Authorities Continue Monitoring Norfolk Southern Ohio Derailment Site

Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine via Twitter

The East Palestine, Ohio, community is still feeling the effects this week after a 50-car Norfolk Southern train carrying hazardous materials derailed and caused a fire, filling the area with smoke on Feb. 3 and prompting an evacuation order near the Pennsylvania state line.

The evacuation order in East Palestine was lifted immediately the afternoon of Feb. 8 during a press conference. Gov. DeWine, the East Palestine Fire Department, and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency jointly announced that DeWine had authorized lifting the order. 

“East Palestine Fire Department feels it is now safe to be in the evacuation area,” said Fire Chief Keith Drabick. “With the full support and backing of Governor DeWine, I am happy to announce that the evacuation order is now lifted.”

DeWine said he planned the statement with Josh Shapiro, governor of Pennsylvania, whose constituents were also affected by the derailment. (Updated Feb. 8)

NS said in a Feb. 4 statement that the train was carrying a variety of freight from Madison, Illinois, to Conway, Pennsylvania, when it derailed in the village of East Palestine. No injuries were reported. The cause was not immediately known, but the National Transportation Safety Board announced on Feb. 5 that a mechanical issue with a rail car axle was a factor in the fiery derailment.

“Norfolk Southern team members are on scene, and will be assisted by multiple derailment and environmental contractors,” NS said on Feb. 4. “In addition to working closely with first responders, we are coordinating with federal, state and local agencies. The NTSB will be the lead agency for providing updates on the incident.” 

The train included a total of 50 cars, and the focus since the incident has been on five cars that contained the chemical vinyl chloride, a dangerous and highly flammable gas. Temperatures were rising in at least one of the vehicles, and NS officials were concerned that it could cause an explosion, according to Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine’s office.

In a statement from the governor’s office, officials warned of “the potential of a catastrophic tanker failure” after a “drastic temperature change” was detected in that rail car. DeWine’s office said teams were working to avert an explosion at the scene in East Palestine.

On Feb. 6, authorities carried out a controlled release of the affected train cars in which they allowed the chemicals to slowly drip into a trench. Officials stated that hazardous chemicals were drained to avoid an explosion, though a controlled explosion was managed by NS and authorities.  

“This was for us to control the reaction that was taking place and not the cars doing it on their own,” Scott Deutsch of NS said in a press conference. “That’s very important. That makes it safe.”

Thousands of area residents were evacuated from their homes and schools, and East Palestine businesses closed in the meantime. Residents are still being advised to keep away until the fire has died down. 

The NTSB said authorities will work to create a timeline of the incident, according to NPR. The data will subsequently be transferred to the NTSB’s vehicle data recorder lab in Washington, D.C., for an analysis. Authorities estimate that an assessment will take four to six weeks to complete, and a full report might take up to two years to produce.

According to officials, the immediate health impacts of breathing in vinyl chloride can range from skin burns to lung damage and even death. There were no dangerous air quality measurements taken Feb. 7, and the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency is keeping an eye on air quality. Officials said cleanup at the site may now proceed safely.

“Efforts continue to restore service following the non-intermodal train derailment that occurred in East Palestine on February 3rd,” an NS service alert announced Feb. 6. “There is still no estimate on when service will be returned to the route and alternate routes continue to be used in an effort to minimize shipment and availability delays. These routes will add additional time to transit and customers should expect availability delays.”

Delays of at least 24 hours are likely on trains traveling between Cleveland and the Northeast through Pittsburgh, according to NS.

In a statement, NS said the railroad had established a Family Assistance Center to address the community’s needs and support individuals who had been directly impacted. The Class 1 also announced a $25,000 donation to the American Red Cross, which was aiding the area by providing temporary community shelters. 

A high school and community center were opened to house dozens of people, while those living outside of the initial one-mile radius were asked to remain indoors.

Firefighters from three states responded to the incident due to the location of the derailment about 50 miles northwest of Pittsburgh and within 20 miles of the tip of West Virginia’s Northern Panhandle, East Palestine Mayor Trent Conaway told NPR. 

Conaway added that freezing winter temperatures hindered the firefighters’ response because trucks pumping water froze. Hazmat teams were also dispatched to the location, he said. 

During a press conference planned for 3 p.m. EST on Feb. 8, Ohio officials including Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine are set to deliver another update on the derailment and evacuation order.