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One Planet: The Norfolk Southern Ohio train derailment reveals the dangers of plastic production

This is an image from Norfolk Southern, $NSC, burning of vinyl chloride in East Palestine, Ohio.
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This is an image from Norfolk Southern, $NSC, burning of vinyl chloride in East Palestine, Ohio.

On this edition of Your Call’s One Planet Series, we discuss the environmental and health impacts of the Norfolk Southern train derailment in East Palestine, Ohio and our growing reliance on plastics.

Derailed train cars were carrying several petrochemicals, including vinyl chloride, a known carcinogen. Vinyl chloride exposure is associated with an increased risk of a rare form of liver cancer, primary liver cancer, brain and lung cancers, lymphoma, and leukemia, according to the National Cancer Institute.

Guests:

Dr. Angela Slitt, associate professor in the Department of Biomedical Sciences in the College of Pharmacy at the University of Rhode Island

Judith Enck, senior fellow and visiting faculty member in the Center for the Advancement of Public Action at Bennington College, president of Beyond Plastics, and former EPA Regional Administrator with the Obama administration

Web Resources:

Grist: The Ohio train derailment underscores the dangers of the plastics boom

WBUR: Tracing the path of toxic ‘forever chemicals’ inside the body

The Wall Street Journal: The Toxic Chemicals Spilled by the Ohio Train Derailment: A Visual Breakdown

ABC: Vinyl chloride's invisible threat: Thousands of pounds are released every year in the U.S. as part of "poison plastic" manufacturing

Malihe Razazan is the senior producer of KALW's daily call-in program, Your Call.
Rose Aguilar has been the host of Your Call since 2006. She became a regular media roundtable guest in 2001. In 2019, the San Francisco Press Club named Your Call the best public affairs program. In 2017, The Nation named it the most valuable local radio show.