‘We’re fine today. We’re definitely fine tomorrow’

Officials: It’s unlikely that chemicals from train derailment in Ohio would affect air in Connecticut

Cancer-causing, toxic chemicals were released into the air after a train derailment in East Palestine, Ohio, earlier this month. But officials say it's unlikely that air in Connecticut will be affected.

A train carrying various toxic chemicals derailed Feb. 3 in Ohio, and a fire was ignited to prevent an explosion. Thick, black smoke can be seen in photos rising from the crash site.

Among the chemicals being carried by the train was vinyl chloride, exposure to which, according to the National Cancer

Center, is “associated with an increased risk of a rare form of liver cancer (hepatic angiosarcoma), as well as primary liver cancer (hepatocellular carcinoma), brain and lung cancers, lymphoma and leukemia.”

According to the trade publication Chemical and Engineering News, phosgene, among other chemicals, is created when you burn vinyl chloride. Phosgene was used as a chemical weapon in World War I.

Evacuations were ordered in the area of the derailment, though the Environmental Protection Agency said Monday, “Air monitoring since the fire went out has not detected any levels of concern in the community that can be attributed to the incident at this time.”

“Connecticut's Department of Energy and Environmental Protection does not anticipate any air quality impacts to Connecticut associated with the recent train derailment in southern Ohio that resulted in a large release and combustion of vinyl chloride and other chemical compounds,” Paul Copleman, DEEP spokesman, said in an email.

Gary Lessor, chief meteorologist at Western Connecticut State University, said current wind flows do not suggest that any air from southern Ohio will reach Connecticut, at least over the next few days.

“It's really heading more toward the central Appalachians and the mid-Atlantic,” Lessor said. “Air flow from Ohio and as well as pollution is forecasted to pass well

south of us. We're fine today. We're definitely fine tomorrow.”

If the wind flow changes, however, some particulates, however they are dispersed, might make it into Connecticut airspace, according to Lessor.

“Tomorrow night into Thursday, when patterns are going to change, then anything from the central

Appalachians heads toward us,” he said.

Copleman said DEEP had arrived at the same conclusion, at least over the following few days: “Based on a three-day analysis of forward wind trajectories from the site of the derailment, DEEP is confident there was no impact to Connecticut from this event.”

Pollution from neighboring states does waft into Connecticut's air, and Lessor said had the derailment happened elsewhere, it might have affected the state.

“If something happened in Albany, I would have great concern that it was going to come to Connecticut because of the northwest flow,” he said.

Gene J. Puskar / Associated Press A black plume rises over East Palestine, Ohio, Feb. 6 as a result of a controlled detonation of a portion of the derailed Norfolk Southern trains.