--- title: "Officials Find Thousands of Dead Fish Near Toxic Train Crash in Ohio" description: "Officials have discovered thousands of dead fish floating in the river, CBS News reports, after a catastrophic train derailment near East Palestine, Ohio." date: "2023-02-16" modified: "2023-02-16" authors: - name: "Victor Tangermann" job_title: "Senior Editor" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/victor" url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/officials-thousands-dead-fish-toxic-train-crash-ohio" categories: - "Environment" - "Science & Energy" tags: - "environmental cleanup" - "the digest" - "trains" --- # Officials Find Thousands of Dead Fish Near Toxic Train Crash in Ohio ![Officials have discovered thousands of dead fish floating in the river, CBS News reports, after a catastrophic train derailment near East Palestine, Ohio.]() *\Image: NTSB\* ## One Fish Dead Fish Officials have discovered thousands of dead fish, [*CBS News* reports](), after a catastrophic train derailment near East Palestine, Ohio caused copious amounts of toxic chemicals to spill into the surrounding area and waterways. A [video spreading on Tiktok]() shows dead fish floating in a creek roughly two miles from the derailment. The train, made up of 38 cars, derailed earlier this month, forcing crews to conduct a controlled release of toxic chemicals to avoid an explosion. The dire environmental consequences the incident has had on the surrounding environment are only starting to make themselves apparent. According to Mary Mertz, the director of Ohio's Department of Natural Resources, around 3,500 dead fish have been recovered from local streams, making up at least 12 different species. "The good news is that none of those species are threatened or endangered, but that is still a loss of wildlife," Mertz told *CBS*. "Among the dead fish species are creek chub, mottled sclupin and stonerollers." ## Contaminated Water Local authorities are now carefully monitoring the situation. "Wildlife officers have been there every day on the scene, working with contractors who are in the water doing the net sampling, making the estimates," Mertz said, "and we will continue to monitor and watch what's going on and eventually hold those responsible, accountable for the loss of wildlife in the area." According to Mertz, it's still unclear if any non-aquatic species have suffered as a result of the derailment. There have, however, been reports of people noticing their pets starting to experience strange symptoms, from swollen faces to diarrhea, [*Newsweek* reports](). Officials are also starting to see traces of dangerous and potentially carcinogenic chemicals in local waterways, which doesn't bode well, since they have also spilled into the Ohio River, which provides drinking water for more than five million people. The Ohio EPA, however, [claims]() that locals aren't in any danger. **READ MORE:** [Thousands of dead fish and contamination in waterways: How the Ohio train derailment is affecting the environment]() \[*CBS News*\] ## Author I've been at Futurism since 2017, where my role has evolved to encompass design, writing, and increasingly editing. I've always been fascinated by space exploration and advanced transportation, which I've leaned into by interviewing luminaries in those fields while closely following the dimensions of policy and regulation that allow next-generation projects to succeed -- or, sometimes, to fail. I'm also keenly interested in the effects of generative AI on society, policies, and democratic institutions, as well as clean energy, physics and biology, and the vagaries of tech leadership. My work for Futurism has been cited by publications including Ars Technica, Gizmodo, PC Magazine, Jalopnik, Fox News, and the New York Post. I spent my childhood living in locations including Manila, the Philippines, and Geneva, Switzerland, attended McGill University, and now live in Toronto, Canada. Before Futurism I worked at AskMen and a small photography studio. In my free time, I'm an avid gardener, foodie, and craft beer lover, as well as a maker of artisanal hot pepper sauces. I have a magnificent dog named Freida. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()