{"id":552066,"date":"2023-02-14T21:32:35","date_gmt":"2023-02-14T18:32:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/en.buradabiliyorum.com\/ohio-train-derailment-toxic-spill-5-lingering-questions\/"},"modified":"2023-02-14T21:32:35","modified_gmt":"2023-02-14T18:32:35","slug":"ohio-train-derailment-toxic-spill-5-lingering-questions","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/ohio-train-derailment-toxic-spill-5-lingering-questions\/","title":{"rendered":"#Ohio train derailment, toxic spill: 5 lingering questions"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_84 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-custom ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<label for=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a261e1b153f1\" class=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-label\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #dd3333;color:#dd3333\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #dd3333;color:#dd3333\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/label><input type=\"checkbox\"  id=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a261e1b153f1\" checked aria-label=\"Toggle\" \/><nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-1'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/ohio-train-derailment-toxic-spill-5-lingering-questions\/#Ohio_train_derailment_toxic_spill_5_lingering_questions\" >Ohio train derailment, toxic spill: 5 lingering questions<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-2' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/ohio-train-derailment-toxic-spill-5-lingering-questions\/#What_was_on_the_train_%E2%80%94_and_what_got_out\" >What was on the train \u2014 and what got out?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/ohio-train-derailment-toxic-spill-5-lingering-questions\/#Whats_in_the_water\" >What\u2019s in the water?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/ohio-train-derailment-toxic-spill-5-lingering-questions\/#Did_lax_regulations_help_cause_the_crash\" >Did lax regulations help cause the crash?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/ohio-train-derailment-toxic-spill-5-lingering-questions\/#Will_it_lead_to_railroad_reforms\" >Will it lead to railroad reforms?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/ohio-train-derailment-toxic-spill-5-lingering-questions\/#Will_it_happen_again\" >Will it happen again?<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h1><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Ohio_train_derailment_toxic_spill_5_lingering_questions\"><\/span>Ohio train derailment, toxic spill: 5 lingering questions<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h1>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/thehill.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2023\/02\/b7204dc1bab747af8542079dd9f374ab.jpg?w=900\" \/><\/p>\n<div>\n<p>Residents of the small town of East Palestine, Ohio, are back in their homes this week following their evacuations over looming explosion fears after a\u00a0train carrying 20 cars of hazardous materials derailed.<\/p>\n<p>The contents of the rail cars have since been burned to prevent an explosion, while officials conducted a \u201ccontrolled release\u201d of toxic chemicals. Noxious odors\u00a0have also largely dispersed from town, though still remain near some streams, according to <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.post-gazette.com\/local\/region\/2023\/02\/11\/east-palestine-residents-home-train-derailment-fire\/stories\/202302100096?utm_term=Autofeed&amp;utm_medium=Social&amp;utm_source=Twitter#Echobox=1676178697\/\" data-type=\"URL\" data-id=\"https:\/\/www.post-gazette.com\/local\/region\/2023\/02\/11\/east-palestine-residents-home-train-derailment-fire\/stories\/202302100096?utm_term=Autofeed&amp;utm_medium=Social&amp;utm_source=Twitter#Echobox=1676178697\/\">local reports<\/a>.<\/p>\n<aside class=\"ad-unit ad-unit--mr1_ab\"><\/aside>\n<p>Questions have swirled in recent days around the root causes of the accident and whether residents should be concerned about a continued threat to land and water. The accident has also raised scrutiny over safety regulations.<\/p>\n<p>Here are five lingering questions about the spill:<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What_was_on_the_train_%E2%80%94_and_what_got_out\"><\/span><strong>What was on the train \u2014 and what got out?<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Im<a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/social-mediaa\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"1\" title=\"Social Media\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">media<\/a>te coverage of the Norfolk Southern train derailment focused on an urgent threat \u2014 five leaking cars of vinyl chloride, a cancer-causing, explosive chemical ingredient used to make hard plastic such as PVC pipe.<\/p>\n<p>Faced with the risk of an explosion, emergency responders diverted the leaking vinyl chloride into a trench and burned it off \u2014 converting it into phosgene gas, used as a lethal chemical weapon in World War I.