Search

Update on East Palestine Vinyl Chloride Incident

Posted on 2/21/2023 by Nick Waldron, Roseanne Bottone, and Roger Marks

Investigation and response work is still underway following the derailment of eleven rail cars carrying hazardous materials, including vinyl chloride, in western Ohio earlier this month.

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has identified a preliminary cause for the derailment—an overheated wheel.

In a statement, NTSB shared:

“surveillance video from a residence showed what appears to be a wheel bearing in the final stage of overheat failure moments before the derailment.” 

The investigation is ongoing. NTSB has collected evidence, including the wheelset from the rail car seen on video and valves from hazmat rail cars involved in the incident. 

Update on East Palestine Vinyl Chloride Incident

Read More: Hazmat Rail Cars Carrying Vinyl Chloride Derail in Ohio


A list of chemicals involved in the derailment in East Palestine was provided to US EPA.

EPA issued a general notice of potential liability to the railroad on February 11, alerting them that they may be held responsible for cleanup costs resulting from the derailment and hazardous materials release.


Air and Water Monitoring

US EPA is conducting air monitoring, including inside more than 530 homes in the community as of February 19, and found no levels of concern. A controlled burn of chemicals at the crash site produced phosgene and hydrogen chloride. Now that the fire is extinguished, there is no further risk of those chemicals entering the air. 

Public wells have also been deemed clear of contamination above levels of concern, while those with private wells are encouraged to continue using bottled water, being provided by the railroad. 

Lion staff continues to monitor the situation surrounding this derailment and hazmat release site, and will provide updates when new information becomes available. 

Regular updates, along with details and documents concerning the cleanup effort and environmental impact of the derailment, is available on EPA's Site Profile page. 

 

 

Tags: East Palestine, Ohio, hazardous materials, hazmat incident

Find a Post

Compliance Archives

Lion - Quotes

More thorough than a class I attended last year through another company.

Troy Yonkers

HSES Representative

The instructor took a rather drab set of topics and brought them to life with realistic real-life examples.

Tom Berndt

HSE Coordinator

Best instructor ever! I was going to take my DOT training w/a different provider, but based on this presentation, I will also be doing my DOT training w/Lion!

Donna Moot

Hazardous Waste Professional

This is a very informative training compared to others. It covers everything I expect to learn and even a lot of new things.

Quatama Jackson

Waste Management Professional

Excellent course. Very interactive. Explanations are great whether you get the questions wrong or right.

Gregory Thompson

Environmental, Health & Safety Regional Manager

I really enjoyed this training. Even after years on both sides of the comprehension coin, I find myself still learning! The quality of the delivery exceeded much of the training I have received in the past.

Neil Ozonur

Safety Officer

If I need thorough training or updating, I always use Lion. Lion is always the best in both instruction and materials.

Bryce Parker

EHS Manager

This was the 1st instructor that has made the topic actually enjoyable and easy to follow and understand. Far better than the "other" training providers our company has attended!

Lori Hardy

Process & Resource Administrator

Lion's online training is more comprehensive, has better slides, and is a superior training experience than what I would get from other trainers.

Robert Brenner

District Environmental Manager

One of the best trainings I have ever received!

Brandon Morfin

EH&S Manager

Download Our Latest Whitepaper

Some limited quantity reliefs are reserved for specific modes of transport. Use this guide to identify which reliefs you can capitalize on, and which do not apply to your operations.

Latest Whitepaper

By submitting your phone number, you agree to receive recurring marketing and training text messages. Consent to receive text messages is not required for any purchases. Text STOP at any time to cancel. Message and data rates may apply. View our Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy.