East Palestine, Ohio Disaster Is A Symptom Of The Plastic Pollution Crisis
The Vinyl Chloride which was in some of the train cars is a very toxic chemical used to make Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC) plastic. Learn more below and join us in taking action to ban toxic vinyl chloride.
Democracy Now: East Palestine Toxic Train Crash Shows Plastics Industry Toll on Planet. Will U.S. Ban Vinyl Chloride? | 3/13/2
New York Times | Why Is the E.P.A. So Timid in the East Palestine Train Disaster? | 3/8/23
Boston Globe | The East Palestine Disaster Was a Direct Result of the Country’s Reliance on Fossil Fuels and Plastic | 2/24/23
Wired | The Ohio Derailment Lays Bare the Hellish Plastic Crisis | 2/18/23
Washington Post | Residents wonder whether it’s safe to return after toxic train derailment | 2/12/2
Bloomberg | What the Ohio Train Derailment Says About the Dark Side of Plastics | 2/15/23
Toxic-Free Future | Ohio Train Derailment Vinyl Chloride Disaster Is Another Painful Reminder of PVC Plastic’s Toxic Lifecycle | 2/17/23
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Five of the train cars that derailed in East Palestine, Ohio on February 3, 2023, were carrying vinyl chloride which is a known human carcinogen. Vinyl chloride is used almost exclusively to make polyvinyl chloride plastic (commonly called PVC) which is hazardous to produce and dispose of.
Vinyl chloride is manufactured in low-income communities and communities of color in Louisiana, Texas, and Kentucky, where it threatens the health of local residents. The PVC plastic made from vinyl chloride is used to make everything from the iconic rubber ducky and other children's toys to pipes, floor coverings, shower curtains, raincoats, and vinyl siding. Fortunately, there are safer alternatives to PVC.
It's time for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to ban vinyl chloride. Please join us in urging the EPA to take the critical first step in banning this toxic chemical before any more harm is done to communities like East Palestine, Ohio. Please click here now to add your name to the petition to EPA Assistant Administrator Freedhoff.
