Ohio train crash kills over 40,000 aquatic animals

Officials said thousands of fish died within days of a chemical spill caused by a derailed train, possibly due to contamination of local waterways.

In early February, a train loaded with hazardous chemicals partially derailed and caught fire in East Palestine, Ohio. Three days later, on February 6, officials controlled the burning of vinyl chloride in five vehicles to prevent a larger explosion. As a result, a massive fireball and a column of black smoke formed over the scene. Since then, officials have reported thousands of wild animal deaths, with alarmed residents sharing social media reports of polluted waterways and dead animals.

How many animals died?

Officials from the Ohio Department of Natural Resources said Feb. 14 that they believe the chemicals associated with the train derailment killed about 3,500 aquatic animals. On February 23, they released an updated estimate that says the total number of wildlife dead has now risen to 43,700 animals within 5 miles of local waters.

Why do animals get sick?

The derailment itself, as well as the controlled arson, released hazardous chemicals from the train into the surrounding air, soil and water. These include butyl acrylate, ethylhexyl acrylate, and vinyl chloride – the last of which is of most concern because chronic exposure can cause liver damage in humans. According to the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), short-term exposure to high concentrations can lead to dizziness and headaches in humans, as well as kidney and liver damage in other animals.

The Environmental Protection Agency is monitoring the water around the crash site for these chemicals and says that air quality monitoring has found no pollutants of concern above levels considered safe for humans. But less understood is the threshold at which these chemicals become unsafe for wildlife.

What kinds of animals are dying?

An assessment by independent environmental consulting group EnviroScience found thousands of dead animals in four bodies of water they sampled: Dead Sulfur Run, Leslie Run, Bull Creek and North Fork Little Beaver Creek. Most of the animals that died were small minnows, although larger fish, amphibians and crustaceans were among the dead.

All of these animals are believed to have died “immediately after the crash,” Mary Mertz of the Ohio Department of Natural Resources told CBS News. The government agency also received reports of three birds and a possum found dead, which are currently under investigation.

Aquatic animals are particularly vulnerable to chemicals in the water as they are constantly exposed to pollutants. Officials say that among the wild animals killed in the days after the crash, there were no endangered species.

Are pets or livestock at risk?

There have been cases where farm animals and pets have fallen ill since the incident, including several besotted foxes, a house cat with congestive heart failure, and a flock of sick chickens kept at a local farm, but they have not officially been linked to the dangerous disease. chemicals leaked from the train. Despite this, Brian Baldridge of the Ohio Department of Agriculture told residents on Feb. 14 that “nothing we’ve seen with livestock is cause for concern.”

Content Source

Dallas Press News – Latest News:
Dallas Local News || Fort Worth Local News | Texas State News || Crime and Safety News || National news || Business News || Health News

texasstandard.news contributed to this report.

Related Articles

Back to top button