Ohio train derailment will not affect Middle TN air, water, Nashville forecaster says

Chemicals released last week after a train derailment in East Palestine, Ohio, will not affect Nashville's air quality or waterways, said Scott Unger, a senior forecaster at the National Weather Service in Nashville.

On Monday, some Nashville residents received alerts that air quality was poor in the area, spurring questions about if it was connected to the derailment. However, the alert stemmed from a glitch in data reporting earlier, according to the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation.

"Air quality is normal here," Unger said. "What's going on in Ohio is not going to affect us here in Middle Tennessee."

Current air quality data can be found at airnow.gov.

Ohio train derailment:Officials lift evacuation order for residents; air quality deemed 'safe'

Does the train derailment affect the Ohio River Basin and Tennessee waterways?

Unger said there is also no threat to Tennessee or Nashville waterways after the train derailment and subsequent "controlled release" of vinyl chloride from the tanker cars. The release was a measure to prevent a larger explosion, officials said.

Contaminants from the derailed tanker cars spilled into some waterways and were toxic to fish, officials confirmed. Thousands of fish were found dead in nearby waterways. However, data so far indicates the drinking water is protected.

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Either way, Unger said, those waterways are so far from Nashville that, even if chemicals did reach the region, they would take years to arrive and would be so diluted they'd have little to no effect.

East Palestine sits near the Ohio-Pennsylvania border, roughly halfway between Cleveland, Ohio, and Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The Ohio River Basin spans more than 200,000 miles across 14 states and a population of nearly 25 million people, according to Ohio University. It includes major cities like Pittsburgh, Columbus, Cincinnati, Louisville, Indianapolis and Nashville.

Unger said it's important to rely on official sources when concerns like this arise, like NWS Nashville or the state environment and conservation agency.

"Even if were going to start having effects, that would be put out through official channels," he said.

What is vinyl chloride?Toxic gases connected to Ohio train derailment cause concern

An evacuation order in East Palestine lifted on Feb. 9 after extensive, around-the-clock testing in the area, said U.S. Environmental Protection Agency representative James Justice.

"Hundreds and hundreds of data points we've collected over the time show the air quality is safe," Justice said last week.

Testing on rivers, streams, and drinking water wells will continue throughout the area and in the nearby Ohio River, officials said.

This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: NWS: Ohio train wreck won't affect Nashville, Middle TN air, water