To the question: "How could it be that bad?" Here is my reasoning: Poly Vinyl Chloride is exceptionally toxic, the plume from this event is east of New Palest

To the question: "How could it be that bad?" Here is my reasoning: Poly Vinyl Chloride is exceptionally toxic, the plume from this event is east of New Palestine into Pennsylvania based on radar data from both news stations and the National weather service. Health effects of exposure are dramatic at high levels (death), and delayed at low levels (cancers) (so there is both initial health impact and "long tail" impact). Between East Palestine and Enor Valley are a bunch of farms. That suggests to me a number of ways for the PVC to impact the people in that area. Presumably the EPA will establish some monitoring but I haven't been able to find anything from the EPA yet that discusses that. And FWIW I hope I'm incorrect and we don't see a serious public health crisis associated with this event.