He Was an Extra in a Disaster Movie. Now, It's Real

Derailment of train with toxic chemicals in Ohio has locals worried about the long term
By John Johnson,  Newser Staff
Posted Feb 13, 2023 8:56 AM CST
Should This Toxic Derailment Be Getting More Attention?
A black plume rises over East Palestine, Ohio, after a controlled detonation of chemicals that were being carried by a Norfolk Southern train that derailed.   (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)

Earlier this month, a freight train carrying chemicals derailed in Ohio, and authorities decided the safest course of action was a controlled burn. The result was a massive plume of toxic smoke. (See this photo from an airplane.) Authorities have given the all-clear for evacuated residents of East Palestine, Ohio, to return home, but a week after the controlled burn, some still have not done so. And many of those who have are worried. Coverage:

  • Chemicals: The Norfolk Southern train was carrying hundreds of thousands of gallons of vinyl chloride, a carcinogen used to make PVC. The EPA says butyl acrylate, ethylene glycol monobutyl ether, ethylhexyl acrylate, and isobutylene also were released, with samples detected in local waterways, reports WFMJ. The plume from the controlled burn released the byproducts of hydrogen chloride and the toxic gas phosgene into the air.

  • Concerns: "We fish, we hunt, we grow crops," a resident who lives near the derailment tells WFMJ. "Can we do that now? Can we go out and hunt for food for our families? I think it's a lot bigger impact than what people are realizing right now." An assessment at Fast Company shares the concern, posing the question of why a "full-fledged environmental disaster" has received relatively little national attention.
  • Wake-up call? A story at the Guardian points out that East Palestine has about 5,000 people. "Had the derailment occurred just a few miles east, it would be burning in downtown Pittsburgh, with tens of thousands of residents in immediate danger." The story notes that an estimated 25 million Americans live in what is considered an "oil train blast zone," meaning trains with hazardous materials pass nearby.
  • Life imitating art: CNN talks to East Palestine resident Ben Ratner, who was an extra in the 2022 movie White Noise about, yes, a toxic train disaster that was shot partly in Ohio. “The first half of the movie is all almost exactly what’s going on here,” says Ratner, who had to evacuate with his wife and children. "In the future, are we going to have to sell the house? Is it worth any money at this point?"
  • Lawsuit: The feds are monitoring the local air and water and say the levels are safe for humans. But locals are worried about the lingering chemical smell and are reporting headaches and dead fish and other animals on social media, notes CNN. The derailment occurred on the Ohio-Pennsylvania line, and the AP reports that two Pennsylvania residents have filed a federal lawsuit seeking to force Norfolk Southern to pay for the health monitoring of people near the crash site, and to cover any related care.
(More train crash stories.)

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