United States: residents of Ohio fear major chemical pollution

A black plume rises over East Palestine, Ohio, Monday, Feb. 6, 2023. AP - Gene J. Puskar

Text by: Thomas Harms Follow

3 mins

In early February, a train carrying vinyl chloride, a carcinogenic chemical used to make PVC and other dangerous chemicals, derailed in Ohio.

A huge fire followed, releasing a cloud of black smoke, and 2,000 people were evacuated from the area for fear of an explosion.

Today, rumors are rife about major pollution and serious health risks. 

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From our correspondent in Houston, 

The residents of East Palestine returned to their homes ten days ago.

But they are not reassured.

On Friday February 17, a public meeting was held in the town and residents are still talking about the lingering effects of the chemicals in the air, water and soil.

They have nausea, headaches, burning sensations in the eyes. 

Nathan Izotic testified on Fox News: he says that when he got home he smelled the chemicals.

He has pimples on his face in reaction to these products, he has an irritated throat.

He says that in the streams the poisons are dead and you can see colored oily reflections in the water.

The authorities try to reassure

For their part, the authorities responsible for monitoring the area judged that the water was drinkable and the air unpolluted.

Tests carried out in nearly 500 homes a week ago did not detect vinyl chloride or hydrogen chloride - released during combustion.

Studies are still underway on the long-term impacts of the derailment on the environment. 

But experts are concerned that the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is not testing for other chemicals that may have been generated by burning the toxic substances.

Ohio Governor Mike DeWine admitted there are still traces in the water.

He admits, but adds that experts say it's a negligible amount, which they continue to monitor.

He says he understands the concerns of the inhabitants, if he himself lived there, he would have the same, he admits, but he wants to reassure by being transparent.

In the United States, in early February, a train carrying vinyl chloride, a carcinogenic chemical used to make PVC and other dangerous chemicals, derailed in Ohio.

AP - Gene J. Puskar

A conspiracy?

Yet that hasn't stopped conspiracy theories from spreading that a cover-up may be underway. 

Recall that, during a press conference by the governor of Ohio, a journalist was handcuffed and arrested, and conspiracy videos were shown on TikTok, messages even compared the toxic spill to the Chernobyl disaster.

All this while the coverage of the

saturated the media space in the United States.

Some then suggested that the massive media attention given to the ball was a deliberate maneuver to divert attention. 

A permanent threat

Either way, this accident is a reminder of millions of Americans living near potentially dangerous places.

Each year, four and a half million tons of toxic products are transported by train in the United States and pass through major cities every day.

And the country experiences 1,700 derailments each year.

So, we suspect this time that a broken axle would be the cause of the accident in East Palestine, due to lack of maintenance of the equipment and inspection before its use.

However, 20,000 rail employees were laid off in 2018-2019.

At the same time, the Department of Transport continues to approve the transport of dangerous goods without additional control, such as since 2020, liquefied natural gas. 

Its trains can transport 100 cars with this product, knowing that 22 cars contain as much energy as the atomic bomb of Hiroshima, advance environmental organizations.

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