Residents around Cleves and Hooven can return to their homes after officials lifted an evacuation advisory Wednesday evening.
Urgent Alert HC: Evacuation order issued for Whitewater Township has been LIFTED. Residents are now permitted to return home. Use caution & follow road signs. Tune into local media and check https://t.co/0Z4VuocAO3 for more information.
— Hamilton County EMA (@HCEMA) September 25, 2024
A toxic chemical called styrene that leaked from a railroad car in Cleves is not causing air or water quality issues, according to initial testing.
The Ohio Environmental Protection Agency started monitoring air quality “through a variety of methods” on Tuesday, a few hours after a railroad tanker started venting and releasing styrene. The chemical is flammable and can cause nausea, headaches and other symptoms upon exposure.
RELATED: Cause of chemical leak identified
Testing did not detect styrene in the air at concerning levels, according to a release from the Ohio EPA. The total volume of the chemical released is not known. The railroad car stopped leaking styrene Wednesday.
The Ohio EPA says it and partners will continue to monitor air quality.
“All initial reports do not indicate any health concerns,” Little Miami Joint Fire and Rescue District Chief Mike Siefke said at a press conference Wednesday night. “There was no explosion, no loss of property, and the water is safe to drink.”
Village of Cleves Waterworks, which is the town's primary water provider, is monitoring water quality with the U.S. EPA. Hamilton County Public Health is also assessing private drinking water wells within the half-mile evacuation zone.
Residents who want their private drinking water wells tested can call Hamilton County Public Health at 513-946-7966.
Siefke says tanker has been moved to its destination at the INEOS chemical plant in Addyston. The styrene will be disposed of there.
All roads closed near the site have reopened.
Alysha Johnson evacuated the area Tuesday, first staying with family and then in a hotel room.
Despite official statements that residents are able to return, Johnson is not going home tonight. She says she doesn’t feel safe.
Styrene is a possible carcinogen when people are exposed to it at high levels, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Hamilton County Public Health Medical Director Stephen Feagins says the amount of styrene vented did not reach those levels.
“Not even close — any cancers that may have been associated with styrene is more like an industrial accident, where people are covered with fluids, and so the venting that occurred into the atmosphere isn't even close to that type of exposure,” Feagins said.
No hospitalizations related to the event have been reported.
Siefke says he’s now focusing on “next steps,” like continued air quality monitoring and support for residents. People can call 211 for more information and resources.
Recommendations for returning home
Feagins recommended people retuning home take several precautions:
- Wipe off inside and outside surfaces with soap and water
- Wash any clothes or bedding that was left outside
- Throw away food not in packages, stored either inside or outside
- Dispose of any unpackaged pet food