Cleves, Ohio
AP
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Students living in school buildings and residents of hundreds of nearby homes were told to evacuate their homes Tuesday after a train leaked a hazardous chemical near Cincinnati.
Officials said the car's pressure release valve was leaking styrene, a toxic and flammable chemical used to make plastics and rubber. It can cause headaches, nausea and respiratory problems, and prolonged exposure can lead to more serious health problems, including organ damage.
Aerial video showed firefighters spraying water on the car, which was parked on a track between a highway and an asphalt plant.
Little Miami Joint Fire and Rescue District Chief Mike Siefke said at a news conference Tuesday evening that crews were working to “cool the tank to maintain the temperature.” Initially, officials were concerned that the railcar's rising temperature could cause an explosion, but Siefke said that's “not a concern for us right now.”
Brian Stussy, assistant vice president of operations for the Genesee & Wyoming Railroad, said the leak has been stopped and the affected car has been isolated from the other railcars.
Air quality testing continued Tuesday evening, with results expected Wednesday morning, officials said. No injuries were reported.
The Hamilton County Emergency Management Agency advised anyone living within a half-mile of the area near U.S. Route 50 and the Great Miami River, west of Cincinnati, to leave immediately. There are about 200 homes in the evacuation zone, Siefke said. Residents living just outside the evacuation zone were told to stay indoors and keep their windows closed.
The area contains businesses, homes, and vast areas of undeveloped land.
“To the best of our knowledge, all of the displaced residents have been taken care of,” said Andrew Knapp, director of the Hamilton County 911 Center.
Three Rivers Local School District spokeswoman Lisa Whiteley said three school buildings were evacuated and all after-school programs were canceled.
“This is going to be a long event. It's not going to be a short one,” Siefke said, urging the community to be patient during the cleanup.
Indiana Central Railroad spokesman Tom Ciuba said they received a report Tuesday afternoon about a railcar near Cleves that was emitting styrene. Firefighters were on scene and environmental response agencies were dispatched, he said.
US Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said Federal Railroad Administration crews were heading to the area to assist as needed.
Last year, a train derailment on the opposite side of Ohio in East Palestine, about 300 miles northeast of Cincinnati, caused hazardous chemicals to leak and burn for days. The February 2023 derailment near the Ohio-Pennsylvania state border sparked new safety rules and increased scrutiny from the rail industry and federal regulators.
CNN's Melissa Alonso contributed to this report.