On Friday, The Gateway Pundit published a story about a NewsNation reporter that was arrested while shooting a live segment from a gymnasium where Ohio’s governor Mike DeWine was addressing a crowd from the other side of the building. In the body cam footage, a National Guard Major General is seen shoving the reporter while a local police officer gets in between the general and the reporter.
NewsNation’s Evan Lambert was arrested for covering what happened a week earlier on February 4th, 2023: A Norfolk Southern train derailed in East Palestine, Ohio, effecting some 50 rail cars, 20 of which were thought to be carrying a dangerous chemical known as vinyl chloride. Initially, the derailment led to more than 1,500 Ohioans being evacuated from nearby areas. Over that weekend, the chemicals burning made it too difficult for firefighters and first responders to put out the fire.
On Monday, February 6th, crews “released” the toxic chemicals into the air from at least five of the derailed tankers citing a risk of exploding.
Vinyl Chloride is a dangerous chemical that was released during a 2012 train derailment in New Jersey. According to a WestLake Chemical product summary description:
Vinyl Chloride is a known human carcinogen. Long term overexposure to Vinyl Chloride in humans and laboratory animals has been known to cause angiosarcoma of the liver
…
When exposed to open flames, open electrical elements, or electrical arcs, Vinyl Chloride liquid or vapor can decompose to form toxic andcorrosive fumes. Depending on conditions, when Vinyl Chloride is exposed to high temperatures, heat, or ignition, hydrogen chloride gas, which is highly irritating to the nose and throat, as well as trace levels of phosgene gas, may be produced.
It is now being reported that there were more chemicals on board the train. The EPA has sent a letter to Norfolk Southern stating that ethylene glycol monobutyl ether, ethylhexyl acrylate and isobutylene were found in the derailed cars as well.
According to a hazardous materials expert interviewed by local news WKBN:
“We basically nuked a town with chemicals so we could get a railroad open,” said Silverado Caggiano, a hazardous materials specialist.
Caggiano says ethylhexyl acrylate is especially worrisome. He says it’s a carcinogen and contact with it can cause burning and irritation in the skin and eyes. Breathing it in can irritate the nose and throat and cause coughing and shortness of breath.
Isobutylene is also known to cause dizziness and drowsiness when inhaled.
Residents are taking to Twitter and other social media to document their experiences with the “controlled release”: