Residents of an Ohio town ordered to evacuate last week after a train carrying a toxic chemical derailed and caught fire will be allowed to return, authorities said Wednesday.
The train carrying vinyl chloride tankers derailed in East Palestine, a town of about 5,000 in eastern Ohio, late Friday. Evacuation orders for the town were later extended across the state line to Darlington Township in western Pennsylvania.
Resident safety “has been our number one priority at all times,” said East Palestine Fire Chief Keith Drabick. After air and water samples were taken Tuesday, experts say it’s safe to return.
On Monday, authorities carried out a release and burning of vinyl chloride, which is a toxic and flammable gas. Authorities said they feared a possible explosion if it was not released.
Vinyl chloride is used to make vehicle interiors and polyvinyl chloride (PVC) pipes, among other products.
East Palestine Mayor Trent Conaway thanked the firefighters on Wednesday.
“These men behind us saved our city on Friday,” he told a news conference. “This could have been a disaster.”
The number of residents who evacuated was described in the hundreds. There will be ongoing air monitoring in the area, but rail carrier Norfolk Southern will also monitor homes if requested, the governors of Ohio and Pennsylvania said in a statement.
