Yahoo Finance What to Know About the Ohio Train Derailment and Chemical Spill: A Timeline of Events
It has been two weeks since a Norfolk Southern train derailed in East Palestine, Ohio, leaving chaos in its wake.
The train was pulling 150 cars through the village, located about 50 miles from Pittsburgh and home to over 4,700, on the morning of Feb. 3 when it left the rails and toppled over, spilling numerous dangerous chemicals as a result.
The Feb. 3 derailment resulted in what officials called a "controlled release" of chemicals in hopes of avoiding further disaster, per The Washington Post.
Since then, concerning signs of contamination have cropped up for miles, including dead animals such as fish and chickens, sick pets, and seemingly contaminated waterways, according to CBS News. Various health problems have been reported in those close to the contamination site, as well.
NTSB/Handout via Xinhua
However, local officials continue to insist that the air quality in and around the village is fine and the municipal water, which the majority of residents rely on, "is safe to drink", the outlet reported. Those who get their water from private wells are being encouraged to schedule testing and use bottled water until the results are in, according to the Ohio Department of Health.
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Multiple lawsuits have already been filed in connection with the disaster, claiming Norfolk Southern displayed negligence and carelessness in connection to the derailment, according to Ohio newspaper The Repository.
Attorney Gary Corroto, with the Canton-Akron firm Tzangas Plakas Mannos, told the newspaper, "We don't believe we've been getting the full information."
Here is a look at how the situation has unfolded so far:
Rebecca Kiger for The Washington Post via Getty
Train Derails in East Palestine
A train carrying "hazardous materials" derailed in East Palestine, Ohio around 9 a.m. local time on Feb. 3, according to town officials and the National Transportation Safety Board.
The NTSB said 38 rail cars derailed, including 11 of the 20 "hazardous material cars" attached to the train. Twelve other cars were damaged, and a large fire ensued.
Evacuation orders issued for everyone within a one-mile radius of the derailment, town officials said.
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Gene J Puskar/AP/Shutterstock
Officials Say Air and Water Are Safe, Despite Burning Vinyl Chloride
Village officials said in a statement on Feb. 4 that hazmat teams had not detected harmful chemicals in the air. They also claimed that the water is safe to drink, despite "low pressure or discoloration," which they attributed to "the high usage fighting the railroad fire."
Mayor Trent Conaway declared a state of emergency for the Village of East Palestine the morning following the derailment. Later that day, town officials revealed that vinyl chloride was burning as a result of the wreck. The fire wasn't extinguished until Feb. 8, per NPR.
Norfolk Southern also established a Family Assistance Center to help support the community, according to a company press release.
Gene J Puskar/AP/Shutterstock
Local Officials Reveal Spill in Sulphur Run
Village officials continued to urge locals that the water was safe, as did the Columbiana County Emergency Management Agency.
At the same time, Columbiana County EMA said on Feb. 5 that "some of the substances associated with the derailment may have spilled into Sulphur Run."
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At a news briefing that day, an NTSB official said that the cause of the derailment appeared to be caused by a mechanical problem, according to The Washington Post. A preliminary report will be released in March.
The agency, which said there's no evidence that the train was purposefully derailed, said that before the emergency brake went on, crew members received an alarm alerting them to the issue, the newspaper reported.
Officials Conduct "Controlled Release" Of Chemicals
The Ohio EMA announced that the railroad had conducted a "controlled release" to avoid "a possible explosion" involving the hazardous materials that were carried by the train. This was done on Nov. 6, per NPR.
"The risk of the car exploding was described to me as high," Gov. DeWine said at a press conference, according to the outlet.
Per the Ohio EMA statement, the release sent "toxic and potentially deadly fumes" up into the air.
Gene J Puskar/AP/Shutterstock
Evacuation Order Lifted
Residents of East Palestine who evacuated were allowed to return home on Feb. 8. At the time, Gov. DeWine said air samples had "consistently showed readings" below what is required for safety screenings.
That same day, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) confirmed that spilled materials were found in Sulphur Run.
"Oily product was found leaking from a tank car and pooling on to the soil," the agency said. "Norfolk Southern was notified of the spill and began removing the product using a vacuum truck."
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Gene J Puskar/AP/Shutterstock
Ohio EPA Reveals More Leaked Chemicals
On Feb. 10, the Ohio EPA released a work plan to address the derailment, which revealed more chemicals that were on the train that left the tracks.
