Residents of East Palestine, Ohio, demand urgent tests after a toxic train accident

Residents evacuated from an Ohio village where a freight train derailed before huge clouds of toxic gases were released in an explosion fear they may still be in danger nearly two weeks later, despite being told by authorities it is safe. go back home.

Some 50 cars, including 10 carrying hazardous materials, derailed in a ferocious accident in eastern Palestine around 9:00 p.m. on Friday, February 3.

Homes were evacuated after five of those cars slowly released vinyl chloride. Authorities then ignited the gases for a ‘controlled release’ of the highly flammable toxic chemicals in a controlled environment, creating a dark plume of smoke.

Authorities warned that the controlled burn would send phosgene and hydrogen chloride into the air. Phosgene is a colorless, highly toxic gas with a strong odor that can cause vomiting and respiratory problems and was used as a weapon in World War I.

Despite the threat, security officials insisted that residents who were evacuated are safe to return to their homes only a few days later.

Sil Caggiano, a hazardous materials specialist and former head of the fire department, said he was “shocked” that residents were allowed to return home so quickly before all their homes were tested.

“I would have preferred that they do all the tests [first],’ he said. ‘There’s a lot of what-ifs, and we’ll be looking at this 5, 10, 15, 20 years from now and wondering, ‘Gee, cancer clusters could show up, you know, well water could go bad.’

He added: “Basically, we bombarded a city with chemicals so we could open a railway.”

Several residents have chosen to stay away from East Palestine, claiming that they have not received sufficient information or security guarantees.

Some said a chemical smell still lingers in the area and say they have had symptoms including shortness of breath and burning eyes. Dead fish were observed in the waterways around the scene after the incident.

Four lawsuits have been filed against the rail operator, Norfolk Southern, including one alleging the derailment was caused by negligence. That lawsuit demands medical control and more, alleging that the residents were subjected to gases and toxic substances.

Dramatic footage and footage of the incident showed a large fire following the derailment, which left railcars and debris strewn across the area.

Homes were evacuated and officials began a ‘controlled release’ of the vinyl chloride inside the carriages on Monday, fearing it could explode.

When the authorities burned the chemicals, a huge column of black smoke was released over eastern Palestine. Residents were told they could return on Wednesday.

James Justice of the US Environmental Protection Agency said a network of air station monitors inside and outside the evacuation zone were collecting samples and none of their readings found anything to worry about.

“We want to make sure that’s not going to change,” he said.

Justice said the agency is still working with experts to determine safe levels of various gases before reopening the evacuation zone. The incident response team did not specify which substances they are monitoring.

The gases experts suspect are in the area are heavier than air, meaning they could be sitting in low-lying areas if they don’t dissipate completely.

National Guard members wearing protective gear are taking readings inside homes, basements and businesses.

The EPA also took samples from nearby rivers to determine if there has been any water contamination and is awaiting the results.

In West Virginia, a water utility was upgrading its water treatment process Monday as a precaution after the derailment.

West Virginia American Water said it will also install a secondary intake on the Guyandotte River in case it becomes necessary to switch to an alternate water source. The utility noted that there has been no change to the raw water in the Ohio River intake.

“The health and safety of our customers is a priority, and there are currently no drinking water advisories for customers,” the company said in a statement.

Federal investigators said the crew of the Norfolk Southern train received a warning about a mechanical problem shortly before an axle failed, causing the Ohio derailment.

Video footage of the train some 20 miles before the derailment site showed sparks and flames shooting from its wheels.

The National Transportation Safety Board said it had reviewed the images, which appear to show “preliminary indications of mechanical problems with one of the railcar’s axles.”

The train crew reportedly received an alert from a road defect detector shortly before the derailment, an NTSB official said.

Rail unions believe the industry has become riskier in recent years after widespread job cuts left workers scattered.

“It raises all kinds of questions,” Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine told Fox, when asked if hazardous materials are too dangerous to transport by rail.

“We’ve seen it up close and personal in the last few days,” DeWine said. ‘This is a big, big problem.’