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She says the accident was emblematic of a bigger problem. A recent report from Toxic-Free Future and Material Research, for instance, revealed that at any given moment up to 16,000 tonnes of vinyl chloride are being shipped via rail by America’s largest producer, OxyVinyls.
“Continuing to run this carcinogen on a rickety rail system, town after town, puts millions of people at risk,” says Conard, who recently left her job as a speech therapist to work with environmental advocacy group Beyond Plastics.
Owner Melissa Smith pours coffee brewed from tap water for President Joe Biden in an East Palestine cafe last week.Credit: AP
“We have safe and sustainable alternatives for every PVC product on the market, like glass and metal. It’s not rocket science. We can go on and live a full, long and happy life without vinyl chloride – and we should be doing that.”
The Environmental Protection Agency has now prioritised vinyl chloride for evaluation under the US Toxic Substances Control Act – the first step in potentially restricting or banning its use.
Other chemicals set for review under the federal Act include acetaldehyde, acrylonitrile, benzenamine, and a compound known as MBOCA.
While a ban could potentially take years as it would likely be met with industry resistance, the agency says it is nonetheless an important step in the Biden administration’s push to strengthen America’s chemical safety laws “after years of mismanagement and delay”.
Houses for sale near the site of the 2023 train derailment in East Palestine.Credit: Joe Appel
“[The Environmental Protection Agency] is required to implement, via regulation, regulatory restrictions on the manufacture, processing, distribution, use or disposal of the chemical to eliminate the unreasonable risk,” a spokesperson for the agency said.
The issue still presents a political challenge for Biden, who only visited East Palestine last week, prompting accusations from former president Donald Trump and other critics that it was too little too late.
As Biden’s motorcade drove through the town, locals held up signs saying “Go home, sleepy Joe!” and “F--- Biden”, along with less inflammatory banners declaring: “We need healthcare” and “We need aid”.
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Biden nonetheless used his visit to call on US Congress to pass new laws that would ensure greater protective measures for trains carrying hazardous waste, including higher standards for brake systems, better staffing to prevent accidents and improved derailment-detection technology.
He also hit out at Norfolk Southern, the rail company responsible for the derailment, which has spent years resisting reforms that could make the system safer.
“We were pushing railroads to take more precautions to deal with braking and to deal with a whole range of things that were not dealt with,” he said. “Norfolk Southern failed its responsibility.”