(NewsNation) — President Joe Biden visited East Palestine one year after a Norfolk Southern train derailed and spilled hazardous chemicals in the small Ohio town.
During the president’s visit, said the incident was the result of corporate “greed,” but stopped short of making a disaster declaration. He also defended his administration’s handling of the cleanup following the release of toxic chemicals in the derailment’s wake
Some residents of the East Palestine community have criticized the government for downplaying their health and safety concerns, and there have been calls to track the long-term effects of the derailment with a voluntary disease registry.
Let’s revisit the impacts of the train derailment on East Palestine:
What happened?
On the evening of Feb. 3, 2023, a Norfolk Southern train derailed as it traveled through East Palestine, sending 38 train cars off the tracks.
Train’s path before derailment
The Norfolk Southern freight train was heading eastbound from Madison, Illinois, to Conway, Pennsylvania, before it derailed.
Federal investigators determined a mechanical issue with the rear axle caused the derailment.
Chemicals on the derailed train
Five of the train cars contained vinyl chloride, a hazardous material. Norfolk Southern conducted a vent and burn of the vinyl chloride from five railcars on the afternoon of Feb. 6, 2023.
Graphic: EPA
Areas evacuated in the aftermath
Ahead of the release of chemicals, Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine and Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro ordered evacuations in parts of both states. At the time, the governors warned that anyone in the red affected zone on the map may face grave danger or death if they remained in the area during the chemical release. Some 1,500 residents were told to evacuate.
Soot deposits
The tank cars released 116,000 gallons of vinyl chloride into the air. Later, a toxic plume of smoke appeared to cover the region. The plume resulted in soot deposited into the environment.
Sampling after derailment
Days after the plume of smoke, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) said it did not detect contaminants at “levels of concern” and gave the all-clear for people to return to their homes. Residents later reported experiencing rashes and sickness. Since the derailment, cleanup crews have removed more than 176,000 tons of contaminated soil and the EPA has collected more than 45,000 air, water and soil samples around the community. But residents are demanding more testing. The map below shows the EPA’s air sampling dashboard in connection to the derailment. A third-party testing group told NewsNation it tested water near the derailment in November and found evidence of 15 different chemicals.
