Researchers at Texas A&M contradict Biden official, reveal toxic pollutants still airborne in East Palestine could pose long-term risks



Independent analysis of Environmental Protection Agency data concerning the fallout of the Feb. 3 Norfolk Southern derailment in East Palestine, Ohio, has revealed that, contrary to previous claims made by EPA officials, there continue to be abnormally high levels of airborne toxins that could jeopardize the long-term health of residents in the area.

A team of researchers from Texas A&M have scrutinized EPA data and found elevated levels of chemicals known to cause not only various symptoms including headaches and eye and lung irritation, but possibly also cancer.

Researchers noted in a Friday Twitter post that the levels of benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and xylene — "a group of volatile chemicals referred to as 'BTEX'" — appeared to be similar to "normal" levels.

However, they also noted that "some concentrations in East Palestine (OH) for 9 out of ~50 chemicals EPA reported are higher than 'normal.' If these levels continue, they may be of health concern (especially acrolein)."

The CDC's Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry noted that acrolein, a pesticide, is "used to make chemical weapons" at higher concentrations.

If breathed in at low levels for a short time, then individuals exposed may experience watery eyes and sore throats. Those exposed to higher levels may see their lungs "affected more severely and for a longer time. Breathing in very high levels of acrolein might affect your lungs so severely that you might die."

The agency indicated, "No one knows if breathing or eating acrolein or spilling it on your skin causes birth defects, affects your ability to have children, or causes cancer. The Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) has not classified acrolein as to its carcinogenicity."

"In animal studies, ingestion of very large amounts of acrolein during pregnancy caused reduced birth weights and skeletal deformities in newborns. However, the levels causing these effects were often fatal to the mother," revealed the ATSDR.

According to the Texas A&M researchers' analysis of the EPA data, the "[hazard quotient] for median in East Palestine" after the derailment was 7. The "[hazard quotient] for highest in East Palestine" was 40.

Both these figures are significantly higher than the norm. The "HQ for median county in USA (EPA NATA 2014)" was 0.89, and the "HQ for highest county in USA" was 6.1.

\u201cUpdate (2/3) Compared to EPA National Air Toxics data (NATA 2014), some concentrations in East Palestine (OH) for 9 out of ~50 chemicals EPA reported are higher than \u201cnormal.\u201d If these levels continue, they may be of health concern (especially acrolein).\u201d
— Texas A&M Superfund Research Center (@Texas A&M Superfund Research Center) 1677253607

Weihsueh Chiu, a professor of veterinary physiology and pharmacology at Texas A&M, told the Washington Post that while the EPA publicly posted the data it had collected between Feb. 4 and Feb. 21, it provided it without context that shows "potential concern about long-term health effects."

"We can’t say whether these levels are causing the current symptoms," said Chiu, adding that the EPA "would want to definitely make sure that these higher levels that are detected would be reduced before they left and declared everything cleaned up."

Michael Regan, the Biden-nominated administrator of the EPA, claimed in the wake of Norfolk Southern's release of various toxins, including a gas used as a weapon of mass slaughter in World War I, that "if your home has been tested and you've been given the green light, the air is safe."

Regan doubled down this week, telling NPR, "With the air quality analysis we've done — and we're using some of the most, you know, high-experience technology that we have for both air and water — the data is coming back demonstrating that there are no levels of concern for adverse health impacts."

Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

PA governor suggests Norfolk Southern may have rushed 'controlled' release of toxic fumes above East Palestine to get rail line open, ignored other options



Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro (D) suggested in a biting letter Tuesday that Norfolk Southern may have had options available to it other than conducting a so-called "controlled" burn of a dangerous carcinogen in the aftermath of the Feb. 3 derailment in East Palestine, Ohio, right on the border of his state.

Extra to accusing Norfolk Southern of needlessly generating confusion and possibly exacerbating the problem, Shapiro implied that the rail company may have rushed the process in order to reopen the rail line.