<\/p>\n<p>Officials urged residents to quickly evacuate, with Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine (R) saying at a media briefing, \u201cYou need to leave. You just need to leave. This is a matter of life and death.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Two days later, with the gas dispersed, state and local health officials\u00a0declared that \u201cit is now safe for community members to return to their residences.\u201d<\/p>\n<aside class=\"ad-unit ad-unit--mr2_ab\"><\/aside>\n<p>But those five train cars \u2014 each potentially holding thousands of gallons of vinyl chloride \u2014 were not the only hazardous material, according\u00a0to documents\u00a0the train company provided to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).<\/p>\n<p>During the wreck, EPA investigators\u00a0said they found other hazardous material-containing cars \u201cderailed, breached and\/or on fire.\u201d <\/p>\n<p>These substances included industrial solvents such as ethylene glycol monobutyl ether \u2014 which\u00a0can be absorbed through the skin\u00a0and is toxic to the liver and kidneys \u2014 and ethylhexyl acrylate, another\u00a0known carcinogen\u00a0that is toxic to the lungs and nervous system.\u00a0<\/p>\n<aside class=\"ad-unit ad-unit--mr3_ab\"><\/aside>\n<p>According to the EPA, about 20 rail cars in the wreck were listed as carrying hazardous materials, and after the spill chemicals were seen running into storm drains. Other chemicals were buried on site.<\/p>\n<p>These chemicals did not stay in place \u2014 all of those listed are still being released \u201cto the air, surface soils, and surface waters,\u201d the EPA reported.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Whats_in_the_water\"><\/span><strong>What\u2019s in the water?<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Sulphur Run, the chemical-smelling creek that runs through East Palestine, connects through a number of waterways down to the Ohio River, snaking through a densely populated countryside dotted with towns, cities and fields.<\/p>\n<aside class=\"ad-unit ad-unit--mr4_ab\"><\/aside>\n<p>Last week, officials in the Ohio River community of Weirton, W.Va.,\u00a0detected butyl acrylate\u00a0\u2014 another chemical listed among the burning cars \u2014 though they aren\u2019t sure if it came from the spill upriver, The Weirton Daily Times reported.<\/p>\n<p>Further downstream in Cincinnati, officials were monitoring water intakes\u00a0to see if the chemicals make it to them. If detected, officials told local station WLWT they could shut off intake valves to allow the chemical plume to drift by.<\/p>\n<p>Other residents don\u2019t have the benefit of water treatment facilities to insulate them from spills. Fish kills\u00a0proliferated along Ohio River tributaries\u00a0in the days after the East Palestine spill, including Little Beaver Creek, a National Scenic River, WKBN reported.<\/p>\n<aside class=\"ad-unit ad-unit--mr5_ab\"><\/aside>\n<p>Those streams are an important site for the reintroduction of the hellbender salamander, an endangered species in Ohio \u2014 and a creature that, like other amphibians, is\u00a0at particular risk\u00a0from water pollution.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe really don\u2019t know any of the effects on the hellbender population where we\u2019ve done the reintroduction of those in the streams. It\u2019s gonna take time to know what the effects are,\u201d Matthew Smith, an official with the Ohio Department of Natural Resources, told WKBN.<\/p>\n<p>In a statement to The Hill, Ohio Sen. Sherrod Brown (D)\u00a0called on the state and federal environmental protection agencies to ensure local families receive complete testing and cleanup and continued health monitoring \u2014 and to ensure Norfolk Southern pays for cleanup.<\/p>\n<aside class=\"ad-unit ad-unit--mr6_ab\"><\/aside>\n<p>Norfolk Southern said\u00a0on Monday\u00a0it\u00a0has performed 340 in-home air tests\u00a0and thousands of outdoor tests as well as water testing in\u00a0municipal\u00a0drinking water\u00a0and public and private\u00a0wells\u00a0\u2014 results it will release next week.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>It also announced plans to create a new monitoring system and task force to keep tabs on contamination of local water supplies.\u00a0<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Did_lax_regulations_help_cause_the_crash\"><\/span><strong>Did lax regulations help cause the crash?<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Railroad safety experts and union members have reiterated calls for more stringent federal oversight of the rail industry following the derailment.<\/p>\n<aside class=\"ad-unit ad-unit--mr7_ab\"><\/aside>\n<p>One area of constant tension has been brakes. Investigators from the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) received reports that crews of the Norfolk Southern train pulled the emergency brake, and a mechanical issue with one of the railcar\u00a0axles was discovered, CNN reported.