YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio (WKBN) — Officials say the smell of chlorine outside is neither toxic nor dangerous, but Valley residents should exercise caution when outdoors.
The Mahoning County Hazardous Materials Team is advising Valley residents to stay indoors as the next precautionary measure. controlled release of Train derailment in East Palestine.
Residents across the valley, including Mahoning, Trumbull, and other counties, are reporting smells like chlorine, bleach, nail polish, or chemicals following the explosion of a chemical-carrying train that derailed on Friday.
Boardman officials “strongly recommend” that residents stay indoors, albeit as a precaution.
“All special monitoring has detected no dangerous readings at all. Nothing. All we have is a smell. Yes, unpleasant to say the least. It’s not dangerous at all, just continue with the recommended shelters for rest overnight and resume your normal activities in the morning.
Robin Lees, deputy director of the Mahoning County Emergency Management Agency, said the Environmental Protection Agency discovered that the air was not toxic during air quality checks in Mahoning County.
“What we’re saying right now is, as a precautionary measure, stay indoors and use common sense. We don’t recommend going outside and engaging in exercise or strenuous activity,” Reese says.
Lees said it will be up to local jurisdictions to decide what additional precautions to take going forward.
Mahoning County Commissioner Anthony Trafficanti said he was in touch with the hazmat team all day Monday.he says the wind has changedcausing the plume of smoke from the explosion to spread to the north.
“If people have lung problems, my advice is to stay until further notice,” Traficanti says.
Springfield Township Fire and Rescue posted that it is advising all residents to evacuate as a precaution “until we can determine exactly what is happening to the air quality in our town.”
A Springfield Township Fire and Rescue post read, “Keep calm and remember that this is being done only as a precaution to keep residents safe.”
According to Lees, the odor people are noticing is most likely the result of burning plastic and other materials from the train carriages.
“Often it smells something bad, but it doesn’t necessarily contain anything dangerous,” Rees says. “Hopefully we can continue to get these definite results through the rest of the night and move forward from there.”
https://www.wkbn.com/news/local-news/east-palestine-train-derailment/shelter-in-place-officials-advising-valley-residents-stay-indoors/ East Palestine Ohio train derailment fire causes widespread sheltering