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People Sick, Animals Dying Due to Train Derailment
Where is the help they need?
By now, most people have heard of the train derailment near East Palestine, Ohio that occurred on February 3rd. Some have seen the video of the fires releasing toxic fumes into the air.
The nearby town has less than 5,000 people; however, the scale of disaster could affect people from miles around.
While most of the cars in the Norfolk Southern train did not have toxic chemicals, of the 36 or so cars derailed, 11 did.
Five were carrying vinyl chloride. This is used to make PVC. Inhaling it can cause:
- respiratory issues like difficulty breathing
- neurological symptoms
- liver damage
- cancer
The EPA has also released information that detailed other hazardous chemicals that were on the train, such as isobutylene.
While the government tries to reassure residents, they are not buying it, because fish and pets are turning up dead.
So far, according to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources, about 3,500 fish have died across 7.5 miles of streams in the first five days after the burn.