<\/p>\n<p>The possibility of a brake failure points to a behind-the-scenes battle in American railroad regulation \u2014 and a place where critics say that both parties have resisted reforms that would make Americans safer.<\/p>\n<p>Most trains run on a system\u00a0where wheels stop one at a time using a compression system, left-leaning <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/news\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"2\" title=\"News\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">news<\/a> outlet The Lever reported. By contrast, electronically controlled pneumatic brake <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/technology\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"4\" title=\"Technology\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">technology<\/a> halts all the cars simultaneously \u2014 dramatically reducing stopping time.<\/p>\n<p>While Norfolk Southern initially touted these advances, it was also part of a coalition of rail companies that successfully fought the regulations, winning a reprieve from the Obama administration and a repeal under the Trump administration, according to The Lever.<\/p>\n<p>The outlet reported that the Norfolk Southern train wasn\u2019t regulated as a \u201chigh-hazard flammable train\u201d even though\u00a0its crash triggered a fireball.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cRailroads should not use their lobbyists to block or weaken commonsense safety measures that protect workers and communities,\u201d Brown told The Lever.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>In\u00a0his statement to The Hill, the Ohio senator\u00a0called on the NTSB, which is investigating the derailment, to tell Congress and the Department of Transportation what can be done \u201cto\u00a0avert future\u00a0derailments involving hazardous materials.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>One such\u00a0measure is before the agency now.\u00a0Members\u00a0of multiple railroad unions\u00a0are fighting a potential rule\u00a0that would allow trains using the new electronic brakes to <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/trip-and-travel\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"10\" title=\"Trip &amp; Travel\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">travel<\/a> 2,500 miles \u2014 up from 1,500 \u2014 without stopping to have their brakes tested.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>While these trains would have electronic logs, such a ledger \u201ccannot justify reducing\u00a0the frequency of inspections and repairs\u00a0to train brakes in the field,\u201d Rich Johnson of the Brotherhood of Railway Carmen said in a statement.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cSuch changes will almost certainly reduce the overall safety of trains operating across the country,\u201d Johnson added.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Will_it_lead_to_railroad_reforms\"><\/span><strong>Will it lead to railroad reforms?<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>In the aftermath of the crash, railroad union leaders were quick to connect it to an issue they\u2019ve warned about for years: that railroad layoffs and reliance on clockwork, inflexible scheduling were running them ragged and leading to disaster.<\/p>\n<p>These policies, rolled out under a broader model in 2015, \u201cpose real threats to workers and public safety,\u201d Greg Regan, president of the Transportation Trades Department of the AFL-CIO union,\u00a0wrote the head of the Federal Railroad Administration last week.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIn fact, derailments per train mile and incidents at rail yards have significantly increased on several major freight railroads since they adopted the Precision Scheduled Railroading,\u201d Regan added.<\/p>\n<p>The question of scheduling is a particularly divisive one. Last year, Congress\u00a0voted to force union workers\u00a0to accept a deal with railroad companies that gave them virtually no ability to take unscheduled sick time \u2014 and then\u00a0narrowly voted down a plan\u00a0that would have forced the companies to give sick time anyway.<\/p>\n<p>Unions and progressive politicians see the recent derailment and leak as added proof that this was a bad decision that benefited railroad carrier balance sheets over public safety.<\/p>\n<p>Last week,\u00a0Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.)\u00a0linked the Ohio crash\u00a0to railroads\u2019 record 2022 profits and what he characterized as chronic underinvestment in both infrastructure and staffing.<\/p>\n<p>Sanders\u00a0joined with Sen. Mike Braun (R-Ind.)\u00a0to demand rail companies give workers at least seven days of paid sick time.<\/p>\n<p>He had reason to be optimistic: CSX Transportation \u2014 one of the country\u2019s largest railroad companies \u2014 reached a deal last week with two railroad unions to provide that number of sick days.<\/p>\n<p>In a speech,\u00a0Braun framed this\u00a0as a commonsense measure. \u201cIn this day and\u00a0age\u00a0you don\u2019t know when you\u2019re going to get sick. It\u2019s going to be an issue\u00a0on\u00a0keeping\u00a0employees\u00a0long term. Where I come from, most of this stuff should be natural,\u201d he said.