Dangerous chemical leak spurs evacuation order in Ohio town
Posted 9/24/24
CLEVES, Ohio (AP) — Students in school buildings and residents in neighboring homes were told to evacuate after a dangerous chemical began leaking from a railcar Tuesday near Cincinnati.
Aerial …
You must be a member to read this story.
Join our family of readers for as little as $5 per month and support local, unbiased journalism.
Current print subscribers can create a free account by clicking here
Otherwise, follow the link below to join.
To Our Valued Readers –
Visitors to our website will be limited to five stories per month unless they opt to subscribe. The five stories do not include our exclusive content written by our journalists.
For $6.99, less than 20 cents a day, digital subscribers will receive unlimited access to YourValley.net, including exclusive content from our newsroom and access to our Daily Independent e-edition.
Our commitment to balanced, fair reporting and local coverage provides insight and perspective not found anywhere else.
Your financial commitment will help to preserve the kind of honest journalism produced by our reporters and editors. We trust you agree that independent journalism is an essential component of our democracy. Please click here to subscribe.
Need to set up your free e-Newspaper all-access account? click here.
Non-subscribers
Click here to see your options for becoming a subscriber.
Register to comment
Click here create a free account for posting comments.
Note that free accounts do not include access to premium content on this site.
I am anchor
Dangerous chemical leak spurs evacuation order in Ohio town
Students in school buildings and residents in neighboring homes were told to evacuate after a dangerous chemical began leaking from a railcar Tuesday near Cincinnati.
Posted
CLEVES, Ohio (AP) — Students in school buildings and residents in neighboring homes were told to evacuate after a dangerous chemical began leaking from a railcar Tuesday near Cincinnati.
Aerial video showed firefighters spraying down the car, which was sitting upright on tracks between a highway and an asphalt plant.
Authorities said a pressure release valve on it was leaking styrene, a toxic and flammable chemical that is used to make plastic and rubber. It can cause headaches, nausea and respiratory issues, and long-term exposure can lead to more serious health problems including organ damage.
Hamilton County's Emergency Management Agency advised anyone within a half-mile (about 800 meters) of the area near U.S. Route 50 and the Great Miami River, west of Cincinnati, to leave immediately. Residents just outside the evacuation area were told to stay inside and keep their windows closed.
The area has a mix of businesses, homes and large swaths of undeveloped land.
Three school buildings were evacuated and all after school events were canceled, said Lisa Whiteley, a spokesperson for the Three Rivers Local School District.
Tom Ciuba, a spokesperson for Central Railroad of Indiana, said it was notified Tuesday afternoon about a railcar near Cleves that was venting styrene. He said firefighters were at the site and environmental response agencies were mobilized.
Last year a train derailment on the opposite side of Ohio in East Palestine, about 300 miles (480 kilometers) northeast of Cincinnati, caused hazardous chemicals to leak and burn for days. The February 2023 derailment near the Ohio-Pennsylvania state line led to new safety rules and increased scrutiny of the rail industry and federal regulators.