Inside the East Palestine Disaster: A Wake Up Call To Ban Toxic Vinyl Chloride & Go Beyond Plastics

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2023Mar 16

The toxic train derailment that occurred in East Palestine, Ohio on Feb. 3 2023 is a wake up call for us all about the true costs of plastics and petrochemicals. Five of the train cars were carrying vinyl chloride, a known human carcinogen that is used to create polyvinyl chloride (PVC) plastic. The railroad and state officials drained this toxic chemical into a ditch and lit it on fire on Feb. 6, 2023, creating a toxic plume of smoke that was captured on film and video. When vinyl chloride is burned it can create dioxins, a highly toxic persistent organic pollutant that is spread by wind and water. Five of the train cars that derailed were carrying toxic vinyl chloride. The railroad and the state drained this toxic chemical into a ditch and then set it on fire on Feb. 6🔥, resulting in the enormous black plume of toxic pollution that’s become the most recognized image of the disaster. Unfortunately, when vinyl chloride is burned, it may create dioxins, a long-lasting class of toxic chemicals that harm human health along with other chemical mixtures. In addition to dioxins, other chemical mixtures are often formed during the burning process. Spread widely by wind and water, dioxins enter the food chain via soil and water. 💦🌪️These persistent organic pollutants are stored in fat tissue, working their way from species to species, and becoming more concentrated and toxic as they move up the food chain. The people of East Palestine, Ohio, and in neighboring communities in Ohio and Pennsylvania may be suffering negative health impacts from the various toxicants spread by the initial derailment and the burning of the vinyl chloride. And these impacts may very well last for decades and be borne by more than one generation. Plastic is NOT cheap — this disaster is a clear reminder of the true human and environmental costs of our reliance on petrochemicals and plastics. It is time for us to move beyond plastics and beyond petrochemicals, starting with banning toxic vinyl chloride. 🚫☠️ ✍️Add your name to Beyond Plastics petition urging the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to ban toxic vinyl chloride now at: https://www.beyondplastics.org/action... --