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Sanders\u00a0was more pugnacious. He suggested the rest of the major rail carriers reach voluntary deals of their own. \u201cIf not, I look forward to seeing them right here,\u201d he said, gesturing at the Senate chambers.\u00a0<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Will_it_happen_again\"><\/span>Will <strong>it happen again?<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>About 4.5 million tons of toxic chemicals\u00a0are transported through U.S. communities every year by rail, and 12,000 trains carrying hazardous materials cross through towns and cities each day, The Guardian reported.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe Palestine wreck is the tip of the iceberg and a red flag,\u201d Ron Kaminkow, a former Norfolk Southern freight engineer and secretary for the Railroad Workers United, told The Guardian. \u201cIf something is not done, then it\u2019s going to get worse, and the next derailment could be cataclysmic.\u201d <\/p>\n<p>Railway safety advocates also point to reporting around near-disaster events.<\/p>\n<p>The NTSB operates\u00a0a confidential \u201cclose call\u201d reporting system\u00a0\u2014 which allows employees\u00a0to report\u00a0unsafe events and near-misses so they can be fixed.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>\u201cNot one of the seven major U.S. freight railroads voluntarily use this program,\u201d\u00a0Regan, the AFL-CIO official, wrote in his letter to the Federal Railroad Administration.<\/p>\n<p>Regan called on Congress to force rail carriers to participate in the reporting program, which he said would \u201ccreate a safer freight rail system and identify potential safety issues before they lead to dangerous catastrophes.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Without meaningful reform, he wrote, \u201cwe fear that these safety incidents will unfortunately keep h<a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/download-scripts-themes-apps\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"9\" title=\"Download Scripts &amp; Themes &amp; Apps\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">app<\/a>ening.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<blockquote><p><strong><span style=\"color: #ff6600;\">If you liked the article, do not forget to share it with your friends. Follow us on\u00a0<span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><a style=\"color: #ff0000;\" href=\"https:\/\/news.google.com\/publications\/CAAqBwgKMLG0nwswvr63Aw\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\">Google News<\/a><\/span>\u00a0too, click on the star and choose us from your favorites.<\/span><\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">For forums sites go to <span style=\"color: #ff9900;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/forum.buradabiliyorum.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Forum.BuradaBiliyorum.Com<\/a><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>If you want to read more News articles, you can visit our <span style=\"color: #ff9900;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/en.buradabiliyorum.com\/news\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">News category.<\/a><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"color: black;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/thehill.com\/policy\/energy-environment\/3857172-five-lingering-questions-over-ohio-train-derailment-toxic-spill\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Source<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Ohio train derailment, toxic spill: 5 lingering questions Residents of the small town of East Palestine, Ohio, are back in their homes this week following their evacuations over looming explosion fears after a\u00a0train carrying 20 cars of hazardous materials derailed. The contents of the rail cars have since been burned to prevent an explosion, while&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":552067,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/thehill.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2023\/02\/b7204dc1bab747af8542079dd9f374ab.jpg?w=1280","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[70897],"tags":[139529,139911,134661,133498,139912,115,72020,4965,139913],"class_list":["post-552066","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news","tag-defense-national-security","tag-east-palestine","tag-energy-environment","tag-in-the-know","tag-mike-dewine","tag-news","tag-ohio","tag-technology","tag-toxic-exposure"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/552066","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=552066"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/552066\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/552067"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=552066"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=552066"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=552066"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}