This was written by Rachel Meyer, Moms Clean Air Force Ohio River Valley Field Organizer.
Yesterday, I joined Moms across the country to testify before EPA about chemicals being prioritized for risk evaluation, including the extremely toxic chemical vinyl chloride. Moms Clean Air Force is urging EPA to designate vinyl chloride a High Priority Substance under the Toxic Substances Control Act and ultimately ban this harmful chemical.
This month marks the one-year anniversary of the train derailment in East Palestine, Ohio. Thousands of people were exposed to a vinyl chloride spill and the harmful toxic chemicals released when officials decided to burn the vinyl chloride last February.
It’s been more than a year since that disaster in Ohio, and still vinyl chloride continues to be produced and shipped around the country by trains that run right through the communities where our children play and go to school.
My own family lives just 20 miles away from East Palestine, and we evacuated during the worst of it. I worry every day about my family’s health and safety, like so many other parents do. More than 3 million people live within a mile of railroad tracks where at any given moment 36 million pounds of vinyl chloride are being ferried around the country.
It doesn’t have to be this way. We have much safer alternatives to PVC and other products made from vinyl chloride. Join us in urging EPA to protect our families from this dangerous and unnecessary toxic chemical.
We have a chance NOW to turn the tide. EPA is accepting comments on this rule until March 18. Take 20 seconds today to act.