Explainer: What to Know About the Ohio Train Derailment

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What started out as a seemingly commonplace train derailment near the border of Ohio and Pennsylvania in early February escalated into a serious threat to more than 4,000 people in the immediate area. Millions of people living in the vicinity of the derailment are also watching this situation closely as chemicals have made their way into the air and waterways.

Vinyl chloride, which was being transported on a number of the 150 train cars owned by Norfolk Southern, is a key cause for concern in the aftermath of the derailment. The chemical is a known carcinogen, and is dangerous when released into the environment.

In this piece, we’re providing a timeline, an explainer on the chemicals being carried by the train, the impact zone of the derailment and release of said chemicals, and the other basics you need to know.

The company that owns the train, Norfolk Southern, released a document detailing the train cars and what each carried, as well as whether or not it was damaged and/or derailed. Here are the highlights:

Aside from dangerous chemicals, the train was carrying things like sheet steel, semolina, cement, malt liquor, and paraffin wax.

According to the CDC, many of these substances are frequently transported across the U.S.; benzene, for example, ranks in the top 20 chemicals by production volume in the country.

Friday, February 3rd: The train, which was heading from Madison, Illinois to Conway, Pennsylvania, was carrying various products from frozen vegetables to industrial chemicals. Near East Palestine, Ohio, just before the Pennsylvania border, 38 of the train's 150 train cars derailed and subsequent fires caused damages to another 12. Additionally, 11 of the derailed train cars carried hazardous material, the most dangerous being vinyl chloride.

The derailment caused a large fire and ominous plumes of smoke over East Palestine, but there were no fatalities or injuries. According to the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), the cause of the derailment is still under investigation.

Saturday, February 4th: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) crews began running air pollution and water runoff tests. They detected contaminated water in two streams, Sulphur Run and Leslie Run.

Sunday, February 5th: The EPA and Norfolk Southern's contractors continued testing, and recovery efforts were underway at the contaminated water sites.

Monday, February 6th: Responders conducted a controlled burn of toxic materials to destroy the remaining vinyl chloride, which posed a threat of explosion and subsequent toxic fumes and shrapnel. Because of this the standing evacuation order was extended to include a larger area. From the Ohio governor's announcement:

"The controlled release process involves the burning of the rail cars’ chemicals, which will release fumes into the air that can be deadly if inhaled. Based on current weather patterns and the expected flow of the smoke and fumes, anyone who remains in the red affected area is facing grave danger of death." – Mike DeWine

Wednesday, February 8th: Just days later, the governor announced that it was safe for residents to return home as air quality tests were coming back clean.

In the last week: Reports have been coming in of people feeling symptoms related to the release of toxic chemicals. Additionally, the Ohio Department of Natural Resources, reported that 3,500 fish were found dead in Ohio waterways as a direct result of the spill from the train derailment.

The EPA, however, has screened the air quality inside more than 400 homes, finding levels to be safe. A statement from the regional director of the EPA said that: "Since the fire went out on February 8, EPA air monitoring has not detected any levels of health concern in the community that are attributed to the train derailment."

On Wednesday, the 15th, Norfolk Southern representatives pulled out of a meeting with town officials, causing outrage among residents. The following day, EPA administrator, Michael Regan, visited East Palestine to quell the anger and fears, but residents are still unhappy and skeptical of the testing.

The largest remaining issue is that water quality connected to the Ohio River, which is still being monitored. The governor has recommended only drinking bottled water.

The town of East Palestine is home to just over 4,000 people and the crash happened dangerously close to the city of Pittsburgh, PA. Contamination in the water supply have led to the deaths of thousands of fish and people are now complaining of reactions to the chemical leakage.

Norfolk Southern has set up an Assistance Center and donated over $1 million to help people cover costs of evacuation, as well as conducting extensive testing of air and water quality. The governor is now calling for tighter regulations on rail companies and a number of lawsuits have been filed against Norfolk Southern.

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$11 trillion needs to be invested in nature-based solutions between 2022 and 2050 to combat climate change.

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Nature-based Solutions (NbS) include actions to preserve or restore natural ecosystems to address social, economic, and environmental challenges effectively, while simultaneously providing benefits to the community.

To achieve its goal of limiting climate change to below 1.5°C by 2050, the UN says that substantial investment in NbS needs to happen. The same investments will also help stop biodiversity loss and deliver land degradation neutrality.

This visualization, sponsored by Carbon Streaming Corporation, explores the investment requirements for various NbS sectors and highlights the critical role of protecting many ecosystems in achieving climate targets.

Terrestrial and marine ecosystems are invaluable when it comes to addressing climate change. They act as natural carbon sinks, effectively absorbing and storing approximately 40% of global carbon emissions.

More specifically, the conservation and restoration of forests, wetlands, grasslands, coastal areas, seagrass, and peatlands is essential to keeping greenhouse gas emissions out of the atmosphere.

But to effectively combat climate change, the estimated cumulative investment required in nature-based solutions between 2022 and 2050 is $11 trillion.

This investment will drive large-scale restoration, conservation efforts, sustainable land-use practices, and ecosystem protection.

Currently, only 17% of NbS investment comes from private sources. However, the annual investment needs to increase fourfold by 2050, which amounts to $520 billion of additional annual NbS investment.

Collaboration between governments, the private sector, and international organizations is critical to mobilize resources, establish innovative financing mechanisms, and incentivize investments.

Capital allocated to nature-based solutions not only helps combat climate change but also delivers a plethora of other benefits. For example, these solutions promote biodiversity conservation, enhance ecosystem services, support local communities, and foster sustainable development.

Investment in this space is crucial to meeting the UN's 2050 goals. By financing the creation or expansion of nature-based carbon projects, our sponsor, Carbon Streaming Corporation secures the rights to future carbon credits generated by these projects.

Consumers and businesses can purchase these carbon credits to provide the necessary capital and immediate action needed to effectively combat climate change.

Learn more about Carbon Streaming and how you can get involved now.

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A train transporting a number of potentially dangerous chemicals derailed near the Ohio–Pennsylvania border. This infographic explains what happened

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