Evacuation order over railcar chemical leak in Ohio canceled: Officials

(CLEVES, Ohio) — Officials in Hamilton County, Ohio, on Wednesday, lifted the evacuation order that was put in place the night before over a chemical leak from a railcar.

Hamilton County’s Emergency Management and Homeland Security Agency previously told anyone within half a mile of the rail yard to leave the area immediately.

Authorities confirmed Tuesday night that the leak was styrene, a flammable liquid used to make plastics and rubber, according to the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences.

“The risk of an explosion is our primary concern,” an official said at a Tuesday night news conference. “We are asking residents within a three-quarter-mile radius to shelter in place as a precaution. Experts have assured us that this is well within the safety norms.”

By Wednesday morning, the rail car was no longer “venting,” officials said at a brief press conference.

No one, including train employees, was injured in the incident, officials said.

Officials said 210 homes in Cleves and Whitewater Townships were located in the designated evacuation zone, though how many people were impacted was not immediately known.

The train consisted of 29 cars, some of which were also carrying styrene, officials said.

“Our first priority upon arriving at the scene was removing anything in close proximity to the leak,” an official confirmed Tuesday.

Only one car was found to have leaked styrene, they said.

Cleves Township is almost 17 miles from Cincinnati, while Whitewater Township is about 22 miles away.

Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg urged those in the area to follow the directions of officials in a social media post on Tuesday.

President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris were briefed on the incident, White House officials said in a statement.

“The President has directed his team to provide any resources that may be needed,” the official said. “We urge residents to heed the warnings of emergency personnel, especially those instructed to evacuate.”

Ohio senator and vice presidential nominee JD Vance said in a statement on X that he and his team were monitoring the incident.

“My team and I are closely tracking a potentially hazardous chemical leak coming from a railcar near Cleves, Ohio,” Vance said. “Local authorities are working diligently to keep everyone safe. We will continue to monitor the situation until it has been resolved.”

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