Officials worry chemical gas leak may cause explosion near Cincinnati
A chemical gas leak from a rail tanker in Whitewater Township, Ohio, prompted fears of an explosion and evacuation orders for people within at least a half-mile radius of the incident.
A chemical gas leak from a rail tanker near Cincinnati prompted fears of an explosion and evacuation orders for people within at least a half-mile radius of the incident.
Roughly 210 households in Whitewater Township, about 22 miles west-northwest of Cincinnati in an area near the city airport and the Kentucky state line, were under evacuation orders, officials said Tuesday night. Other residents were under shelter-in-place recommendations, they said at a news conference.
Colorless, odorless gas spewing from the tanker at State Route 128 and U.S. Route 50 was reported to first responders shortly after 1 p.m., Chief Mike Siefke of the Little Miami Joint Fire and Rescue District said at a pair of news conferences.
Authorities determined the chemical is styrene, he said. It's used in the production of plastic, rubber, fiberglass and other structural materials.
Firefighters try to contain a dangerous chemical leak from a train car in Whitewater Township, Ohio, on Tuesday.WLWTThe chemical can irritate the respiratory system, cause headaches and disorient those who breathe it, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Long-term exposure has been associated with some forms of cancer, the CDC says, but it's not known as a direct killer.
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