An evacuation directive continues to be in place on Wednesday for residents in Whitewater Township, Ohio, following a hazardous chemical leak. The incident involves the release of styrene, a dangerous chemical commonly used in the production of plastics and rubber, from a railcar in the vicinity of U.S. Route 50 and the Great Miami River. The leak began on Tuesday and prompted the Hamilton County Emergency Management Agency to urge individuals within a half-mile radius of the affected area to evacuate promptly.

According to Tom Ciuba, a representative from Central Railroad of Indiana, the railcar is no longer releasing the chemical, and efforts were made overnight to cool the car with water. However, the railcar has not yet been removed from the tracks as officials are waiting for approval that it is safe to do so. Monitoring of air and water quality is ongoing, and certain roads in the vicinity will remain closed for an unspecified duration.

The timeline for lifting the evacuation order remains uncertain at this time. Whitewater Township is a community comprising businesses, residences, and expanses of undeveloped land. Due to the incident, multiple schools were closed on Wednesday as a precautionary measure. Fortunately, there have been no reported injuries related to the chemical leak.

Authorities have indicated that the leak stemmed from a pressure release valve on the railcar, with styrene exposure potentially causing short-term symptoms like headaches, nausea, and respiratory problems, while long-term effects may include organ damage. This incident is reminiscent of a train derailment in East Palestine last year, where hazardous chemicals leaked and burned for days near the Ohio-Pennsylvania border. This 2023 derailment led to the implementation of new safety protocols and heightened scrutiny of the railway industry.