Jordan Anderson
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
(TNS)
Feb. 6—Pennsylvania and Ohio authorities on Monday told residents of East Palestine and nearby areas to evacuate or they would risk serious injury or even death from a planned, controlled release of a toxic chemical at the site of last week's fiery train derailment.
During a news conference, Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine ordered the immediate evacuation of a 1- by 2-mile area surrounding the small village of East Palestine, an area which includes both Ohio and Pennsylvania. He urged any remaining residents in the area to leave, as the release of the chemical vinyl chloride, planned for about 3:30 p.m., will pose grave danger.
Mr. DeWine said the contents of five rail cars are unstable and could potentially explode, causing a deadly spread of shrapnel and toxic fumes. The controlled release of the chemical will help alleviate the risk of this shrapnel, he said.
"We had to weigh different risks with no great choices," Mr. DeWine said.
At a separate news conference Monday afternoon, Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro also urged all Pennsylvania residents remaining within a 1- to 2-mile radius of the derailment to evacuate immediately.
There are 22 homes in that area, 12 had already been emptied and the 10 remaining were in the process of doing so, he said. Mr. Shapiro showed a map with a red and orange blob stretching from the train derailment site into Beaver County, which was based on weather and air modeling.
"If you are in this red zone that is on the map, and you refuse to evacuate, you are risking death," he said. "If you are within the orange area on this map you risk permanent lung damage within a matter of hours or days."
Those outside the evacuation zone but in Darlington Township, along State Line Road, Taggart Road and Valley Road, should "shelter in place and be prepared to evacuate as necessary," Mr. Shapiro said.
He said a network of existing monitors set up within five miles of the site has shown "no air or water contaminants in Pennsylvania."
This map shows the evacuation zone and particularly dangerous areas near the train derailment in East Palestine, Ohio. Commonwealth Media Services
Both the Blackhawk and Western Beaver school districts in Beaver County dismissed students early Monday because of the worsening conditions.
The derailment sent about 50 train cars, some of which were carrying hazardous materials, off the tracks in East Palestine, Ohio, on Friday, sparking a massive fire. According to now-displaced residents, local authorities began asking people to leave their homes as early as the night of the incident.
In a Sunday tweet, Mr. DeWine asked residents living within a mile of the train derailment site to immediately evacuate their homes because of the potential of a "major explosion." The governor warned that drastic temperature changes have occurred in a rail car, which may lead to a catastrophic explosion. Deadly shrapnel could travel up to a mile, he said.
With the imminent danger of a potential explosion, he urged all residents who have not yet evacuated to do so. He stated that while many have already left, more than 500 people have declined to vacate their homes. According to the Columbiana County sheriff, households with children that refuse to leave may be arrested.
At approximately 8 p.m. Sunday, the governor deployed the Ohio National Guard to the scene to assist local authorities. The Ohio State Highway Patrol, Ohio Emergency Management Agency and Ohio EPA are also assisting, he said.
East Palestine Mayor Trent Conaway had ordered an evacuation early Saturday of a one-mile area surrounding the derailment site. A shelter-in-place order was in effect for a small portion of the nearby Pennsylvania town of Darlington, but there are no homes in that area, according to Beaver County 911 dispatchers.
East Palestine is about 55 miles northwest of Pittsburgh and close to both Beaver and Lawrence counties. Between 1,500 and 2,000 residents were affected by the evacuation, officials said. The village has a population of about 4,800.
As the situation continues to develop, the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation also announced additional road closures and detours.
The following roads will be closed until further notice:
* Route 51 between Route 168 and Ohio
* Anderson Road at Route 51
* Little Beaver Road at Route 51
* Taggert Road at Route 51
* Valley Road at Taggert Road
* Logtown Road at Route 51
* Enon Road at Route 51
* East Palestine Road at Route 51
* Darlington Road at Route 51
* Oakdale Road at Route 51
* Agnew Drive at Route 51
* Cannellton Road at Route 51
* Route 168 — All traffic will take northbound Route 168
* Posted Detour for Northbound Route 51
* From northbound Route 51, turn right onto Route 168
* Turn left onto Route 551
* Bear left onto Route 351
* Follow Route 351 into Ohio ( Route 617)
* Turn left onto Route 170 in Ohio
* Follow Route 170 back to Route 14
* End detour
Posted detour for Northbound Route 51:
* From northbound Route 51, turn right onto Route 168
* Turn left onto Route 551
* Bear left onto Route 351
* Follow Route 351 into Ohio ( Route 617)
* Turn left onto Route 170 in Ohio
* Follow Route 170 back to Route 14
* End detour
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