Ohio

EPA weighs formal review of vinyl chloride, toxic chemical that burned in Ohio train derailment

Published

1 year ago

August 11, 2023

EPA weighs formal review of vinyl chloride, toxic chemical that burned in Ohio train derailment

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Biden administration says it could soon launch a formal evaluation of risks posed by vinyl chloride, the cancer-causing chemical that burned in a towering plume of toxic black smoke following the fiery train derailment in East Palestine, Ohio.

The Environmental Protection Agency is set to review risks posed by a handful of chemicals later this year, and is considering chemicals used for plastic production as a key benchmark. Vinyl chloride is among a range of chemicals eligible for review, and “EPA could begin a risk evaluation on vinyl chloride in the near future,’’ the agency said in a statement to The Associated Press.

If selected, EPA would study vinyl chloride to determine whether it poses an “unreasonable risk to human health or the environment,’’ a process that would take at least three years.

Environmental and public health activists cheered the development, saying EPA should have banned vinyl chloride years ago.

“If one positive thing can come out of the toxic train derailment in East Palestine — and I would argue nothing positive has come out of it so far — it is for the Biden administration to use their existing legal authority to start the process to ban vinyl chloride,″ said Judith Enck, a former regional EPA administrator and president of Beyond Plastics, an advocacy group that seeks to end plastic pollution.

“That accident was a chilling warning that we must act now to ban petrochemicals like vinyl chloride, and keep communities safe from known carcinogens,’’ added Heather McTeer Toney, another former regional EPA administrator who leads a separate group called Beyond Petrochemicals.

Vinyl chloride is a flammable gas used to make polyvinyl chloride plastic, better known as PVC. The chemical is found in plastic PVC pipes, as well as vinyl siding, packaging and a range of consumer goods, including furniture, car parts, shower curtains and toys used by children and pets.

Inhalation of vinyl chloride has been linked to liver cancer and other health problems, according to the National Cancer Institute, and its use has long been banned in cosmetics, hair spray and other personal products. PVC plastic is not a known or suspected carcinogen, the agency said.

The Vinyl Institute, a trade group that represents manufacturers, called the effort to ban vinyl chloride misguided.

A July 27 news conference at EPA headquarters, attended by Enck, Toney and other activists, was little more than a “publicity stunt that irresponsibly ignores decades of credible science” showing that vinyl chloride is “safely and responsibly manufactured in the United States,” Ned Monroe, president and CEO of the Vinyl Institute, said in a statement.

“Regrettably, Beyond Plastics has chosen to use the tragic events of East Palestine to advance deceptive and disproven claims about our industry that only serve to mislead the public,’’ Monroe added.

Vinyl chloride monomer is an intermediary chemical found in PVC products used every day, Monroe said, “including PVC pipes that deliver clean drinking water, vinyl windows, siding for energy-efficient homes and lifesaving medical products like IV blood bags.’’

Debate over vinyl chloride has simmered for years, but gained a new urgency after the Feb. 3 derailment of a 50-car Norfolk Southern freight train in East Palestine. Three days later, emergency crews released toxic vinyl chloride from five tank cars and burned it to keep them from exploding.

That sent a billowing plume of black smoke over the town near the Pennsylvania border and prompted the evacuation of about half of its 5,000 residents. Months later, residents are concerned about lingering impacts on health, even though state and federal officials say tests show the town’s air and water are safe.

Since an evacuation order was lifted near the derailment site, vinyl chloride has not been found in the community at or above an intermediate screening level, the EPA said. The intermediate level represents an estimate of exposure to a contaminant that is not expected to cause non‐cancer health effects over a period of at least 15 days.

Jessica Conard, an East Palestine resident who lives near the crash site, called the Ohio train derailment “a very grim warning.” The crash demonstrates that the rail industry “values profit over human lives and the environment,’’ while state and federal regulators “failed to keep the industry in check,’’ she said.

Conard faulted what she called “an insatiable demand” by Americans for plastic products that has “driven the need for increased transport of these hazardous substances, placing communities like mine at risk every single day.’’