Shapiro's claims come amid growing tensions and concerns about what precisely was done in response to the derailment and toxic leaks and what the fallout may ultimately be in terms of health and financial impacts.

Failure after failure

In his Feb. 14 letter to Alan Shaw, president and chief executive of the Norfolk Southern Corporation, Shapiro indicated that various elected leaders and emergency management officials in Beaver County and the surrounding area — reportedly impacted to a significant extent by the ecological disaster — are concerned "about Norfolk Southern's poor handling of this incident."

Shapiro noted that the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection and the state's emergency management agency "were not immediately contacted by Norfolk Southern" after the incident. However, upon learning of the incident independently, the DEP and PEMA reportedly began monitoring for impacts to the residents, businesses, and environment in the state.

The agencies found that there were at least three major issues with the rail company's "management of the response that put the safety of our first responders and residents at significant risk":

  • "First, Norfolk Southern failed to implement Unified Command, creating confusion and resulting in a general lack of awareness for first responders and emergency management of the tactics Norfolk Southern planned in response";
  • "Second, Norfolk Southern gave inaccurate information and conflicting modeling about the impact of the controlled release that made protection action decision making more difficult in the immediate aftermath of the derailment"; and
  • "Third, Norfolk Southern's unwillingness to explore or articulate alternate courses of action to their proposed vent and burn limited state and local leaders' ability to respond effectively."
Concerning the rail company's first alleged failing, Shapiro claimed Norfolk Southern personnel "separated themselves from the rest of the incident management structure at the Incident Command Post."
Having gone on to do their own operational and tactical planning, they allegedly left state and local response agencies in the dark, forcing them to react to unilateral maneuvers without first soliciting informed input.

Perhaps more consequential was the rail company's alleged provision of inaccurate information, again imperiling planning, remediation, and protection efforts.

Shapiro claimed that Norfolk Southern "failed to notify state and local response agencies initially of their intention to vent and burn all five cars containing vinyl chloride, rather than just the single car Norfolk Southern personnel identified originally."

The governor further suggested that this failure to communicate critical information about the affected rail cars, their content, and the company's intention to expedite their combustion "led to confusion and wide variability in potentially affected population estimates in downwind plume impacting the Commonwealth."

TheBlaze previously reported that the thick column of smoke that Norfolk Southern personnel helped send skyward contained fumes from the toxic chemicals stored in the wrecked cars, such as vinyl chloride, hydrogen chloride, ethylene glycol monobutyl ether, ethylhexyl acrylate, isobutylene, and phosgene — a gas used for mass slaughter in the trenches during World War I.

Early reports indicated that the reasoning behind the controlled release of the deadly chemicals was to prevent a "catastrophic tanker failure," which allegedly could have resulted in a massive explosion, throwing fumes and shrapnel a far distance. However, the Pennsylvania governor implied in his letter that there were other options available that the rail company apparently discounted or failed to consider.

"Norfolk Southern failed to explore all potential courses of action, including some that may have kept the rail line closed longer but could have resulted in a safer overall approach for first responders, residents, and the environment," wrote Shapiro.

Silverado Caggiano, a hazardous materials specialist, told WKBN, "We basically nuked a town with chemicals so we could get a railroad open."

At the time of the so-called controlled breach, villagers within a one-mile radius of the wreck were cautioned by Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine (R) and Shapiro (D) that remaining in the impacted area could put them in "grave danger of death" and were subsequently evacuated.

DeWine called it "absurd" that Norfolk Southern was not required to notify local officials about the train's contents before it came through, reported the New York Times. DeWine has also called for congressional and possible legal action in the event that the company fails to pay for the cleanup.

Responding to Shapiro's letter, a spokesman for the rail company told Yahoo News, "Norfolk Southern was on-scene immediately following the derailment and began working directly with local, state, and federal officials as they arrived at the unified command established in East Palestine by local officials, including those from Pennsylvania. ... We remain at the command post today working alongside those agencies to keep information flowing from our teams working at the site."

In its response, the company added it was "committed to ensuring health and safety through ongoing environmental monitoring and support for their needs."