In addition to the vinyl chloride butyl acrylate that were previously disclosed, the agency said four more chemicals — ethylene glycol, monobutyl ether, ethylhexyl acrylate, and isobutylene — were in some of the cars.
Water sampling taken on Feb. 10 showed "very low levels" of butyl acylate and ethyl hexyl acrylate in Leslie Run, according to the agency.
"A much lower level" of ethyl hexyl acrylate was found in North Fork Little Beaver Creek.
MediaPunch/Shutterstock
U.S. EPA Scolds Norfolk Southern For Improper Disposal
The U.S. EPA sent a letter to Norfolk Southern, informing the company that it had failed to properly dispose of contaminated soil after the derailment, CBS affiliate WKBN-TV reported on Feb. 13.
The letter said five cars of vinyl chloride "were intentionally breached," and that the chemical "was diverted to an excavated trench" before it was burned off.
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Additionally, the EPA said areas of contaminated soil and liquids were "potentially covered and/or filled" while the rail line was reconstructed, including portions of the trench that was used to burn the vinyl chloride.
On Feb. 13, Norfolk Southern announced that more than $1 million had been "distributed directly to families to cover costs related to the evacuation."
NTSB/Handout via Xinhua
East Palestine resident Ben Ratner, a 37-year-old father of four who lives less than a mile from the site of the derailment, spent eight days living in an Airbnb property before finally returning home three days after the evacuation order was finally lifted.
"Once we got back, we did a lot of cleaning and let the house air out, but all those chemicals that burned create byproducts, like hydrochloric acid, in the form of a film that's been left on the surfaces of our homes," Ratner told PEOPLE. He added he's not only worried about the long-term health impacts of the disaster but fears how it will affect the economy of his community.
"We still need answers about how to keep our families safe while also maintaining some sort of a regular existence for our kids," he said.
Threat From Vinyl Chloride Fire "No Longer Exists," U.S. EPA Says
The U.S. EPA announced on Feb. 14 that it had "not detected any levels of health concern in the community that are attributed to the train derailment" while monitoring the air.
Additionally, the agency said vinyl chloride or hydrogen chloride were not detected in nearly 400 homes tested for the chemicals.
"The threat of vinyl chloride fire producing phosgene and hydrogen chloride no longer exists," the EPA said on its site.
In a separate announcement, Norfolk Southern revealed it had created "a $1 million charitable fund" for those impacted by the derailment in East Palestine.
Norfolk Southern President and CEO Alan Shaw also said the company is "cleaning up the site in an environmentally responsible way."
DUSTIN FRANZ/AFP via Getty
Residents of East Palestine gathered at the local high school on Wednesday for a meeting with officials handling the train derailment.
Norfolk Southern was originally expected to participate, but ultimately backed out at the last second, according to CNN and the Cincinnati Enquirer.
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"Unfortunately, after consulting with community leaders, we have become increasingly concerned about the growing physical threat to our employees and members of the community around this event stemming from the increasing likelihood of the participation of outside parties," the company said, according to CBS affiliate WBNS-TV.
At the meeting, Mayor Conaway said he is "just as frustrated" as everyone else. "I'm trying to get answers," he said, per the Enquirer. "I cannot force them to be here."
Gene J Puskar/AP/Shutterstock
'No Water Quality Concerns' in East Palestine Municipal Well, U.S. EPA Says
The U.S. EPA announced Thursday that test results from the village's municipal well "showed no water quality concerns."
"The municipal wells are at least 56 feet below the surface and are covered by a solid steel casing that protects the water from contamination," Gov. DeWine wrote in a press release the previous day. "Before drinking water is made available to the public, water from these five wells is combined at the water treatment plant and treated."
The Ohio Department of Health encouraged residents with private wells to used bottled water until their well water tests are completed, according to the agency.
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Also on Thursday, Norfolk Southern's CEO shared a letter with the community of East Palestine.
"When I visited East Palestine last week, you told me how the train derailment has upended your lives and how concerned you are about the safety of your air, water, and land," Shaw wrote. "Many of you have also reached out to Norfolk Southern to share your fears, your anger, and your frustration."
He added, "I hear you. We hear you."
The Biden administration has said they will "hold Norfolk Southern accountable" for the derailment.
"We understand the residents are concerned as they should be ... and we're going to try to figure out an answer," White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said at a briefing on Thursday, according to Axois.
