A styrene leak from a railcar in Ohio prompted evacuations in the Cleves and Whitewater Township area of the state on Tuesday. And while the toxic chemical leak has stopped, officials said an evacuation order remains in place and roads are still closed.
Little Miami Fire Department Chief Mike Siefke and two representatives from the owner of the railway provided an update Wednesday morning in a press conference. Siefke said roads will remain closed for "an undetermined amount of time."
The fire chief shared that the leak has stopped and air quality in the area is being monitored and tested. On Wednesday morning,
a nearby air quality monitor listed the conditions as "moderate."
John Keffer of the Central Railroad of Indiana, which owns the railway, said they don't yet know how the leak began because efforts are focused on mitigation — but said there will be a full investigation.
Scripps News Cincinnati asked about whether residents downwind of the leak should be concerned after receiving reports of a strong smell miles away from the site of the leak. Siefke said he had not looked at a smoke plume map and was not able to say whether there was concern, but reiterated they were monitoring air quality.
Keffer and Tom Ciuba, another spokesperson at the press conference with Central Railroad of Indiana, did not answer questions on whether an explosion was still a concern. Previously, Siefke said the train car's temperatures were high and the car could have been at risk of exploding, which was why fire crews were spraying water on the car.
So far, Siefke said officials have not received any calls reporting injury or illness as a result of the chemical leak — including first responders at the scene.
Updates on Wednesday will likely come more slowly than Tuesday, Siefke said, adding he hopes to have more information closer to noon.
"We're really at the mercy of the product and the material," said Siefke.
The Central Railroad of Indiana said it was notified at around 1 p.m. Tuesday that one of its tanker cars was venting styrene near the intersection of US-50 and OH-128. Crews responded to the scene and began applying water to the tanker car.
The Hamilton County Emergency Management Agency said those within a half-mile radius of the railyard by US-50, OH-128, and Valley Junction Road should remain out of the area until they receive an all-clear. Residents outside the immediate half-mile radius but still within three-quarters of a mile of the leak are told to continue to shelter in place.
The following roads are closed until further notice:
- US-50 from Lawrenceburg Road in Whitewater Township to State Street in Cleves
- OH-128 at Cilley Road
- Kilby Road at Suspension Bridge
- Cooper Avenue at US-50 in Cleves
What is styrene?
According to the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, styrene is a colorless, flammable liquid used to make plastics and rubber. Styrene is highly volatile.
The CDC reports that people may experience tiredness, slowed reaction times, concentration problems and balance issues if they are exposed to styrene concentrations more than 1,000 times higher than the levels normally found in the environment.
Anyone who may be feeling physical effects should go to an emergency service or call 911.
Video provided by Aaron Vetter showed gas coming from a tanker car in the area. In the video, you can hear someone say, "It's been going on for 45 minutes."
Three Rivers Local School District reported that classes have been canceled for Wednesday. A spokesperson for Kroger said their store near the leak is currently closed. The Miami Township branch of the library is also closed.
This story was originally published by Taylor Weiter and Felicia Jordan at Scripps News Cincinnati.