Shapiro underscored that he intends to help the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission "facilitate holding [Norfolk Southern] accountable to Pennsylvanians."

Shapiro penned his letter after the EPA sent Norfolk Southern a general notice of potential liability over the weekend, outlining EPA cleanup actions and the possibility that the railway will have to foot the bill.

TheBlaze reported earlier that residents are now especially concerned about possible water contamination, granted that schools of fish have been spotted floating belly-up down nearby streams and rivers.

The Ohio EPA conducted an assessment in 2019 that found East Palestine's source of drinking water has a "high susceptibility to contamination" because of a lack of clay helping protect the aquifer and "the presence of significant potential contaminant sources in the protection area."

The assessment notes, "This susceptibility means that under currently existing conditions, the likelihood of the aquifer becoming contaminated is relatively high."

WKBN reported that the EPA recently castigated Norfolk Southern for simply covering up contaminated soil in the aftermath of the derailment.

"Five railcar tankers of vinyl chloride were intentionally breached; the vinyl chloride was diverted to an excavated trench and then burned off. Areas of contaminated soil and free liquids were observed and potentially covered and/or filled during reconstruction of the rail line including portions of the trench/burn pit that was used for the open burn off of vinyl chloride," said the letter.

Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

Thick smoke, flames seen as controlled release of chemicals begins at East Palestine train site youtu.be

EPA-associated agency testing air for toxins allegedly got hundreds of locals near site of Norfolk Southern chemical inferno to sign contract to 'indemnify, release and hold harmless' testing groups



A resident of the Ohio village where derailed Norfolk Southern train cars were altogether transformed into a toxic inferno told nationally syndicated radio host and co-founder of Blaze Media Glenn Beck that U.S. Environmental Protection Agency affiliates were pushing contracts on locals, purportedly looking to minimize liability around air monitoring tests.

What's the background?

Katlyn Schwarzwaelder is a resident of East Palestine, Ohio, the epicenter of Norfolk Southern Railways' recent ecological disaster, which reportedly killed countless animals in the area and has left a number of locals complaining of bleary eyes and breathing difficulties.

Schwarzwaelder also operates the Von Schwarz Doberman Kennel in nearby Darlington, Pennsylvania, a little over a mile away from the blast site.

Chemical and Engineering News reported that Schwarzwaelder, who managed to get her dogs and horse out of the area, has taken calls from locals who have observed fish, chickens, foxes, dogs, and other animals dying without warning in the aftermath of the derailment and controlled breach.

"I got a call yesterday from a person who lives 1.5 miles away from the derailment area,” she said. “They let their 2-year-old healthy dog out to go to the bathroom, and the dog never returned inside. He was dead in the yard."

While Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine (R), Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro (D) and other officials have announced that evacuated residents in and around East Palestine can now safely return home, Schwarzwaelder isn't so sure, particularly when at least one gas used as a weapon of mass slaughter in World War One was released overhead.

TheBlaze previously reported that the thick column of smoke that darkened the sky above East Palestine after the derailment contained fumes from the toxic chemicals stored in the wrecked cars, such as vinyl chloride, hydrogen chloride, and phosgene.

The EPA also cautioned Norfolk Southern that an additional three chemicals were aboard the breached and derailed trains: ethylene glycol monobutyl ether, ethylhexyl acrylate, and isobutylene.

Silverado Caggiano, a hazardous materials specialist, told WKBN that ethylhexyl acrylate is a carcinogen that can cause burning and irritation in the skin and eyes, as well as breathing problems. He noted that isobutylene can also cause dizziness and drowsiness if inhaled.

Phosgene, used in warfare at the turn of the 20th century, can result in chest constriction and choking.

Some of the other toxins released can have similarly debilitating and deadly consequences.

After residents were coaxed into returning home to East Palestine, Norfolk Southern- and EPA-associated groups reportedly continued to test the air for potentially harmful toxins.

