On November 30, 2012, a daily freight train running on Conrail Shared Assets Operations (CSAO) Penns Grove Secondary derailed in Paulsboro, a borough with an industrial and maritime economy, in Gloucester County, New Jersey. As a result, vinyl chloride from one car leaked into the air. In 2023 several news reports drew parallels between this derailment and the 2023 Ohio train derailment in East Palestine, Ohio, which also involved release of vinyl chloride. Background The accident happened when Jefferson Street Bridge, a swing bridge built in 1873 and jointly owned by Conrail and Norfolk Southern over Mantua Creek, failed to operate on November 30, 2012. Witnesses living adjacent to the tracks said that the accident happened at 2:50 am; the team said that derailment happened around 7:00 am. Seven cars of the 84-car consist derailed. Four tanker cars containing vinyl chloride fell into the creek; one tank was breached. As a result, the tank leaked about 23,000 gallons of the gas into the air. Vinyl chloride is used to make adhesives, polyvinyl chloride (PVC), plastics and other chemicals. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has described the chemical as having an odor that can be described as sweet and mild. Low levels of exposure can cause sleepiness and dizziness. Higher level exposure can cause people to pass out or die. Long term exposure has been linked to liver cancer, and possibly lung, brain and some blood cancers. Results A voluntary and limited evacuation zone was created. Nearby schools were ordered to take shelter and seal off their buildings. At around 7:00 pm a new evacuation order was given. An estimated 500 to 700 people in a 12-mile radius of the site evacuated. People were told to pack for three days and then were transported to hotels in the area. About 70 people were treated at Underwood-Memorial Hospital in Woodbury for exposure to the vinyl chloride, of which 60 were hospitalized. Thousands of Paulsboro residents sued Conrail, the operator of the bridge over Mantua Creek. In subsequent interviews residents alleged that Conrail paid them off to prevent them from seeking more money in the event that they developed illnesses later. Equipment damages were estimated at $451,000. Emergency responses and remediation costs totaled about $30 million. The bridge had an earlier history of trouble. At around 3:00 am, on August 23, 2009, a coal train derailed; however, no cars fell off.