Vinyl chloride is carcinogenic petrochemical that’s used almost exclusively to make polyvinyl chloride (PVC) plastic and vinyl. Vinyl chloride is known to cause cancer, reduced immune function, and neurological effects. This toxic chemical is manufactured in low-income communities and communities of color in Louisiana, Texas, and Kentucky, where it threatens the health of residents and workers.
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But it’s not just vinyl chloride factory workers and residents of the communities where this chemical is manufactured who are at risk. Five of the 53 Norfolk Southern train cars that derailed in East Palestine, Ohio on February 3, 2023, were carrying vinyl chloride which was then intentionally drained and set on fire to allow freight trains to resume using the tracks. More than a year later, the residents of East Palestine and nearby communities are still grappling with an ongoing public health crisis. Unfortunately, what happened to East Palestine could happen to many other towns. A recent report found that more than three million Americans live within one mile of railroad tracks on which vinyl chloride is transported, leaving them all at risk for a similar disaster.
WE’VE KNOWN ABOUT THIS POISON FOR 50 YEARS; THE US EPA MUST TAKE ACTION TO BAN VINYL CHLORIDE!
Please join us in urging the EPA to ban this toxic chemical before any more harm is done. Fill out the form below to urge EPA Administrator Michael Regan to ban this carcinogenic chemical ASAP. If you have any difficulty accessing the petition form below, please click here to add your name.