A big Win for The Environment; lessons from the Ongoing East Palestine Train Derailment

Authors' Affiliations

Suleiman Mohammed Oladele- East Tennessee State University, Department of Environmental and Occupational Health and Safety Sciences. Neupane Hemanta- East Tennessee State University, Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics.

Location

D.P. Culp Center Ballroom

Start Date

4-5-2024 9:00 AM

End Date

4-5-2024 11:30 AM

Poster Number

6

Classification of First Author

Graduate Student-Master’s

Competition Type

Non-Competitive

Type

Poster Presentation

Presentation Category

Health

Abstract or Artist's Statement

All throughout history there have been significant environmental disasters that have taken many lives, everything from the Minamata bay crisis with effects still lingering, the 1952 great smog of London and the fire in the Cuyahoga River in Ohio, amongst others. However, for lack of better words, these disasters have served at the “necessary evil” that have resulted in the environmental laws and policies we have today both globally and locally in the United States. In the United States, the Clean Air Act, the Clean Water Acts and the formation of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) are evidence of the significant feats set out to protect people and the environment at large. In essence, we have come a long way and though better, we continue to learn. The presence of these laws, policies and organizations do not imply the absence of environmental disasters, we see this in 2010 British Petroleum oil spill at Gulf of Mexico and the very recent East Palestine Ohio train derailment in 2023. The Ohio train derailment occurred on February 3rd, 2023 when a train owned by the Norfolk Southern Railway Company derailed in East Palestine, Ohio. The train was 150 train cars long and contained chemicals ranging from vinyl Chloride, ethylene glycol and isobutylene. These chemicals amongst others were leached into the soil, water bodies and air following the combustion. Method: This study reviews chronological updates following the East Palestine Ohio train derailment and papers on the incident to appreciate the indispensable roles of environmental research and policy in helping to improve pollution from the chemicals released. Results: The papers and assessment of the chronological updates of the event indicate a prompt response to the incident, including the relocation of East Palestine residents and immediate testing of soil, water and air samples for better environmental analysis. Conclusion: Closely analyzing the chronological flow of events following the derailment as a most recent test of the commitment of environmental laws and agencies reveal great progress and as such a big win for the environment.

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Apr 5th, 9:00 AM Apr 5th, 11:30 AM

A big Win for The Environment; lessons from the Ongoing East Palestine Train Derailment

D.P. Culp Center Ballroom

All throughout history there have been significant environmental disasters that have taken many lives, everything from the Minamata bay crisis with effects still lingering, the 1952 great smog of London and the fire in the Cuyahoga River in Ohio, amongst others. However, for lack of better words, these disasters have served at the “necessary evil” that have resulted in the environmental laws and policies we have today both globally and locally in the United States. In the United States, the Clean Air Act, the Clean Water Acts and the formation of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) are evidence of the significant feats set out to protect people and the environment at large. In essence, we have come a long way and though better, we continue to learn. The presence of these laws, policies and organizations do not imply the absence of environmental disasters, we see this in 2010 British Petroleum oil spill at Gulf of Mexico and the very recent East Palestine Ohio train derailment in 2023. The Ohio train derailment occurred on February 3rd, 2023 when a train owned by the Norfolk Southern Railway Company derailed in East Palestine, Ohio. The train was 150 train cars long and contained chemicals ranging from vinyl Chloride, ethylene glycol and isobutylene. These chemicals amongst others were leached into the soil, water bodies and air following the combustion. Method: This study reviews chronological updates following the East Palestine Ohio train derailment and papers on the incident to appreciate the indispensable roles of environmental research and policy in helping to improve pollution from the chemicals released. Results: The papers and assessment of the chronological updates of the event indicate a prompt response to the incident, including the relocation of East Palestine residents and immediate testing of soil, water and air samples for better environmental analysis. Conclusion: Closely analyzing the chronological flow of events following the derailment as a most recent test of the commitment of environmental laws and agencies reveal great progress and as such a big win for the environment.