Ohio Train Derailment & Chemical Release

Overview

Earlier this month on February 3rd, fifty cars of a train carrying toxic chemicals including vinyl chloride derailed along the Ohio-Pennsylvania line in East Palestine, Ohio. In order to avoid an explosion from these cars, officials conducted a controlled release of some of these tanks on February 7th, requiring residents to evacuate for a short period of time. After residents returned, reports ranging from headaches to dead livestock have emerged in the village. 

Outrage has sparked over how the Biden administration is either handling this crisis or ignoring it, depending on your view. Environmental damage and long-term health for residents currently hang in the balance. See for yourself how different U.S. Media narratives are clashing over this possible ecological and health disaster in this Kudzu brief.

Key Insights:

• Top surfaced keywords resonate the concern for toxic materials entering the surrounding environment, including ‘vinyl chloride,’ ‘hydrogen chloride,’ and ‘hazardous chemicals.’

• Media coverage spikes on Tuesday, with Fox News publishing 25 sources alone.

• Sources from states closest to the catastrophe are leading in volume, particularly in Ohio and Pennsylvania.