In early February, a freight train transporting several hazardous chemicals derailed in East Palestine, Ohio, a working-class town that borders Pennsylvania. Those chemicals, the most concerning of which experts say are vinyl chloride and butyl acrylate, are toxic to the environment and to human health.
“Industrial accidents are few and far between,” says UMass professor of environmental health sciences Richard Pelltier, “but they are real and they do happen, and when it comes to the occasions when these things do happen, we have to be sure that we hold those who are responsible accountable for it.”
Listen for our full interview with Professor Pelltier, who is a chief voice on air pollution. This episode was produced by Rebeca Pereira.
