By Chris King • Updated: 14 Feb 2023 • 1:22
Image of the town of East Palestine, Ohio. Credit: Google maps - Gilad Keinan
Tuesday, February 14 at 1:22am
The train derailment incident that occurred in the Ohio town of East Palestine on February 4 looks likely to affect up to 30 million people who reside in the Ohio River Basin. Chemicals – including vinyl chloride – that were being transported on the train leaked into and reportedly subsequently contaminated the Ohio River.
This waterway supplies roughly 10 per cent of the US population with its drinking water. It also provides water for businesses located along its length, all the way into West Virginia, according to @rawsalerts.
🚨#BREAKING: Vinyl Chloride, a deadly chemical has “contaminated the Ohio River due to train derailment ⁰⁰📌#EastPalestine | #Ohio ⁰⁰The Ohio River, which serves over 10% of the US Population, has reportedly become contaminated due to chemicals from the East Palestine train… pic.twitter.com/w2rO0sDqDM — R A W S A L E R T S (@rawsalerts) February 13, 2023
🚨#BREAKING: Vinyl Chloride, a deadly chemical has “contaminated the Ohio River due to train derailment ⁰⁰📌#EastPalestine | #Ohio ⁰⁰The Ohio River, which serves over 10% of the US Population, has reportedly become contaminated due to chemicals from the East Palestine train… pic.twitter.com/w2rO0sDqDM
— R A W S A L E R T S (@rawsalerts) February 13, 2023
Monday, February 13 at 8:52pm
One of the biggest environmental disasters of all time in America is looming in the Ohio state town of East Palestine. Last February 3, a Norfolk Southern train with 20 sections transporting around 100,000 gallons of toxic vinyl chloride derailed.
The shipment subsequently caught fire and exploded some days later, while part of the load also leaked into a local river. Plumes of toxic gases were sent into the atmosphere. Acute exposure to vinyl chloride is not recommended. It is a known mutagen that has clastogenic effects which affect lymphocyte chromosomal structure.
Vinyl chloride is a Group 1 human carcinogen posing elevated risks of rare angiosarcoma, brain and lung tumours, and malignant haematopoietic lymphatic tumours.
It has now been revealed today, Monday, February 13, that the spillage of this chemical – and possibly three others – into local water courses has led to the death of many fish. The water is believed to have become contaminated and crops and livestock on nearby farms have been destroyed, presumably from the toxic fallout from the explosion.
Hundreds of dead fish found “belly up” in East Palestine, Ohio pic.twitter.com/vknGDL3dMW — The Post Millennial (@TPostMillennial) February 13, 2023
Hundreds of dead fish found “belly up” in East Palestine, Ohio
pic.twitter.com/vknGDL3dMW
— The Post Millennial (@TPostMillennial) February 13, 2023
As shown in footage uploaded onto Twitter by the Upwards News site, local officials are trawling the rivers and discovering nothing but dead fish.
JUST IN: ‘Disaster’ – Authorities are collecting dead fish from rivers surrounding East Palestine, Ohio, following major release of toxins due to a train derailment. pic.twitter.com/rMmUqqB541 — Upward News (@UpwardNewsHQ) February 13, 2023
JUST IN: ‘Disaster’ – Authorities are collecting dead fish from rivers surrounding East Palestine, Ohio, following major release of toxins due to a train derailment. pic.twitter.com/rMmUqqB541
— Upward News (@UpwardNewsHQ) February 13, 2023
Hazardous materials specialist, Sil Caggiano, was amazed that residents were allowed to go back to their homes so soon after the incident occurred.
“I would’ve far rather they did all the testing first, There’s a lot of what ifs, and we’re going to be looking at this thing 5, 10, 15, 20 years down the line and wondering, ‘Gee, cancer clusters could pop up, you know, well water could go bad. We basically nuked a town with chemicals so we could get a railroad open”, he commented, as reported by dailymail.co.uk.
“As Ranking member of the Senate Homeland Security Committee, I demand that @POTUS and @DeptofDefense tell us what they know – and what they don’t – immediately”, tweeted Rand Paul, the US Senator for Kentucky.
