Ohio chemical spill: what happened in East Palestine after train derailment - is there a toxic leak?

A second derailment of a train carrying hazardous materials has taken place in the US, less than two weeks after residents were evacuated from an Ohio town over concerns of a chemical spill.

A train with one carriage carrying the chemical derailed just outside Detroit, Michigan on 16 February. It comes after a very similar major incident in East Palestine, Ohio.

Residents were evacuated from their homes, while there have also been affects on wildlife and the environment. Officials have inisted that the town is now safe, but concerns have remained over the impact the huge chemical spill has had on the rural town.

But what exactly happened - and what have officials said about the situation?

Here’s everything you need to know.

What happened in East Palestine, Ohio?

On Friday 3 February, a Norfolk Southern railway freight train carrying five different kinds of chemicals derailed in East Palestine, Ohio. It was travelling from Conway, Pennsylvania, to Madison, Illinois.

After the crash, a fire erupted at the location of the chemical spill. There were no injuries or deaths, but the incident has continued to affect locals.

Those in a one-mile vicinity were told to evacuate, amid concerns that the toxic chemical vinyl chloride was involved in the fire. Exposure to vinyl chloride can cause dizziness, drowsiness and in extreme cases death.

A mandatory evacuation was implemented on 6 February while officials attempted to deal with the chemical leak and the possibility of an explosion. Authorities released the chemicals from the derailed carriages and were set alight under controlled conditions to avoid a larger explosion.

This explosion was pictured on social media, with large black clouds over the Ohio village. Residents were permitted to return to their homes on 8 February.

What concerns have residents had about the chemical spill?

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) gave the go-ahead for residents to return home after testing the water and air in East Palestine. However, there have been some concerns from those who have returned.

Some people have reported that they have experienced nausea. In addition to this, livestock and animals appear to have been affected by the chemical spill.

A farmer in a nearby town reported that six of his ten chickens died on the same day, 24 hours after the crash took place. The Ohio Department of Natural Resources confirmed that around 3,500 small fish had died in the aftermath of the spill, as well as an oily material being seen in soil in some areas.

What happened in Detroit?

Amid ongoing concern over the environmental impacts of the Ohio chemical spill, the US has seen another train derailment of carriage carrying potentially hazardous materials. The crash took place on 16 February just outside Detroit, Michigan.

This time, a Van Buren Township freight train came off the tracks, with one carriage carrying hazardous chemicals. Police responding to the scene told media outlets that the crash was not being treated as a hazmat situation.

What have officials said?

The situation has been debated by politicians, with some blaming former president Donald Trump’s policies for allowing the situation to happen. Speaking to the Independent, Ohio Senator Sherrod Brown said: “We are concerned that the Trump administration rolled back some of the safety rules and some of the railroad safety and worker safety rules.”

Democrat Pete Buttigieg added: “We’re constrained by law on some areas of rail regulation (like the braking rule withdrawn by the Trump administration in 2018 because of a law passed by Congress in 2015), but we are using the powers we do have to keep people safe.” The ‘breaking rule’ Buttigieg mentioned refers to the fact that the requirement for trains carrying hazardous weapons to have electronically operated brakes was removed in 2017.

However, the US Department of Transportation clarified the situation, stating that there would be no effect on the Ohio incident if this ‘breaking rule’ was still set in law. A spokesperson said: "The Secretary’s earlier statement clarifies a question some people have had about a rule that was rescinded under the Trump administration, which, importantly, would not have applied to the train in question.”