The derailment of a train carrying hazardous materials near a town in Ohio earlier this month has prompted environmental concerns and chemical fears for residents — even as state officials work to reassure them.
“From the very start of this, we have taken every step possible to assure that people’s safety was first and foremost,” Dr. Bruce Vanderhoff, the director of the Ohio Department of Health, said at a Tuesday press conference.
And as authorities work to assess the damage and investigate the derailment, more information has emerged this week about the chemicals in the rail cars, a variety of contaminants and carcinogens. Some of the chemicals — five rail cars’ worth of vinyl chloride — was intentionally burned off in a “controlled explosion” last week, which prompted a temporary evacuation of the area.
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