HYSPLIT Supports Derailment Response in East Palestine, Ohio
NTSB uncrewed aerial vehicle footage of the burning railcars in East Palestine, Ohio. An aerial vehicle such as a drone is the safest means to assess the situation. Image credit: NTSB
February 8, 2023.
A Norfolk Southern train bound for Conway Pennsylvania, derailed in East Palestine, Ohio, on Friday, February 3, 2023 just before 9:00 PM. About 50 cars derailed; of those, 20 contained hazardous materials and several contained vinyl chloride. While no injuries were apparent from the immediate derailment, the fire spanned the length of the rail cars and continued for several days.
Some railcars were intermittently leaking or burning vinyl chloride, which poses serious concerns. Vinyl chloride is a colorless, flammable gas; exposure to it is associated with an increased cancer risk. NOAA’s Weather Forecast Office (WFO) in Pittsburgh, PA provided briefings, spot forecasts and HYSPLIT runs for the local emergency officials working the scene. NOAA’s Air Resources Laboratory developed and maintains HYSPLIT, to model the atmospheric trajectory of the pollutants dispersed, as well as the estimated arrival time for the plume.
An evacuation order was in effect within a mile of the train crossing on early Saturday. EPA and state agencies have been monitoring air and water conditions in East Palestine to estimate the dispersion of vinyl chloride and other pollutants (e.g., hydrochloric acid, phosgene). The leaking vinyl chloride poses a health hazard to humans, and several area neighborhoods have been evacuated as a result of this accident. It is used to make hard plastic resin such as polyvinyl chloride (PVC) pipes, wire coatings, vehicle upholstery, and plastic kitchenware.
On Monday February 6, the evacuation areas were expanded to a one-mile by two-mile area surrounding East Palestine, which includes parts of both Ohio and Pennsylvania. Norfolk Southern then conducted a controlled release, or an intentional burning of the rail car’s contents, to prevent a larger explosion that might have more serious consequences (e.g., release of damaging shrapnel). Ohio’s law enforcement agencies worked to ensure that all individuals evacuated the area prior to the controlled release.
By Wednesday, February 8 2023, samples of air and water from the area were analyzed and assessed to be safe, and the evacuation order was lifted. The EPA and other local agencies continue to monitor air and water quality in the region.