Gay said that the elevated measurements documented during the two-week spike, while certainly unusual, were not dangerous.
It was jumping out like a red light, said Gay.
I never would have guessed it would have been in Wisconsin, no way in hell.
Drone footage captures the East Palestine, Ohio train derailment on February 6, 2023, in this NTSB video.Image: NTSB
Of the 38 train cars that derailed in East Palestine, at least 11 were carrying highly toxic chemicals.
East Palestine residents were allowed to come back home about a week later.
On their return, there were reports of strong chemicalodorspervading the town.
Testing at nearby creeks and rivers revealed high levels of toxic compounds, includingvinyl chlorideandbutyl acrylate.
Gay recalls seeing a picture of the plume rising over East Palestine and poking through the clouds.
The reality, he said, was much more extensive.
A low pressure system helped push pollution over parts of Michigan and Wisconsin.
Pollution likely made its way into all the Great Lakes, except Lake Superior, he noted.
The researchers also found traces of the train derailment pollution as far south as Virginia and South Carolina.
This accident wasnt just in Ohio, said Gay.
It touched a lot of people.
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