On February 3, 2023, nearly 30 freight cars derailed on the outskirts of East Palestine, Ohio. Eleven of those cars were carrying hazardous chemicals, including butyl acrylate and vinyl chloride.
Following the accident, the town of nearly 4,800 was evacuated so that the Environmental Protection Agency could assess the damage and perform a "controlled explosion" of the dangerous vinyl chloride that the derailment had caused to leak. This is because, when ignited, vinyl chloride can cause a catastrophic explosion. To prevent lives from being lost, authorities evacuated the whole town and exploded the chemicals themselves.
Despite cleanup efforts continuing to put the people of East Palestine's health and safety first, many residents are worried about the long-term consequences of the explosion. The environmental impact of the East Palestine disaster could affect not only areas of the Midwest for the foreseeable future but the rest of the country.
Not as it seems
On February 8, residents of East Palestine returned to the area. While they were gone, about 4,600 cubic yards of contaminated soil and 1.1 million gallons of water were removed from the region. The EPA is continuing to run tests on East Palestine's drinking water, but so far says that the town is safe to inhabit.
Despite all the released information indicating that the water is clean and the air is breathable, the citizens of East Palestine are telling a different story.
Since returning, many residents have been complaining of headaches and nausea. Some have even claimed that rainwater smells like chlorine.
Brittany Sherwood, a resident of Canton, Ohio, about 40 miles from East Palestine, is just one of many posting about the recent crisis online. Sherwood showed a thick film that formed on the top of tap water she had boiled. After boiling the water, Sherwood also reported having a "slamming headache." She is now looking for at-home water testing kits to ensure that her drinking water is safe.
The contaminated water is also damaging ecosystems in East Palestine. The Ohio Department of Natural Resources confirmed that more than 43,000 fish have died since the train derailment, mostly due to contaminants in the water. Fish play a valuable part in most natural ecosystems as food for birds and terrestrial animals. Fish and Wildlife officials are still waiting to see how the chemical death of thousands of fish will further impact other wildlife in the area.
Are Americans looking at a future grain crisis?
Aside from the environmental impact, which scientists have yet to determine the severity of, many Americans are also concerned for the future of the country's food supply. "We have no idea how this is going to affect us long-term. It's going to get into our food, because most of the grains we consume are produced in that area," explained media analyst Christopher Claflin. "This time next year, all of the grains that come up in this growing season are going to be in the cereal, the bread. They're going to be in everything." Claflin worries it will take decades for Americans to experience the full effects of the disaster.
The lack of transparency surrounding the railway crisis is because Norfolk Southern, the company responsible for the derailment, has been actively working to silence members of the East Palestine community. The company agreed to fund water testing in exchange for residents' signatures on waivers that make it impossible to sue the company.
Furthermore, 30% of Norfolk Southern is owned by Blackrock and Vanguard. These are hedge fund corporations, and they own the two largest shares in the company. Blackrock and Vanguard are also the two largest stakeholders in the Warner Discovery and Disney corporations, which own major news networks, such as CNN and Fox.
A disaster waiting to happen
Experts in the railway industry are not surprised by what happened in East Palestine. If anything, they're more surprised it didn't happen sooner.
The industry moves large quantities of highly volatile chemicals each day. Despite the risk of derailments, explosions, and leaks, it has quietly worsened working conditions, lowered safety standards, and decreased transparency. In the last decade, trains have gotten 25% longer, started going faster, and run closer to communities. Environmental groups and those on the inside of the rail industry have begun referring to them as "bomb trains."
To cut costs, train companies have begun operating with longer trains and smaller crews. The Federal Railroad Administration has no limitations on how long commercial trains can be.
The East Palestine crisis is also bringing to light concerns over transparency. None of the cars that derailed were marked "hazardous," despite 11 of them containing dangerous chemicals.
Danger to Seattle
The Midwest isn't the only area subject to train derailments. Just last year, Seattle saw a derailment in the SoDo district. A BNSF train carrying empty shipping containers derailed and collided with a Seattle City Light power station. Luckily, none of the cars were carrying freight or toxic substances. The accident was easily cleaned up and swept under the rug.
However, the danger of a major train derailment in Seattle remains. Not only do its railways transport the same hazardous chemicals that were spilled in Ohio, but the city is also part of the transport of crude oil. Seattle is home to the fifth largest US port. Roughly 157,000 barrels of crude oil are transported through Puget Sound each day. A spill in the sound could cause major devastation to the ecosystem.
Unlike East Palestine, Seattle sees chemical transport by means other than just the railway. The BP Olympic Pipeline is one of the region's biggest distributors of gasoline, diesel, and jet fuel. The pipeline distributes 300,000 barrels a day along a 299-mile corridor that runs parallel to I-5.
The labor unions at Union Pacific, Seattle's main railway, and Norfolk Southern collaborated in a nationwide railway strike last year. The rail companies presented a new deal in the fall of 2022, but union officials rejected it. However, President Biden intervened and signed a tentative agreement into law on December 2 to avoid another strike.
With more chemical transport through the city, the likelihood Seattle could see our version of the East Palestine derailment is becoming more and more likely. The consequences of a major catastrophe could be devastating, not only to the ecosystem but to future food supplies as well. The best way to prevent this in the Pacific Northwest is by investing more money in safety precautions for workers.