Conard and other activists delivered more than 27,500 signatures to the EPA urging a ban on vinyl chloride.

“We’re here today for one reason and one reason only: to tell the EPA that it’s time now. We can’t wait to ban vinyl chloride. We can’t slow-walk this,’’ said Daniel Winston, co-executive director of River Valley Organizing, a community group in eastern Ohio.

Winston, who lives 17 miles from the derailment site, said the controlled burn, conducted just three days after the derailment, allowed Norfolk Southern to quickly reopen the tracks “so they could get their profits back up. And now a community and the surrounding area is affected by this in a way that people are still getting sick today.’’

The Feb. 6 burn sparked worries that it could have formed dioxins, a known carcinogen created from burning chlorinated carbon materials.

“Vinyl chloride is bad, dioxins are worse as carcinogens and that comes from burning,” said Neil Donahue, a chemistry professor at Carnegie Mellon University.

Dioxins are a group of persistent environmental pollutants that last in the ground and body for years and have been one of the major environmental problems and controversies in the United States.

EPA ordered testing for the highly toxic compounds after the derailment and said results so far suggest there’s a low chance that dioxins were released following the derailment.

Source link

Click to comment

Ohio

Ohio minimum wage to increase Jan. 1 – Washington Examiner

Published

6 hours ago

December 26, 2024

Press Room

Ohio minimum wage to increase Jan. 1 – Washington Examiner

(The Center Square) – Ohioans working for minimum wage will get another Christmas present in a week.

The state’s minimum wage rises by 25 cents on Jan. 1, going to $10.70 an hour to account for inflation. The current Ohio minimum wage for tipped employees is $5.25 per hour and $10.45 for nontipped workers. The minimum wage for youth workers is $7.25 per hour.

“Ohio voters are to thank for next month’s increase in the minimum wage,” Policy Matters Ohio Economist Heather Smith said. “Voters enshrined adjustments for inflation to the minimum wage law in 2006, when they voted overwhelmingly to raise the state minimum wage. Over 28% of Ohio families with incomes below the federal poverty level will get some relief from rising prices as a result.”

The Economic Policy Institute estimates about 112,700 Ohioans paid less than $10.70 will see a direct wage increase Jan. 1, and another 206,000 making just above the minimum will also see an increase when employers adjust pay scales.

A proposed constitutional amendment that would raise the state’s minimum wage to $15 per hour plus tips by 2026 failed to reach the required number of signatures to reach the ballot earlier this year.

As previously reported by The Center Square, the Ohio Chamber of Commerce opposed the proposed amendment, saying it would hurt small businesses that continue to struggle.

“The proposed minimum wage amendment to the Ohio Constitution is not only ill-advised and economically detrimental, it would be next to impossible to correct once the unintended consequences transpire,” Chamber CEO Steve Stivers said, including the potential for layoffs and reduced jours for workers.

Source link

Ohio

Ohio Lottery Powerball, Pick 3 Midday winning numbers for Dec. 25, 2024

Published

14 hours ago

December 26, 2024

Press Room

The Ohio Lottery offers multiple draw games for those aiming to win big. Here’s a look at Dec. 25, 2024, results for each game:

Powerball

Powerball drawings are held Monday, Wednesday and Saturday at 10:59 p.m.

15-26-27-30-35, Powerball: 03, Power Play: 3

Check Powerball payouts and previous drawings here.

Pick 3

Drawings are held daily, seven days a week, at 12:29 p.m. and 7:29 p.m., except Saturday evening.

Midday: 2-9-6

Evening: 3-2-1

Check Pick 3 payouts and previous drawings here.

Pick 4

Drawings are held daily, seven days a week, at 12:29 p.m. and 7:29 p.m., except Saturday evening.

Midday: 1-6-3-5

Evening: 9-5-7-9

Check Pick 4 payouts and previous drawings here.

