The leak of a hazardous chemical from a railroad car in southwestern Hamilton County has stopped, according to authorities. Evacuation recommendations are still in place.
Tuesday afternoon, a railroad tanker car near Whitewater Township, Cleves and Hooven started venting a chemical plume. The chemical is styrene, which is flammable and toxic. It can cause nausea, headaches and other symptoms upon exposure.
Representatives for the Central Railroad of Indiana say a stabilizing additive in the railcar "ceased to be effective," causing the leak.
A news release from the company states, "As of [Wednesday] morning, the car is no longer venting styrene, an indication that the car’s safety measures functioned as they were designed. Air quality reports have not indicated cause for concern."
The tanker car is owned by INEOS. The INEOS plant in Addyston settled with the U.S. EPA in 2009 over air pollution concerns and submit to air quality monitoring of certain chemicals including styrene. In 2022, the plant was one of the top five on the EPA's toxic release inventory for Hamilton County, which tracks production of certain chemical waste at industrial plants. The Addyston plant released more than 24,000 pounds of styrene in 2023.
The White House released a statement Wednesday morning saying President Biden had been briefed on the situation.
"The Biden-Harris Administration is in touch with state and local officials. Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) and Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) officials are on the ground assisting with hazmat operations and air quality testing," the statement read. "The President has directed his team to provide any resources that may be needed."
U.S. Route 50 was shut down near Hooven, and people within a half-mile of the intersection of State Route 128 and U.S. 50 were told to evacuate.
The evacuation recommendation continued into Wednesday afternoon. Residents of about 210 homes in a half-mile radius around the leak were strongly advised to leave the area. Those outside that radius but within a three-quarter mile radius of the leak were asked to shelter in place.
There is no indication yet when residents will be able to return to their homes.
Updates on the chemical leak in Cleves. Evacuation and shelter in place orders still in place now. pic.twitter.com/NULZYvvo8t
— Nick Swartsell (@nswartsell) September 25, 2024
"Right now crews are continuing to cool the [rail car] tank," Little Miami Joint Fire and Rescue District Chief Mike Siefke said at a Tuesday evening press conference. "We have U.S. EPA resources on site, we've had them come in from different states and I believe one person is still flying in this evening."
Siefke said crews were working on a plan to decouple the railcar from the rest of the train it is attached to. Air quality measurements are also in progress, but data wasn't available as of Tuesday evening.
"There is concern that with the heat up in the [train] car, there is potential for an explosion," Siefke said.
The Hamilton County Emergency Management Agency says a shelter is still open at the Whitewater Township Community Center on Dry Fork Road.
Charles Davis of Hooven was at the Whitewater Township shelter, Tuesday afternoon.
"I have friends who said, 'I don't believe it,' and they stayed there," he said. "But not me. I have too many health problems. I didn't want to stay there with that."
Three Rivers School District reported on Tuesday it was evacuating students from its buildings and canceling all after-school activities for the evening.
Great Parks of Hamilton County has announced that the nearby Mitchell Memorial Forest will be closed until further notice.
The following roads are also closed:
- US 50 from Lawrenceburg Road in Whitewater to State Street in Cleves
- OH-128 at Cilley Road
- Kilby Road at Suspension Bridge
- Cooper Ave at US 50 in Cleves
In August 2005, there was a styrene leak from a railroad car near Lunken Airport. People from Columbia Tusculum were kept out of their homes for several days.
Representatives from Central Railroad of Indiana released the following statement Wednesday about the leak:
Yesterday around 1 p.m., a tank car on Central Railroad of Indiana (CIND) tracks began venting styrene when the additive stabilizer within the railcar became ineffective. First responders and environmental response contractors were mobilized to the scene, and the local fire department began cooling the tank car with water, which lasted through the night. Out of an abundance of caution, local officials also evacuated area homes and businesses within the vicinity of the rail yard, and we initiated air quality monitoring. We worked closely with the customer, INEOS, as well as environmental agencies to understand the chemistry of styrene and make the most informed decisions to keep the community safe.
As of this morning, the car is no longer venting styrene, an indication that the car’s safety measures functioned as they were designed. Air quality reports have not indicated cause for concern.
We thank all first responders for their tireless work over the past day and the local community for their patience as we safely mitigate the situation.
CIND will have railroad representatives available at the Whitewater Community Center, 6124 Dry Fork Road, Cleves, Ohio, beginning at noon today to assist those that have been impacted by this incident. Railroad representatives will also be available via phone at 1 800 757 7387.
INEOS is a London-based chemical company that runs an ABS resin manufacturing facility in Addyston, Ohio.
This is breaking news and this article will be updated.
