Monday marks two years since the train derailment in Ohio

EAST PALESTINE, Ohio (CBS, KYMA/KECY) - On February 3, 2023, a Norfolk Southern freight train carrying hazardous materials derailed near East Palestine, Ohio, forcing hundreds to evacuate.

About 50 cars derailed in East Palestine as a freight train was carrying a variety of materials from Madison, Illinois, to Conway, Pennsylvania, rail operator Norfolk Southern said. No injuries were reported.

First responders found evidence of one of the train cars releasing vinyl chloride, NTSB member Michael Graham said at a press conference. Vinyl chloride is used to make the polyvinyl chloride hard plastic resin used in a variety of plastic products, including pipes, wires and packaging materials.

One day after officials issued evacuation orders to hundreds of residents near the Ohio-Pennsylvania state line, they urgently warned any residents who had declined to leave to evacuate immediately, saying a rail car was at risk of a potential explosion that could launch deadly shrapnel as far as a mile.

Officials said residents needed to evacuate so crews could release chemicals from some of the derailed cars for a controlled burn.

On February 6, crews released toxic chemicals into the air from five derailed tanker cars that were in danger of exploding. Vinyl chloride was slowly released from five rail cars into a trough that was then ignited, creating a large plume above the village of East Palestine.

Officials said after the controlled release crews would begin the "wrecking" process, in which the cars are moved off the tracks and relocated to a safe area where they'll be looked at by National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) officials.

Officials said that although it was the last option, the detonation went "perfect." Residents were told they could return to their homes about five days after the incident.

Ohio's Department of Natural Resources said on Feb. 14 that an estimated 3,500 dead fish have been found in local streams, tributaries and waterways, accounting for at least 12 different species.

The majority of those counted in the estimate seem to have died within the first couple days of the derailment, officials said. A week later, the department updated those figures with an even grimmer toll: more than 43,700 animals dead within a five-mile area.

On February 21, Norfolk Southern said thousands of pounds of soil and water have been removed from the site of the crash due to "substantial contamination."

The 38 derailed train cars were carrying substances including vinyl chloride, butyl acrylate, ethylene glycol monobutyl ether, ethylhexyl acrylate and isobutylene — all materials that are widely considered to be toxic and that could have damaging effects to both humans and the environment.

The company said 15,000 pounds of soil and 1.1 million gallons of water have been removed from the area because of contamination. In a press release, the company did not specify which of the hazardous materials were found in the water and soil.

On March 14, the state of Ohio filed a lawsuit to ensure the railroad company paid for cleanup and environmental damage.

The federal lawsuit also seeks to force Norfolk Southern to pay for groundwater and soil monitoring in the years to come and for economic losses in East Palestine and the surrounding area.

However, Norfolk Southern reached a settlement the following month.