Even though the evacuation order was lifted on Wednesday, there have been a growing number of reports about people experiencing a burning sensation in their eyes, animals falling ill, along with a strong odor lingering in the town of East Palestine, Ohio. This concern is mounting after a derailed train released toxic fumes into the air last week.
The derailment took place on February 3rd, and things are not improving health-wise. About 50 cars of a Norfolk Southern train went off the track, causing a days-long fire in the area. Ten of the 50 derailed cars contained hazardous chemicals including butyl acrylate and vinyl chloride, which were among combustible liquids that authorities feared could set off a major explosion, according to a report by NPR.
Residents of East Palestine were asked to evacuate out of an abundance of caution. On Monday, February 6th, crews conducted what officials called a “controlled release” of the hazardous chemicals which caused a large plume of black smoke.
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), which has been monitoring the air quality, said it has not detected “any levels of concern” in East Palestine as of Sunday. The EPA has released a list of the chemicals that are of concern.
Of particular concern is the vinyl chloride, which was loaded on five cars — a carcinogen that becomes a gas at room temperature. It it commonly used to make polyvinyl chloride or PVC, which is a kind of plastic used for pipes, wire and cable coatings, and car parts.
When vinyl chloride is exposed to the environment, it breaks down from sunlight within a few days and changes into other chemicals such as formaldehyde. When it is spilled in soil or surface water, the chemical evaporates into the air quickly, according to the Ohio Department of Health. –NPR
According to a report by ZeroHedge, following the controlled burn, local authorities received multiple reports from residents outside of the mile-long radius of the evacuation area conveying that the health emergency posed by the disaster was far from over. One local farmer reported the sudden deaths of many of the animals on the premises of his farm, Park Dairy. The farmer, Taylor Holzer, also works with the Ohio Department of Natural Resources as a registered fox keeper. Following the disbursement of chemical agents into the air from the controlled burn, many of the foxes on Holzer’s farm experienced fatal effects from the air quality surrounding the area.
The EPA has been monitoring for several other hazardous chemicals, including phosgene and hydrogen chloride, which are released by burning vinyl chloride. Exposure to phosgene can cause eye irritation, dry burning throat, and vomiting; while hydrogen chloride can irritate the skin, nose, eyes, and throat, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
In spite of the magnitude of this story, it has been seemingly scrubbed from the public view as the mainstream media propaganda outlets (the mouthpieces of the ruling class) continue to run sensationalist headlines about spy balloons and the rulers shooting things from the sky.
Distract, deceive, and divide.
Distract, Divide and Conquer: The Painful Truth About the State of Our Union