The administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency Michael Regan has now reportedly issued a directive to state officials in Ohio, where the Norfolk Southern train occurred, to stop preventing shipments of harmful chemicals.
All residents living within one mile of the derailment that occurred on February 3 in East Palestine, Ohio, were evacuated by state and local officials, and a controlled burn of the chemicals that were aboard the vehicle was initiated to reduce the likelihood of an explosion occurring.
Vinyl chloride is a recognized human carcinogen that is used in the production of PVC.
During the fire, five rail carriages released large plumes of black smoke that were visible throughout eastern Ohio and western Pennsylvania. The smoke contained vinyl chloride, which is used in the production of PVC.
According to reports from local media outlets, EPA employees had previously attempted to transport the hazardous waste to various facilities across the country.
Both of the locations the chemicals were transported to are reportedly in the state of Oklahoma.
The first location is almost 600 miles distant from East Palestine, and the second location is over 1,100 miles away from the village located in the rust belt.
The Republican governor of Oklahoma, Kevin Stitt, also stated on Sunday that he had collaborated with lawmakers in an effort to stop the material from entering his state.
On Friday, Regan disclosed that he had sent notifications requesting that the state authorities accept the cargo.
Concerning the purportedly clean bill of health that was given to the community’s air and water supplies by Norfolk Southern, residents of East Palestine have expressed their dissatisfaction with the lack of transparency that has been displayed by government officials and executives from Norfolk Southern.
The incident remains one of the most disastrous train derailments in American history.
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