Dangerous chemical leak spurs evacuation order in Ohio town

CLEVES, Ohio (AP) — Students in school buildings and residents in neighboring homes were told to evacuate after a dangerous chemical began leaking from a railcar Tuesday near Cincinnati.

Aerial video showed firefighters spraying down the car, which was sitting upright on tracks between a highway and an asphalt plant.

Authorities said a pressure release valve on it was leaking styrene, a toxic and flammable chemical that is used to make plastic and rubber. It can cause headaches, nausea and respiratory issues, and long-term exposure can lead to more serious health problems including organ damage.

Hamilton County's Emergency Management Agency advised anyone within a half-mile (about 800 meters) of the area near U.S. Route 50 and the Great Miami River, west of Cincinnati, to leave immediately. Residents just outside the evacuation area were told to stay inside and keep their windows closed.

The area has a mix of businesses, homes and large swaths of undeveloped land.

Three school buildings were evacuated and all after school events were canceled, said Lisa Whiteley, a spokesperson for the Three Rivers Local School District.

Tom Ciuba, a spokesperson for Central Railroad of Indiana, said it was notified Tuesday afternoon about a railcar near Cleves that was venting styrene. He said firefighters were at the site and environmental response agencies were mobilized.

Last year a train derailment on the opposite side of Ohio in East Palestine, about 300 miles (480 kilometers) northeast of Cincinnati, caused hazardous chemicals to leak and burn for days. The February 2023 derailment near the Ohio-Pennsylvania state line led to new safety rules and increased scrutiny of the rail industry and federal regulators.

Charlie Davis, 74 of Hooven, Ohio, speaks after police knocked on his door and told him to leave his home due a chemical leak from a railcar Tuesday, Sept. 24. 2024, near Cleves, Ohio. (Sam Greene/The Cincinnati Enquirer via AP)

Mike Siefke, left, chief of Little Miami Join Fire and Rescue District, speaks to the media about a chemical leak from a railcar near Cleves, Ohio, Tuesday, Sept. 24, 2024. (Sam Greene/The Cincinnati Enquirer via AP)

A sheriff's vehicle blocks a road closure at U.S. Route 50 and Ohio State Route 128 in Whitewater Township near Cleves, Ohio, due to chemical leak from a railcar Tuesday, Sept. 24, 2024. (Frank Bowen IV/The Cincinnati Enquirer via AP)

BANGKOK (AP) — Thailand’s landmark marriage equality bill was officially written into law Tuesday, allowing same-sex couples to legally wed.

The law was published in the Royal Gazette after endorsement by King Maha Vajiralongkorn, and will come into effect in 120 days. This means LGBTQ+ couples will be able to register their marriage in January next year, making Thailand the third place in Asia, after Taiwan and Nepal, to allow same-sex marriage.

The bill, which grants full legal, financial and medical rights for marriage partners of any gender, sailed through both the House of Representatives and the Senate in April and June respectively.

“Congratulations to everyone’s love,” Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra wrote on X, adding the hashtag #Love Wins.

Thailand has a reputation for acceptance and inclusivity but struggled for decades to pass a marriage equality law. Thai society largely holds conservative values, and members of the LGBTQ+ community say they face discrimination in everyday life.

The government and state agencies are also historically conservative, and advocates for gender equality had a hard time pushing lawmakers and civil servants to accept change.

Bangkok Deputy Governor Sanon Wangsrangboon said last week that the city officials will be ready to register same-sex marriages as soon as the law gets enacted.

The legislation amended the country’s Civil and Commercial Code to replace gender-specific words such as “men and women” with gender-neutral words such as “individual.”

The government led by the Pheu Thai party has made marriage equality one of its main goals. It made a major effort to identify itself with the annual Bangkok Pride parade in June, in which thousands of people celebrated in one of Bangkok’s busiest commercial districts.

The organizers of Bangkok Pride announced on Facebook that it will organize a wedding for couples who wish to register their marriage on the very first day that the law becomes effective.

FILE - Participants hold a rainbow flag during the Pride Parade in Bangkok, Thailand, Saturday, June 1, 2024. (AP Photo/Sakchai Lalit, File)

FILE - Participants hold posters celebrating equality in marriage during the Pride Parade in Bangkok, Thailand, Saturday, June 1, 2024. (AP Photo/Sakchai Lalit, File)