'No reason to be concerned.' Wayne County air, water safe from East Palestine train spill

WOOSTER − The Feb. 3 train derailment in East Palestine along the Ohio-Pennsylvania border released toxic chemicals into the air and water, causing residents near and far to worry about toxic contamination.

While the potential long-term effects of the toxic chemicals are unknown, local officials maintain that the water and air in Wayne County are safe.

Ohio train derailment latest: EastEast Palestine residents remain fearful; feds pledge more help

Nearly 70 miles west of East Palestine, Wayne County has detected no airborne or water contamination from the Norfolk Southern derailment, said Vaughn Anderson, the county director of environmental health.

"Right now there is no reason to be concerned," Anderson said. "We've received no reports in Wayne County and no concerning reports from the Ohio (Environmental Protection Agency.)"

No adverse effects from the East Palestine train derailment detected in Wayne County

© Ohio Environmental Protection Agency The Muskingum River watershed is the largest watershed in Ohio and includes many counties like Wayne County.

The days after the derailment saw residents evacuated. Officials conducted a controlled release of vinyl chloride into the air to prevent an explosion.

Within a week, residents were told it was safe to return home, but some that went home developed sickness, rashes and headaches, according to a USA Today report.

Watersheds and Wayne County: Nothing in common with East Palestine

Thousands of dead fish were found in surrounding creeks while some bodies of water were covered in a film, according to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources.

This has not been the case in Wayne County, said Anderson, who has been in contact with the local municipalities, the Ohio EPA and other state agencies.

Geography largely safeguards Wayne County

© Ohio Environmental Protection Agency A map of the various watersheds in Ohio. Many watersheds dump into the Ohio River, which connects with the Mississippi River.

While both Wayne County and East Palestine sit in the larger Ohio River watershed, Wayne is upstream from the toxic spill, said Frank Becker of the Ohio State University Wayne County Extension Office.

This means it is very unlikely that contaminants from the derailment will reach local residents, businesses and agriculture via groundwater.

A watershed, according to the Ohio EPA, is land that drains water into a central body of water like a river, stream or lake.

The Ohio River watershed is the largest regional basin Wayne County and East Palestine drain into, but they contribute in different ways, Becker told The Daily Record.

Wayne County first drains into the Muskingum River watershed, which runs south before dumping into the Ohio River, according to the Ohio EPA. East Palestine is part of the Ohio Tributaries Northern watershed, which runs east into the Ohio River.

Most wind currents blow west to east, according to the National Weather Service. Any airborne toxic chemicals are more likely to travel east than west, although winds do occasionally shift in the opposite direction.

"The typical wind direction in our area is not likely to see exposure to any concerning contaminants," Becker said.

This article originally appeared on The Daily Record: 'No reason to be concerned.' Wayne County air, water safe from East Palestine train spill