By Julia Lankisch, Staff Writer On Feb. 3, residents of East Palestine, Ohio witnessed a plume of pitch black smoke rising over their town. A train carrying vinyl chloride, butyl acrylate and other chemicals derailed. In response, authorities decided to burn off the vinyl chloride to prevent an explosion; the controlled burn is what caused the pillar of smoke. Residents were immediately ordered to evacuate their homes until further notice. They did not return until five days later, when the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) told them it was safe. Upon returning, some residents reported headaches, nausea, sore throats and rashes. … Continue reading Train derailment leads to ecological disaster