Locals Say Animals Falling Sick, Dying Near Hellish Ohio Train Derailment Site
Animals are dying or becoming sick from the East Palestine train derailment and chemical-fire accident. OhioThere are widespread reports that this has led to fears about more widespread effects.
Taylor Holzer, the owner of a farm located just outside the evacuation area near the fire, said that several animals he kept on his property fell ill. Some developed a range of symptoms, including liquid diarrhea and puffy faces.
“Out of nowhere, he just started coughing really hard, just shut down, and he had liquid diarrhea and just went very fast,” Holzer Telled The outlet of one his animals. “Smoke and chemicals from the train, that’s the only thing that can cause it, because it doesn’t just happen out of nowhere,” He concluded. “The chemicals that we’re being told are safe in the air, that’s definitely not safe for the animals … or people.”
Authorities have said the train was carrying highly toxic vinyl chloride, hydrogen chloride, and other hazardous materials before it derailed. The Norfolk Southern Railroad train derailed while it was heading to Pennsylvania on Feb. 3.
Professor Kevin Crist, the director of Ohio University’s Air Quality Center, said that vinyl chloride is carcinogenic, causing cancer of the liver and order organs.
“Breathe those in under heavy concentrations, and it’s really bad for you,” Crist Telled ABC News. “It’s like an acid mist. It’s not something that you want to be around in high concentrations.”
“My video camera footage shows my chickens were perfectly fine before they started this burn, and as soon as they started the burn, my chickens slowed down and they died,” Amanda Breshears, North Lima (Ohio), told ABC27. “If it can do this to chickens in one night, imagine what it’s going to do to us in 20 years.”
It was also reported that fish were dying in the waterways of East Palestine.
“Leslie Run comes out of East Palestine and that goes into Bull Creek, which then goes into North Fork. And we know for sure that there has been some fish kill in Leslie Run and Bull Creek, and some portions of the North Fork,” WKBN spoke with Matthew Smith, regional scenic river manager assistant for the Division of Natural Areas and Preserves.
Responding to those reports, Kurt Kollar with the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency’s Office of Emergency Response, said in a news conference that those claims are being monitored.
“We knew at the onset of this incident there was impact to Sulfur Creek and waters of the state of Ohio. Since that point in time, we have been able to successfully control that runoff and contain the water and either treat it in place, along with a robust sampling program for the water quality,” Kollar stated.
The fire was started as part of an initiative. “controlled release” Authorities are taking precautions to avoid a tanker accident that could have led to an explosion. . However, one expert in hazardous materials expressed reservations.
‘Nuked a Town’
“We basically nuked a town with chemicals so we could get a railroad open,” Sil Caggiano, a specialist in hazardous materials, spoke during an interview With WKBN was used to refer to the controlled burning.
Other than vinyl chloride—used to manufacture PVC—Caggiano noted that the train had ethylhexyl acrylate on board. The substance is not only carcinogenic, but it can cause burning and irritation in the skin and eyes, coughing, and shortness of breath.
“I was surprised when they quickly told the people they can go back home, but then said if they feel like they want their homes tested they can have them tested. I would’ve far rather they did all the testing,” Caggiano spoke to the media outlet.
He noted that there could be an increase in cancer rates in the future near East Palestine.
“There’s a lot of what ifs, and we’re going to be looking at this thing 5, 10, 15, 20 years down the line and wondering, ‘Gee, cancer clusters could pop up, you know, well water could go bad,” Caggiano said.
James Justice, an official with the Environmental Protection Agency, stated to the New York Post that he has been running constant air-monitoring testing in the area due to reports of dead animals. They found that no toxic threats have been monitored in the area, while residents were told it’s safe to return home, he said.
Some East Palestine residents, however, told us otherwise. The Washington Post that they’ve suffered deleterious health effects after returning home. Maura Todd, one of the victims, stated that she and her family experienced nausea and headaches this week. She wants to leave.
“I’ve watched every news conference and I haven’t heard anything that makes me think that this is a data-driven decision,” Todd, aged 44, said it to the outlet. “We don’t feel like we have a whole lot of information.”
The Epoch Times contacted the EPA to get their opinion.
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