As Ranking member of the Senate Homeland Security Committee, I demand that @POTUS and @DeptofDefense tell us what they know – and what they don’t – immediately. — Rand Paul (@RandPaul) February 13, 2023
As Ranking member of the Senate Homeland Security Committee, I demand that @POTUS and @DeptofDefense tell us what they know – and what they don’t – immediately.
— Rand Paul (@RandPaul) February 13, 2023
Marjorie Taylor Greene, the Republican Congresswoman representing Georgia’s 14th District tweeted: “East Palestine, Ohio is undergoing an ecological disaster bc authorities blew up the train derailment cars carrying hazardous chemicals and press are being arrested for trying to tell the story”.
East Palestine, Ohio is undergoing an ecological disaster bc authorities blew up the train derailment cars carrying hazardous chemicals and press are being arrested for trying to tell the story. Oh but UFO’s! What is going on? pic.twitter.com/RULoF1oKJQ — Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene🇺🇸 (@RepMTG) February 12, 2023
East Palestine, Ohio is undergoing an ecological disaster bc authorities blew up the train derailment cars carrying hazardous chemicals and press are being arrested for trying to tell the story.
Oh but UFO’s!
What is going on?
pic.twitter.com/RULoF1oKJQ
— Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene🇺🇸 (@RepMTG) February 12, 2023
The recent train derailment in East Palestine, Ohio is nothing short of a tragedy. This is another transportation failure under Mayor Pete's leadership. Where is he? https://t.co/WR6Lq5dtfs — Rep Andy Biggs (@RepAndyBiggsAZ) February 13, 2023
The recent train derailment in East Palestine, Ohio is nothing short of a tragedy.
This is another transportation failure under Mayor Pete's leadership.
Where is he? https://t.co/WR6Lq5dtfs
— Rep Andy Biggs (@RepAndyBiggsAZ) February 13, 2023
Social media is buzzing with users talking about a film called ‘White Noise’ that was made in 2021 from a book written in 1985. Its plot centres around a train carrying toxic chemicals that crashes – in Ohio! Some of the residents of east Palestine were even extras in the production apparently.
Here is the trailer for the movie. Residents from East Palestine Ohio were casted as extras for this movie. You literally can't make this stuff up. 👀 pic.twitter.com/FtoDGjkQ6D — Michael Burea (@MichaelBurea) February 13, 2023
Here is the trailer for the movie. Residents from East Palestine Ohio were casted as extras for this movie. You literally can't make this stuff up. 👀 pic.twitter.com/FtoDGjkQ6D
— Michael Burea (@MichaelBurea) February 13, 2023
The derailment of a train carrying toxic chemicals linked to cancer has raised concerns in the US of long-term health risks for the residents of East Palestine, Ohio ⤵️ pic.twitter.com/cnPlfUxIHw — Al Jazeera English (@AJEnglish) February 12, 2023
The derailment of a train carrying toxic chemicals linked to cancer has raised concerns in the US of long-term health risks for the residents of East Palestine, Ohio ⤵️ pic.twitter.com/cnPlfUxIHw
— Al Jazeera English (@AJEnglish) February 12, 2023
___________________________________________________________
Thank you for taking the time to read this article. Do remember to come back and check The Euro Weekly News website for all your up-to-date local and international news stories and remember, you can also follow us on Facebook and Instagram.
Share this story
Subscribe to our Euro Weekly News alerts to get the latest stories into your inbox!
By signing up, you will create a Euro Weekly News account if you don't already have one. Review our Privacy Policy for more information about our privacy practices.
Originally from Wales, Chris spent years on the Costa del Sol before moving to the Algarve where he is a web reporter for The Euro Weekly News covering international and Spanish national news. Got a news story you want to share? Then get in touch at editorial@euroweeklynews.com
By signing up, you will create a Euro Weekly News account if you don’t already have one. Review our Privacy Policy for more information about our privacy practices.
Download our media pack in either English or Spanish.