The aftermath of last year's fiery train derailment in eastern Ohio does not constitute a public health emergency because no widespread health problems or ongoing chemical exposures have been documented, federal officials say. said.
The Norfolk South derailment in February 2023 forced the evacuation of half of the East Palestine town and raised many concerns about the potential long-term health effects of spilled and burned chemicals. However, the Environmental Protection Agency never approved the designation. Contamination concerns were further exacerbated by the decision to blow up five tank cars filled with vinyl chloride and burn their toxic chemicals three days after the derailment.
The topic of the public health emergency was raised in emails obtained by the Government Accountability Project's watchdog group through a public records request. But EPA Response Coordinator Mark Dano said the label, which the EPA has only used once before in Libby, Montana, is an area where widespread asbestos exposure has killed hundreds and sickened thousands. , said it was not suitable for East Palestine, despite ongoing complaints from some residents. Respiratory problems or unexplained rash. Officials also believed they had sufficient authority to respond to the derailment without declaring an emergency.
Mr Dano said the reason public health emergencies were not considered was because there was “a lack of environmental data” on chemical exposures in ongoing large-scale air, water and soil testing programs. .
In a statement, the EPA said it had ordered Norfolk Southern to take responsibility for the damages, saying, “Conditions at the derailment site 'may constitute an immediate and serious danger to public health, welfare, or the environment.'” He said he declared. The agency therefore said it does not believe there is a need for a public health emergency as it has the necessary legal powers to respond.
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But every time local residents like Jami Wallace open Facebook and see posts about her friend's child covered in rashes or suffering from chronic nosebleeds, she realizes her hometown is in the midst of a disaster. I see a lot of evidence that it is. Other posts talk about chemical smells that come back after heavy rain.
“Everyone keeps saying it's a coincidence, but if this were your family, wouldn't you be tired of it being a coincidence?” Wallace said.
Leslie Pacey, an environmental researcher with the watchdog group, said she wanted to ensure East Palestine residents received the support they needed to recover from the derailment.
“I talk to our residents all the time, and they're developing new attacks and cancers. So a lot of damage has already been done to these people,” Pacey said. .
Federal and state officials continue to monitor the small community near the Pennsylvania border for new problems, Dano said. EPA is also continuing to test the air and water in the area while overseeing work to clean up the rail disruption.
He said the agency's more than 100 million tests of air, water and soil have found worrisome levels of chemicals in soil not immediately surrounding the derailment, which was dug up and disposed of last year. I repeated that no.
In a recently released email, a lawyer for the Environmental Protection Agency told one of its spokespeople what was in the document explaining the agency's order to Norfolk Southern Railroad to clean up pollution from the derailment. When asked if it should be included, he said, “It would have been better not to mention this.'' About medical benefits. This type of assistance, including Medicare coverage, is only available if the EPA declares a public health emergency.
“But again, there was no data to suggest that it was necessary. And to date, there is no data to suggest that it is necessary,” Dano said.
The railroad has already spent more than $1.1 billion responding to the derailment, including more than $104 million in direct aid to East Palestine and its residents. President Joe Biden has never declared a disaster in East Palestine, in part because Norfolk South is paying for the cleanup, which has been a headache for many residents. The railroad has promised to establish a fund to cover the long-term medical needs of the community, but that has yet to happen.
The email also serves as a reminder that EPA was aware of the potential dangers of vinyl chloride release and combustion. However, this does not mean that the EPA has advised field officials that combusting vinyl chloride will likely produce phosgene (used as a chemical weapon in World War I) and hydrogen chloride. It was already clear when we warned the public about sex.
The officials who decided to release the vinyl chloride (Ohio's governor and the local fire chief leading the response) said it was safer to release the vinyl chloride and burn it than to risk the tank truck exploding or exploding. It was judged.
Ultimately, Dano said, the EPA found only low levels of hydrogen chloride and no phosgene in the plume of thick black smoke. And even though a specialized plane with additional testing equipment was grounded on the day of the burn due to weather conditions, officials conducted extensive sampling throughout the region to monitor those chemicals during the burn and evacuation. He said he had taken it.
The chairman of the National Transportation Safety Board recently said the agency's study showed that venting and burning vinyl chloride is unnecessary. That's because the company that manufactured the chemical was confident that no dangerous chemical reactions were occurring inside the tank cars. But officials who made the decision say they were never told that.
Although the NTSB's full investigation into the cause of the derailment will not be completed until June, the bureau said the accident may have been caused by overheating of a wheel bearing on one of the railcars that was not detected in time by trackside sensors. It is said to be expensive.
The EPA said the cleanup in East Palestine is expected to be completed later this year.
Rick Tsai, a chiropractor who ran in the March primary for a seat on the U.S. Congress over the derailment, said he needed the resources needed to make this small town safe again: a public health emergency designation. Without resources, he sees the future of small towns becoming dire as time passes. It may help provide.
“People are just about to give up,” he lamented. “I don’t think people have much hope anymore.”
Associated Press writer Samantha Hendrickson contributed to this report.
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