If you have family in Ohio, you might want to warn them they need to move.
Approximately 50 trains transporting products containing lots of chemicals derailed off the tracks February 3rd.

Near the Pennsylvania state line, in East Palestine, Ohio, the derailment left a pileup of boxcars as well as flames and various hazardous chemicals behind. It was reported later that day that authorities ordered the trains to be burned causing the chemicals to disperse around the Ohio air for days. The authorities launched an investigation to see not only what caused the derailment, but why the immediate response was to burn all the products.

The U.S. National Transportation Safety Board Chair, Ms. Jennifer Homendy, confirmed the cause of the Ohio crash was an overheated wheel bearing, which track sensors caught too late. She said the crew couldn’t stop the derailment that released hazardous material from up to 11 cars.

No injuries or damage to structures were reported, but over 3,500 fish and other water life were found dead close to where the crash occurred.

It was confirmed that the fish died because of exposure to toxins.

The derailment of a Norfolk Southern train that spilled toxic chemicals and led to a controlled burn of the substances in East Palestine, Ohio, has become one of the highest-profile — and most politicized — incidents of its kind in the United States in recent years. This will affect the US for the foreseeable future as well as small communities like ILS especially anyone here is who family members and loved ones living near the accident.

Frightened residents in the town of 4,700 have complained about rashes, scratchy throats, fatigue, and more in the weeks since the wreck. The citizens now worry about long term effects after being in close contact with some of the chemicals. State and federal officials have said repeatedly that they have yet to detect dangerous levels of chemicals in the air or municipal water.

The chemicals dispersed included vinyl chloride, butyl acrylate, isobutylene, ethylhexyl acrylate, benzene, petroleum lubricating oil, and PFAS. These chemicals were also found in the soil, water, and air of the surrounding area. Not only can the chemicals themselves be toxic, they can cause drastic reactions when burned.

East Palestine’s 4,700 residents began enduring burning and itchy eyes, sore throat, rash, and migraines in the aftermath of the train derailment. Mr. Jim Justice announced that chemicals had been found in the Ohio River in the northern panhandle of the state.

Vinyl chloride has gotten the most attention so far. It’s a colorless, flammable gas and known carcinogen which can produce possible long term effects of leukemia, lymphoma, liver cancer, and more. The EPA tested at least 480 homes around East Palestine and did not detect vinyl chloride or hydrogen chloride in any of them.