• Feb 3 – fish kill with unknown material spill in Unity Township, Columbiana County.

On Feb. 3, at approximately 8:54 p.m., local time, eastbound Norfolk Southern Railway, general merchandise freight train 32N, derailed on main track 1 in East Palestine, Ohio. As a result of the derailment, 38 rail cars derailed and a fire ensued which damaged an additional 12 cars. There were 20 total hazardous material cars in the train consist—11 of which derailed. There were no reported fatalities or injuries.”

Through the NTSB, WT has obtained the list of products spilled, released or burned in the incident from the derailed and/or burned cars, 50 in all:

Hazardous Materials spilled, released or burned (8 cars)

• 5 – 33,600 gallon capacity high pressure tank cars loaded with “vinyl chloride, stabilized” Hazmat Class 2.1 (Flammable Gas)
• Status: “cars vent product through the PRD and ignited - vent and burn performed”
• Car ID: TILX402025, OCPX80235, OCPX80179, GATX95098, OCPX80370 (all rated DOT105J300W for UN1086)

HazMat Tool UN 1086: Vinyl chloride, stabilized - Substance information - Vinyl chloride, stabilized Vinyl chloride is an organochloride with the formula H2C=CHCl. It is also called vinyl chloride monomer (VCM) or chloroethene. This colorless compound is an important industrial chemical chiefly used to produce the polymer polyvinyl chloride (PVC).

• 1 – 30,000 gallon capacity tank car loaded with ethylene glycol monobutyl ether – Hazmat Class Combustible Liquid
• Status “unknown”
• Car ID: SHPX211226 (rating: DOT111S100W1/NA1993)

• 1 – 30,000 gallon capacity tank car containing ethylhexyl acrylate – Hazmat Class Combustible Liquid
• Status “car breached on head end/amount of product in car still pending”
• Car ID: DOWX73168 (rating: DOT111S100W1/NA1993)

• 1 – 30,000 gallon capacity tank car loaded with butyl acrylates, stabilized – Hazmat Class 3 Flammable Liquid

Status: head breach, lost entire load spill and fire

Car ID: UTLX205907 (DOT111A100W1/UN2348)

Other products spilled, released and/or burned (18 cars )

• 2 – 30,000 gallon capacity tankers loaded with propylene glycol – lost most of the load
• 1 – 30,000 gallon capacity tanker diethylene glycol – small leak at the BOV, unknown amount of product in the car
• 1 hopper car of Semolina cereal grain – burned up
• 4 hoppers of polyvinyl – 2 burned up and actively burning, 2 involved in fire
• 2 – 30,000 gallon capacity tankers of petroleum lube oil – contents lost, 2 tankers with small leaks, amount of loss unknown until product is offloaded
• 2 tank cars of polyethylene - contents burned by fire (unknown tank spec)
• 2 – 30,000 gallon capacity tankers of diethylene glycol – full load lost on one, unknown amount lost on the second
• 1 box car full of sterile medical grade cotton balls – burned up
• 1 box car full of sheet steel – burned up
• 1 box car full of frozen vegetables – burned up
• 1 hopper car of “powder flakes” – burned and extinguished

Product contained, small spill or no breach detected (24 cars)

• 1 tank of dipropylene glycol – showing fire impingement, with no sign of breach
• 2 hopper cars of polypropylene – not in the derailment pile, no notice given of spill or breach
• 2 tanks of propylene glycol – One tank showing fire impingement with no breach (DOT117 upgraded non-pressurized tank)
• 1 tank car of fuel additives – no sign of breach
• 1 tank car of paraffin wax – fire impinged, no sign of breach
• 1 hopper car of powder flakes – fire impinged, upright and in line
• 1 hopper of Hydraulic cement
• 1 auto rack of Passenger vehicles
• 9 box cars of Malt liquor
• 1 tanker with lube oil residue (empty car)
• 1 – 33,600 gallon capacity tanker containing isobutylene - Hazmat Class – 2.1 Flammable Gas, flame impingement, no sign of breach ( Car ID: NATX35844 (DOT105J300W/UN1055)
• 2 x 30,000 gallon capacity tank cars containing benzene residue (empty cars) – Hazmat Class 3 Flammable Liquid

Status: damaged, fire impinged, no breach

Car ID:  DPRX259013, DPRX258671 (rated DOT111A100W1/UN 1114)

• 1 – 30,000 gallon capacity tanker of petro oil – small leak, stopped

WaterToday Media Group regularly reports and tracks hazardous spills with potential to impact drinking water sources.  We will stay on top of this incident as the debris plume moves down the Ohio River into the Mississippi and out to the Gulf of Mexico at Louisiana.

The smoke plume from four to six rail cars still burning continues to spread combustion products.  Water vapor can bind with particulate matter, drawing combustion compounds down into the watershed environments. Follow WT Media Group for updates on surface water quality in New York, Ohio, Georgia and Louisiana.