Tri-State styrene leak in 2005 led to days of evacuations, class-action lawsuit

A styrene leak from a rail car in the Cleves and Whitewater Township areas Tuesday has caused evacuations and the closure of several businesses and roads.

This isn't the first time a styrene leak has caused issues in the Tri-State.

In 2005, a styrene leak impacted the East End for several days.

Nearly 20 years ago, a rail car near Lunken Airport leaked dangerous levels of styrene, causing residents to evacuate. The styrene lingered in the air for days, and roughly 800 homes and 70 businesses were affected.

Residents were able to return to their homes after three days.

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After residents returned, it seemed issues related to the styrene remained. ​

"We came back, they assured us everything was safe, and it wasn't safe. It's not safe. We couldn't breathe to clean it," said an East End resident to city council's community development committee in 2005.

Another resident during the 2005 leak was concerned about future health effects after exposure to the chemical.

​ "If my son gets cancer or something down the road, he's pretty healthy now, somebody is going to have to pay for that," she said.

The 2005 leak also caused the city of Cincinnati almost $1 million in overtime and other expenses. It led to the class-action lawsuit that resulted in a "multi-million dollar recovery" for people and businesses affected, according to the Goldenberg Schneider Law Firm , which spearheaded the lawsuit.

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