Broad contracts

In conversation with Glenn Beck Wednesday, Schwarzwaelder indicated that East Palestine residents were told by Norfolk [Southern Railway] personnel "that the agencies that were coming to our homes to test were from independent laboratories."

Despite this suggestion, Schwarzwaelder noted that an individual with the environmental consulting firm CTEH LLC had been camped out front of her house on the night of the derailment, who told her, "We follow around the railroad when they make mistakes and they are happy to have us here."

Those testing Schwarzwaelder's air reportedly handed her a release form authorizing "Norfolk Southern, its affiliates, subsidiaries, parents, contractors, associated environmental professionals, and assisting local, state, and federal agencies, including but not limited to CTEH LLC and any of their personnel (collectively, 'Monitoring Team') to access the Property for air monitoring or environmental sampling."

"Landowner agrees to indemnify, release, and hold harmless Unified Command from and against any and all legal claims, including for personal injury or property damage, arising from Monitoring Team's performance of air monitoring or environmental sampling at the Property on the date of signature below," the contract added.

\u201cThis is the contract\u201d
— Glenn Beck (@Glenn Beck) 1676478881

While the contracts appear specific to the "Monitoring Team's performance of air monitoring or environmental sampling," it is presently unclear whether the legalese may be broad enough to cover injuries resulting from inaccurate measurements.

Furthermore, it is unclear whether lawyers for the railway or others named as members of the "Monitoring Team" could at some later stage suggest that inaccurate measurements for which their affiliates would be indemnified — contra the derailment and subsequent controlled breach of dangerous fumes — were ultimately responsible for potential injuries and damages (e.g., carcinomas, breathing issues, and crop failures).

Schwarzwaelder refused to sign the release form, but indicated 340 other residents did sign the document.

"My heart just breaks for these people. We don't know the long-term repercussions of what these chemicals can do in our air, to our environment, to our homes, to our businesses. And they signed their rights away in the hopes that they're getting help and the right answers from these organizations," Schwarzwaelder told Beck.

"What I can tell you first hand is that CTEH, the affiliate of Norfolk that came to test the air, was followed by the EPA. ... We said, 'Can the EPA by themselves come into our kennel? We do not sign this paper,' and 'Can they test themselves because they are a government organization that has the ability, they have the testing equipment with them?' And the answer was, 'Absolutely not.'"

Contamination and liability

The EPA sent Norfolk Southern a general notice of potential liability over the weekend, outlining EPA cleanup actions and the possibility that the railway will have to foot the bill, reported CBS News.

With schools of fish floating belly-up down nearby streams and rivers, residents are now especially concerned about possible water contamination.

CBS News reported that this fear has been exacerbated by a 2019 drinking water source assessment conducted by the Ohio EPA that indicated East Palestine's source of drinking water has a "high susceptibility to contamination" because of a lack of clay helping protect the aquifer and "the presence of significant potential contaminant sources in the protection area."

The assessment notes, "This susceptibility means that under currently existing conditions, the likelihood of the aquifer becoming contaminated is relatively high."

WKBN reported that the EPA recently castigated Norfolk Southern for simply covering up contaminated soil in the aftermath of the derailment.

"Five railcar tankers of vinyl chloride were intentionally breached; the vinyl chloride was diverted to an excavated trench and then burned off. Areas of contaminated soil and free liquids were observed and potentially covered and/or filled during reconstruction of the rail line including portions of the trench /burn pit that was used for the open burn off of vinyl chloride," said the letter.

According to an EPA fact sheet, vinyl chloride — one of the primary toxins spilled and burned up over East Palestine — "will be expected to be highly mobile in soil and it may leach to the groundwater. It may be subject to biodegradation under anaerobic conditions such as exists in flooded soil and groundwater."

"Based on epidemiological and animal studies, vinyl chloride is carcinogenic in humans when inhaled, and it is considered to be a human carcinogen from oral exposure," the fact sheet added.

WITNESS: Train derailment causing ‘WAR ZONE’ scenes in Ohio youtu.be

Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!