On February 3, 2023, 38 cars of a Norfolk Southern freight train derailed in East Palestine, Ohio. According to the NTSB, the National Transportation Safety Board, five of the 20 train cars containing hazardous material were carrying more than 115,580 gallons of vinyl chloride, an extremely toxic chemical. When the train derailed, hazardous materials spilled out into their land and waterways. This left the 4,700 residents of East Palestine frightened and concerned about the lasting effects this accident could have on their town and state environment.

In the days following the train wreck, it was clear that the chemicals released from the train cars were going to create problems. In order to avoid some of these problems, officials swiftly evacuated residents living in a one-mile by two-mile area surrounding East Palestine. This included parts of both Ohio and Pennsylvania, as East Palestine is located on the border of the two states. In fact, East Palestine is only 282.4 miles from Lancaster. 

On Feb. 6, Norfolk Southern administered the controlled burn of the train’s toxic chemicals, including vinyl chloride. This resulted in a mass of black smoke to be released into East Palestine’s air. They expressed that this decision was made as a way to avoid an even more harmful explosion, which would have caused greater damage. A plan was signed off on by Ohio Governor Mike DeWine, saying that it was “the lesser of two evils.” Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro approved the plan while also acknowledging Norfolk Southern’s mishandling of the situation as a whole.When the fire was extinguished and professionals deemed it safe, residents in the surrounding areas were able to return home.      

Even after this, concerns continued to rise, as residents began to report strange rashes and headaches. Vinyl chloride is known to cause dizziness, drowsiness, and, at very high levels, can lead to several types of cancer. Although there is no direct evidence linking these symptoms to the train wreck, the correlation between them is frightening to say the least. People were quick to express their discontent with how public officials were handling the situation, worrying for their personal health. Conservatives have been particularly concerned about the derailment, and critical of the governmental agencies and companies involved. Many Republican politicians have said that President Biden has not been doing enough for this community as it attempts to rebound from the accident. Not only are politicians angry, but confused and frustrated residents are also thoroughly upset with the operator of the train from Norfolk Southern.

Although residents may be left in confusion as of today, environmentalists have been trying to reassure people that testing and investigation is underway. “We’ve been testing for the most toxic chemicals that we knew were on the train,” said the regional administrator for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Debra Shore. “And we have seen no exceedances inside the homes or in the local air.” More testing of water and air quality is to come, as the situation becomes more and more complex.

The US Environmental Protection Agency has ordered Norfolk Southern to pay in full for the clean-up of the disaster. They are being required to provide their plans to clean up water, soil, and debris and report on their progress at public meetings. The company has promised that serious measures are being taken to prevent something like this from occurring in the future. They are working to control and prevent long-term impacts on the environment and water quality. 

One way Norfolk Southern is contributing to the clean-up is by stripping the tracks where the accident occurred and removing the contaminated soil. Despite this, Environmental Protection Agency Director Anne Vogel has brought up potential violations of state laws regarding pollution and hazardous waste. It turns out that the train may not have met the requirements for storing high-hazard flammable materials. Trains carrying this material are required to be stopped and inspected in the case of defect detectors working improperly. These sensors are a large part of NTSB’s investigation, as well as looking further into if toxic chemicals like vinyl chloride need to be carried in safer train cars.