lingering smell of chlorine, dark clouds of smoke and constant headaches. One resident even reported that water from her tap was sizzling strangely as she tried to use it to make coffee, adding to the concerns about the water quality. On social media, the disaster has been called “mini Chernobyl.” Reports of dead animals and frightening environmental conditions beg the question: why would residents be encouraged to return?
The company responsible, Norfolk Southern, does not want this catastrophe to get the attention it demands. Between long-ago accidents like Chernobyl, and more recent disasters like the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, horrific environmental disasters like this are all too common.
Now suspicions are being raised about what regulations were in place to prevent this disaster in the first place, with many references to Donald Trump’s changes to safety regulations while in office. The former president chose to repeal Obama-era rules about brake speed on trains carrying large amounts of toxic materials. Trump also placed a biased leader in charge of the Environmental Protection Agency’s chemical safety office during his administration, one who chose to make changes in favor of the industry rather than environmental safety. Pete Buttigieg pointed this out during Trump’s visit to East Palestine, sparking debate between democrats and republicans over who is really to blame for this environmental disaster.
The environment will suffer. People will get sick. The Norfolk Southern company is most concerned with covering itself and controlling the narrative surrounding its actions, rather than worrying about the lives it might have endangered, and the former administration is not innocent either. We are always one careless accident away from environmental damage on an apocalyptic scale and it is time to hold companies handling planet-killing waste responsible for the damages they often bring, and hold our government responsible for regulating them.
