Duck, Cover, or Evacuate: Reflections on the East Palestine Train Derailment, Recent Chemical Disasters, and How to Protect Yourself

Written by: Hilary Flint

It’s been over two years since the East Palestine train derailment, and yet, every time another chemical disaster happens, I feel like I’m reliving it all over again. In the past few weeks alone, two major chemical incidents have struck Pennsylvania—an explosion at Parker Lord Corporation in Saegertown, near Erie, and a fire at SPS Technologies in Jenkintown, near Philadelphia. Each of these incidents, like East Palestine, serves as another devastating reminder of the risks posed by disaster-causing chemicals, not only to the environment, but to our health and safety.

I used to live in Enon Valley, Pennsylvania, a small town just over the Pennsylvania-Ohio border. When the Norfolk Southern train derailed in East Palestine on February 3, 2023, my family wasn’t in the official evacuation zone. But, toxins don’t stop at an imaginary line on a map. Norfolk Southern made the catastrophic decision to burn five tankers of vinyl chloride in a so-called “controlled release” which the NTSB questioned as even necessary, and which many would later see as the railroads profit-driven rush to get the train back up and running. At any rate, that decision changed everything for us.

We initially evacuated, then after being assured our home was safe, we returned. But within minutes of stepping inside, my eyes burned, my head pounded, and a strange, sweet chemical odor filled the air. Within days, my fingers and toes started turning purple. A few months later, my severe endometriosis, which had been suppressed for years with medication, suddenly flared up. My rheumatoid arthritis pain became unbearable. I had to increase my migraine medication twice.

I know now that vinyl chloride exposure can trigger Raynaud’s syndrome, the condition causing my fingers and toes to discolor. But back then, no one had guidance. No one told us how to protect ourselves from a chemical disaster of this magnitude. And still, to this day, residents in East Palestine, Beaver County, and beyond are left struggling to make sense of the long-term impacts.

Earlier this month, an explosion rocked the Parker Lord Plant in Saegertown, just outside Erie, injuring five Saegertown firefighters, one Edinboro firefighter, and seven LORD staff and forcing residents to shelter in place. The plant makes adhesives, coatings, and specialty materials used in the automotive, aerospace, industrial, and oil and gas industries. 

Less than a week later, a massive fire broke out at SPS Technologies, an aerospace manufacturing facility, in Jenkintown, near Philadelphia, causing 60 employees to evacuate and prompting shelter-in-place orders. The fire luckily didn’t reach many of the hazardous chemicals stored on site. Pennsylvania DEP is continuing to monitor the area. 

The full extent of chemical exposure from these two incidents remains unclear, but the immediate response from the government and Norfolk Southern has followed the same pattern as East Palestine: vague statements, insufficient testing, and the leaving in the dark of entire communities. The only certainty is that no one is safe as long as petrochemical infrastructure continues to operate. 

According to the Oil and Gas Watch database, there are 233 petrochemical facilities operating in the United States. These facilities include infrastructure to transport, store, process, and refine petrochemicals from its raw oil and gas into more than 6000 products. Spilltracker, which tracks chemical disasters across the U.S., and reports that the U.S. averages one petrochemical incident every 3 days. 

Each time a chemical disaster happens, the same questions emerge: What chemicals were released? Are residents safe? Do we need to evacuate? What are the long-term health risks? Too often, we don’t get real answers. Instead, we’re told, “Everything is fine.” But if there’s anything I’ve learned from my experience, it’s that “fine” is a lie.

So how do we protect ourselves when the systems meant to keep us safe keep failing?

How to Protect Yourself in a Chemical Disaster

If you find yourself in the midst of a chemical spill, fire, or explosion, it’s critical to act quickly. Here’s what you can do to protect yourself and your loved ones:

1. Stay Informed

• Keep your phone and backup batteries charged.
• Download emergency alert apps like FEMA’s and sign up for local emergency notifications.
• Follow reputable news sources and your county’s emergency management page for real-time updates.
• Keep numbers of who to call to report accidents or get answers from: local, state and national emergency management services.

2. Shelter in Place When Advised

• Close all windows, doors, and chimney vents tightly.
• Turn off HVAC systems and any outside air intakes.
• Use damp towels to seal door gaps if the air smells “off” or irritates your lungs.
• Do NOT rely on N95 masks alone—most chemical exposures require more protective respirators, like organic vapor cartridges.
• Follow boil water and do-not-drink water advisories.

3. Be Prepared for Evacuation

• Keep a “go bag” with essentials, including medications, masks, bottled water, and important documents.
• If you have a personal or family emergency preparedness plan, especially for sheltering in place, be sure you have enough drinking water, non-perishable food, and any necessary medical supplies for each member of your household, including service animals and pets.
• Know your evacuation routes ahead of time—many disasters happen in areas with limited road access.
• If you evacuate, document everything: take pictures, save air quality reports, and track symptoms in case you need to file claims later.

4. Monitor Your Health

• Pay attention to new or worsening symptoms like headaches, nausea, skin rashes, breathing issues, or neurological effects.
• If you seek medical care, insist on documentation that includes potential environmental exposure.
• Blood and urine tests for chemical exposure are often time-sensitive, so ask your doctor about testing options ASAP.

5. Demand Accessibility 

• When the crisis has passed, local authorities will issue an all-clear announcement and provide any additional information or instructions for staying safe. Keep in mind that elected officials and corporations alike are often quick to declare an area “safe” without considering the diverse needs of its community members – including those who are disabled.
• Under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), individuals with disabilities have the right to receive information in formats that are accessible to them. This includes emergency alerts, evacuation orders, and other critical communications that must be provided in formats such as large print and Braille, or through sign language interpreters, as necessary.
• The ADA and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act mandate that emergency shelters, medical services, and disaster recovery programs must be accessible to people with disabilities. This means shelters should accommodate mobility devices and service animals, and offer accessible transportation to those who need it.

6. Demand Accountability

• Ask local officials for transparent air, water, and soil testing data.
• Push for independent testing from non-governmental sources when possible.
• Get involved in community organizing efforts to advocate for stronger safety regulations and emergency response measures.

For a detailed preparation guide and list, check out this report from the People over Petro Coalition. 

What happened in East Palestine should have been a wake-up call. Instead, the cycle continues—one disaster after another, with the same government failures and corporate cover-ups. But we are not just statistics in a report. We are living, breathing people whose health and futures are being sacrificed for profit.

If you take away anything from my story, let it be this: Do not wait for someone to tell you to protect yourself. Do your own research. Learn where there is active infrastructure, facilities, junkyards, and rail lines around you. Make your own safety plan. Trust your own body. Know that when disaster strikes, those in power will prioritize their bottom line. It’s up to us to prioritize each other.

Hilary Flint is the Director of Communications and Community Engagement for Beaver County Marcellus Awareness Community, PA Field Organizing Manager for Center for Oil and Gas Organizing, and a Mutual Aid + Disaster Response Steering Committee Member for Break Free From Plastic. Her expertise spans critical issues, including health harms generated by the petrochemical buildout, natural gas extraction, plastic pollution, railway safety, and overarching corporate greed. As a cancer survivor, chronic illness warrior, and community member affected by the East Palestine train derailment and chemical disaster, Hilary is committed to advocating through the lens of disability justice and supporting communities through mutual aid.

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