After an Ohio Train derailment forced many from their homes and sent a fireball streaking into the sky that could be seen for 15 miles early Sunday morning, many “not all” evacuees are finally being returned home. The freight train was carrying volatile chemicals, noted 10TV.
The train accident occurred near Arcadia, in Hancock County, Ohio and led to the evacuation of about 20 homes. According to local media reports, the 62-car Norfolk Southern train was transporting ethanol, and the 18 cars involved in the trail derailment carried 320,000 gallons of the highly volatile chemical. Some train cars caught fire and exploded, said 10TV. There were no injuries.
“Everything around us just started flickering, like there was almost a dim light somewhere,” said Chris Moses, a resident, quoted 10TV. “The whole sky lit up and everything around us was orange.” According to 10TV, some train derailment evacuees were still not allowed to return to their homes
Although the fire was abating, said Captain Jim Breyman of the Arcadia Fire Department, it could take a couple of days for the flames to burn out, explained 10TV.
Norfolk Southern says the train was headed from Chicago to North Carolina on an east-west line when it derailed at 2:20 a.m. Sunday morning. Witnesses reported hearing multiple explosions after the Ohio train derailment, some of which shook nearby homes. The cause of the derailment remains unknown.
Waterways in the area were being tested Sunday morning by the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency to see if there was any contamination, and there are plans for air monitoring. Firefighters were also placing dikes in nearby streams to prevent contamination.
One hundred firefighters from surrounding departments responded to the scene in Cass Township, just northwest of Arcadia. Flames were so intense on Sunday morning that emergency crews were forced to remain at least a mile away for safety reasons.
The Environmental Working Group (EWG) discussed the study of ethanol, specifically concerning its emissions of toxic air pollutants linked to its combustion and the fire safety hazards linked to its distribution. The EWG review of the chemical suggested that fuel ethanol content could involve a variety of human health and safety risks including increased air pollution health risks and a reduction of greenhouse grass emissions.
