VCM burnoff decision questioned in derailment hearings

Officials with materials maker Oxy Vinyls LP and Norfolk Southern Corp. were questioned at a two-day government hearing on the February train derailment and burnoff of plastics feedstock vinyl chloride monomer (VCM) in East Palestine, Ohio.

The hearing was held June 22-23 at East Palestine High School. At the hearing, Paul Thomas — vice president of health, environment, safety and security with Dallas-based Oxy, which owned the VCM being transported — said Oxy officials "made it clear that the VCM was not likely to spontaneously polymerize under the conditions described to us by Norfolk Southern and their contractors."

After the derailment, polymerization could have caused one or all of the VCM cars to explode. Oxy had a three-person team on-site shortly after the derailment took place. Thomas said the team told NS three times that polymerization wasn't occurring in the VCM rail cars. "We did not participate in or recommend the decision on the burnoff," he added.

The burnoff of almost 116,000 gallons of VCM contained in the five rail cars led to chemical odors and thick black smoke throughout the area. Some local residents were treated for respiratory and other medical issues related to the burnoff. The derailment and burnoff caused residents living within a mile of the site to be evacuated for several days.

NS hazardous materials director Robert Wood also spoke at the hearings. He said NS communicated with the Oxy team and other experts at the site but added that the railroad "was assessing a high-risk situation in real time."

"We observed what we believed to be multiple signs of polymerization in the tank cars containing VCM," Wood added. "Our concern grew quickly because an uncontrolled explosion of a tank car would be catastrophic.

"If polymerization occurred, rapid action would be needed to prevent an uncontrolled or potentially deadly explosion," he said.

After other options were considered "too dangerous and potentially ineffective," Wood said a controlled burnoff of the VCM "was determined to be the best and safest action." He added that the decision was made by the incident commander, East Palestine Fire Chief Keith Drabick, and "was supported by all members of unified command."

Many documents regarding the incident were supplied at the hearing, including an April 14 letter from Oxy — one of North America's largest producers of PVC resin — to National Transportation Safety Board investigator Ruben Payan. In the letter, Oxy officials said personnel responding to the scene may have misunderstood some factors that could have caused polymerization after the derailment. These factors include the significance of temperature reading and the activation of pressure-release devices.

"We are concerned some of the parties may have already concluded the content of one or more of the rail cars carrying stabilized VCM were undergoing a polymerization reaction," Oxy officials said. "Oxy Vinyls does not believe that the evidence confirms such a determination, and we caution against a premature conclusion regarding polymerization."

Some East Palestine residents are still facing challenges almost five months after the incident. In a recent interview with Plastics News, resident Jessica Conard said she believes NS should be providing more medical assistance.

"It just seems like there's a lack of humanity," Conard said of the railroad's response. "There's a patchwork of corporate polices, but there's been no movement on active health issues."

Conard is a lifelong resident of East Palestine, which has a population of about 5,000 and is located 15 miles south of Youngstown and about 50 miles northwest of Pittsburgh. She lives there with her husband and three sons.

Conard's family's home is about 2 miles from the site. "There basically was a train on fire in my backyard," she said. After the burnoff, Conard said, she had an abdominal rash several times. Her 3-year-old son also recently was diagnosed with asthma. Other people she knows in the area have experienced nose bleeds and other health issues.

Conard also was one of several East Palestine residents who interrupted an Ohio budget meeting at the Capitol building in Columbus in mid-June. Conard said they did so to draw attention to inaction on the part of the railroad.

Conard and other residents want Gov. Mike DeWine to sign an emergency declaration that would open up more resources to the community.

"There's been no offer of early cancer detection programs, although we've been exposed to a carcinogen and might have dioxins in our bodies," she added. VCM has been identified as a carcinogen by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

Conard also said her family recently paid $5,000 to flush out their water pipes, but they are still using bottled water for drinking and cooking. "I never thought I'd be a self-taught expert on the polymerization of vinyl chloride," she said.

PN asked an NS spokesman about Conard's concerns. In response, he sent a statement from the railroad that said NS "is committed to making it right for East Palestine and the surrounding communities."

"We are working closely with Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost to develop plans to address concerns that residents have over the long term, including health care, home values and drinking water," the statement added.

"We encourage anyone impacted by the derailment to come speak with us at our Family Assistance Center located in East Palestine, where we're connecting with dozens of families every day and addressing individual concerns."

Both the state and federal governments have filed lawsuits against NS for damages related to the derailment. An NTSB spokesperson told PN that its investigation of the accident could take 12-24 months to complete.

A preliminary report from NTSB in late February cited an overheated wheel bearing as the cause of the derailment. The train was traveling at 47 mph at the time of the derailment, 3 mph below the speed limit for that type of train.

Since the derailment, NS has spent more than $60 million on assistance to East Palestine, the company said. The firm has assisted more than 10,000 families and is doing ongoing testing of air, water and soil in the area. Large amounts of contaminated water and soil also have been removed.

NS is spending $25 million to improve a city park and has donated more than $3 million to the city fire department and $300,000 to the local school district.