Truck carrying contaminated soil from East Palestine overturns on Ohio highway

A tractor-trailer carrying 40,000 pounds of contaminated soil from the East Palestine, Ohio train derailment site overturned on a highway on Monday, authorities announced. 

The truck was traveling along State Route 165 in Columbiana County when "went off of the right side of the roadway, struck a ditch and utility pole, and ultimately overturned," according to a statement from Ohio State Highway Patrol.

With the overturning, about half of the contents the trailer was carrying sippled onto the road. The Ohio Environmental Protection Agency said the spill was "contained and not a threat to nearby waterways."

The Ohio Department of Transportation closed Route 165 and state Route 617 to deal with the crash. The roads have since reopened. 

The truck was removed from the crash site immediately. Local outlets shared footage of crews cleaning up the scene with an excavator. 

The contents inside the open-top tractor-trailer came from a Norfolk Souther-operated train that derailed and caught fire on February 3. The contents spilled in the derailment included toxic chemicals, which led to evacuations and health concerns in the rural Ohio town. 

Residents of East Palestine have complained about the side effects of the toxic spill, including headaches and rashes. Additionally, thousands of wildlife, such as fish and small animals, have continuously died in the are after the derailment, according to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources. 

Since the derailment, about 11.4 million gallons of contaminated water and 19,900 tons of soil have been removed from the site. Authorities are waiting for another 17,300 tons of soil to be removed.

The driver of the tractor-trailer sustained minor injuries, according to FOX 8 Cleveland. However, the driver, 74-year-old Phillip Falk, was cited for “operating a vehicle without reasonable control.”