Residents who were forced to evacuate their homes due to a styrene gas leak in the Whitewater Township-Cleves area were finally able to return home on Wednesday night. As health officials confirm the air and water are safe in the area, a new class action lawsuit alleges the rail operators involved caused undue suffering for thousands of residents.
Fire officials first responded to a "dangerous chemical leak" at a railyard near the intersection of US-50, OH-128 and Valley Junction Road around 1 p.m. Tuesday. That's when the Hamilton County Emergency Management & Homeland Security Agency (EMA) ordered residents within a half-mile radius of the gas leak, later confirmed to be styrene, to evacuate the area or shelter in place. Evacuated residents were unable to access their homes for nearly 30 hours.
On Wednesday, a class-action lawsuit was filed by Rhonda Offill, a Cleves resident, on behalf of "thousands of individuals and many businesses damaged, traumatized or otherwise injured" as a result of the styrene gas leak. Offill and her attorneys filed the suit in Hamilton County Common Pleas Court against the Central Railroad Company of Indiana; Genesee and Wyoming Railroad; Ineos ABS (USA) LLC, which operates a facility in Addyston, Ohio and owns the styrene involved in the leak; among others.
The lawsuit alleges "many employees lost significant wages and earnings as a result of the forced closure of their respective employers," and seeks reimbursement for those lost wages. The suit also seeks to require the defendants to pay for a medical monitoring program that would study the long-term effects of styrene exposure on impacted residents.
Health update
During a Wednesday press briefing, representatives with the Central Railroad of Indiana told reporters that the air and water quality in the area were being continually monitored and tested. That same day, Allison Babka, public information officer with Hamilton County Public Health, said the air quality "thus far has shown no issues within the incident zone" and that the nearby water source from the Village of Cleves Waterworks is not experiencing any issues.
"Hamilton County Public Health has made an assessment of private drinking water wells within a half-mile radius of the site," Babka said. "Residents who would like their private drinking water well assessed should call Hamilton County Public Health at 513-946-7966. All public water within the area is safe for humans and pets to drink."
Fire officials first responded to a "dangerous chemical leak" at a railyard near the intersection of US-50, OH-128 and Valley Junction Road around 1 p.m. Tuesday. That's when the Hamilton County Emergency Management & Homeland Security Agency (EMA) ordered residents within a half-mile radius of the gas leak, later confirmed to be styrene, to evacuate the area or shelter in place. Evacuated residents were unable to access their homes for nearly 30 hours.
The lawsuit
On Wednesday, a class-action lawsuit was filed by Rhonda Offill, a Cleves resident, on behalf of "thousands of individuals and many businesses damaged, traumatized or otherwise injured" as a result of the styrene gas leak. Offill and her attorneys filed the suit in Hamilton County Common Pleas Court against the Central Railroad Company of Indiana; Genesee and Wyoming Railroad; Ineos ABS (USA) LLC, which operates a facility in Addyston, Ohio and owns the styrene involved in the leak; among others.
Keep scrolling to read the full lawsuit
The lawsuit alleges "many employees lost significant wages and earnings as a result of the forced closure of their respective employers," and seeks reimbursement for those lost wages. The suit also seeks to require the defendants to pay for a medical monitoring program that would study the long-term effects of styrene exposure on impacted residents.
Offill claims in the lawsuit that she suffered medical issues as a result of styrene exposure, including "constant headaches, itchy and watery eyes" and a "scratchy throat." While these symptoms are in line with what the National Library of Medicine and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention list as possible side effects to styrene exposure, Little Miami Fire Department Chief Mike Siefke told reporters during a Wednesday morning press conference that officials had not received any calls from locals reporting injury or illness as a result of the chemical leak.
Health update
During a Wednesday press briefing, representatives with the Central Railroad of Indiana told reporters that the air and water quality in the area were being continually monitored and tested. That same day, Allison Babka, public information officer with Hamilton County Public Health, said the air quality "thus far has shown no issues within the incident zone" and that the nearby water source from the Village of Cleves Waterworks is not experiencing any issues.
"Hamilton County Public Health has made an assessment of private drinking water wells within a half-mile radius of the site," Babka said. "Residents who would like their private drinking water well assessed should call Hamilton County Public Health at 513-946-7966. All public water within the area is safe for humans and pets to drink."
"There are no threats to the health of residents outside of the evacuation zone," Babka added. "Anyone feeling unwell should speak with their healthcare provider."
Read the full lawsuit below:
Read the full lawsuit below:
