A devastating train-derailment in East Palestine, Ohio, caused a large scale hazardous chemical spill, endangering millions of people in the Ohio River valley. 

At approximately 9 p.m. on February 3rd, a Norfolk Southern freight train derailed due to a faulty braking system while carrying numerous hazardous chemicals, including vinyl chloride. An explosion occurred, releasing chemicals into the surrounding areas. 

East Palestine is located close to the borders of Ohio, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia, and authorities from all three states responded quickly. Officials in Columbiana County, Ohio, issued evacuation orders for the town after a dark mushroom cloud attracted national attention and calls for action from the federal government. Local authorities conducted a controlled release of the toxic gasses, causing many to fear that local waterways and the air quality would be affected.  

The Ohio river valley, traversing the western edge of the Appalachian mountains, has long been an important region, from the early years of America to the industrial revolution. During the industrial revolution, the area became a hotbed for manufacturing, steel production, and coal mining. Today, the area is home to working-class white populations, and has been hit hard by economic depression and unemployment over the last few decades. 

Over the last 50 years, chemical companies in the region were exposed for polluting waterways with ‘forever chemicals’, which are used in water and stain-resistant products. In 2001, corporate defense attorney Robert Bilott from West Virginia sued the chemical company Dupont for polluting the Ohio river with forever chemicals, which caused adverse public health problems. After years of legal woes with Dupont, Bilott proved that the company had contaminated drinking water for tens of thousands of residents in both West Virginia and Ohio, and that they did so knowingly. Dupont would later have to pay hundreds of millions in fines. It is unknown to what degree that Dupont has changed its practices, despite receiving a slap on the wrist. 

Residents in East Palestine, Ohio, are directing their anger towards Norfolk Southern, the freight rail company that operated the derailed train. Norfolk Southern has a history of lobbying against railway safety regulation in the US congress. Industries that cause pollution, such as fossil fuels, coal mining, and manufacturing, are notorious for lobbying against regulatory legislation that would hold them accountable for their impacts on the environment. Perhaps this disaster in Ohio will only add fuel to the fire of public anger being directed towards corporations.