Pick 5

Drawings are held daily, seven days a week, at 12:29 p.m. and 7:29 p.m., except Saturday evening.

Midday: 0-9-1-4-9

Evening: 4-7-1-3-8

Check Pick 5 payouts and previous drawings here.

Rolling Cash 5

Drawings are held daily, seven days a week, at approximately 7:05 p.m.

09-24-26-32-34

Check Rolling Cash 5 payouts and previous drawings here.

Classic Lotto

Drawings are held Monday, Wednesday and Saturday, at approximately 7:05 p.m.

03-05-06-15-33-39, Kicker: 6-8-4-2-1-9

Check Classic Lotto payouts and previous drawings here.

Lucky For Life

Drawings are held daily, seven days a week, at approximately 10:35 p.m.

04-10-35-42-45, Lucky Ball: 02

Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news & results

Winning lottery numbers are sponsored by Jackpocket, the official digital lottery courier of the USA TODAY Network.

Where can you buy lottery tickets?

Tickets can be purchased in person at gas stations, convenience stores and grocery stores. Some airport terminals may also sell lottery tickets.

You can also order tickets online through Jackpocket, the official digital lottery courier of the USA TODAY Network, in these U.S. states and territories: Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Idaho, Maine, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Ohio, Oregon, Puerto Rico, Texas, Washington, D.C., and West Virginia. The Jackpocket app allows you to pick your lottery game and numbers, place your order, see your ticket and collect your winnings all using your phone or home computer.

Jackpocket is the official digital lottery courier of the USA TODAY Network. Gannett may earn revenue for audience referrals to Jackpocket services. GAMBLING PROBLEM? CALL 1-800-GAMBLER, Call 877-8-HOPENY/text HOPENY (467369) (NY). 18+ (19+ in NE, 21+ in AZ). Physically present where Jackpocket operates. Jackpocket is not affiliated with any State Lottery. Eligibility Restrictions apply. Void where prohibited. Terms: jackpocket.com/tos.

This results page was generated automatically using information from TinBu and a template written and reviewed by an Enquirer digital news director. You can send feedback using this form.

Source link

Ohio

One Ohio State Star Who Desperately Needs Revenge vs Oregon

Published

1 day ago

December 25, 2024

Press Room

One Ohio State Star Who Desperately Needs Revenge vs Oregon

The Ohio State Buckeyes are preparing to face the Oregon Ducks in the Rose Bowl in what they hope will serve as some desirable revenge.

Remember: Oregon defeated Ohio State back in Week 7, handing the Buckeyes their first loss of the season. The Ducks would go on to go undefeated. Ohio State went 10-2 (now 11-2 thanks to its win over the Tennessee Volunteers).

The first meeting between the two teams was close, with Oregon emerging with a 32-21 victory. For on of the only times this season, the Buckeyes’ defense looked vulnerable.

But there was one player in particular who looked particularly exposed: cornerback Denzel Burke.

Burke entered the season widely considered one of the best cornerbacks in the country and was also viewed as a potential first-round pick in the 2025 NFL Draft.

However, his performance against the Ducks altered his fate.

Burke surrendered eight catches for 179 yards and was burned for a couple of touchdowns in Ohio State’s loss, and since then, the 22-year-old has not quite looked the same.

His draft stock has plummeted, and his confidence also appears to have been adversely affected.

And it all started in Eugene, Or. back in October.

Can Burke right the ship and come through with a bounceback showing against the top-ranked eam in the country?

The Buckeyes will need Burke. That’s for sure. After all, Oregon boasts one of the most explosive offenses in the country, and that’s due much in part to the Ducks’ high-octane aerial attack led by quarterback Dillon Gabriel.

Not only that, but Burke needs it for himself. A strong outing versus the Ducks would go a long way in gaining the attention of NFL scouts once again, and it could serve as a springboard for Burke the remainder of the College Football Playoff.

Burke has lost a bit of his shine since that disastrous performance at Oregon. If there is any Ohio State player who desperately needs revenge on New Year’s Day, it’s Burke.

Source link