Meyer Hatchery Assures Customers In the Wake Of East Palestine Train Derailment and Resulting Chemical Spill

February 16, 2023

Contact: Meghan Howard

Meyer Hatchery

[e-mail]

Meyer Hatchery Assures Customers In the Wake Of East Palestine Train Derailment and Resulting Chemical Spill

Meyer Hatchery is more than 100 miles away from East Palestine, Ohio, and does not share the same watershed.

Polk, OH - On Feb. 3, a Norfolk Southern train derailed near East Palestine, Ohio, a town of about 4,800 people near the border with Pennsylvania. Approximately 36 cars of the train’s total of 150 cars derailed. Of those 36 cars, 11 were loaded with hazardous materials; the most concerning of the contents was a chemical called vinyl chloride.

To avoid potential explosions of the derailed tanker cars, the area around the derailment site was evacuated, a pit under selected tankers was dug, the vinyl chloride drained into the pit, and a controlled burn of the chemicals was performed. After the burn was complete, officials monitoring the air quality determined that it was safe for the evacuated residents of New Palestine to return to their homes.

Meyer Hatchery is located about 100 miles west of East Palestine. Our town, Polk, Ohio, does not share a watershed with the town of East Palestine. Air quality around East Palestine continues to be monitored by the EPA. Prevailing winds tend to push any pollutants from the derailment site that may be around East Palestine into Pennsylvania and West Virginia.

We want to assure our customers who expect their live poultry and hatching egg orders to ship in the coming weeks that, at this time, the health of our breeding flocks and the eggs they lay, which produce the chicks we hatch and ship to you, are unaffected by the unfortunate event that is unfolding in East Palestine.

Our hearts and thoughts go out to the residents of East Palestine and affected areas, as well as the workers involved in the ongoing cleanup work at the derailment site.

For more information about Meyer Hatchery or their resources, please visit meyerhatchery.com. For additional questions, please contact Meghan Howard at [e-mail].