IhthishamFew days ago a train carrying hazardous materials derailed in East Palestine, Ohio. Crews have since been burning off the toxic chemicals. Claims that air/water quality are safe are turning out to be false. Evacuation orders are even being lifted as people return to the area. No-one died.
Five days after a train carrying vinyl chloride derailed and exploded near the Ohio-Pennsylvania border, crews ignited a controlled burn of toxic chemicals to prevent a much more dangerous explosion.
Thousands in East Palestine, a town of about 5,000 people, evacuated, and officials warned the controlled burn would create a phosgene and hydrogen chloride plume across the region. Phosgene is a highly toxic gas that can cause vomiting and breathing trouble, and was used as a weapon in the first world war.
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2023/feb/11/ohio-train-derailment-wake-up-call
The Railroad Workers United pinned the threat on rail industry cuts to inspection staff and the elimination of safety protocol. The East Palestine train was hurried, the non-profit said in a statement, and though a cause hasn’t been fully determined, it appears the train was not properly inspected.
Rail companies laid off more than 20,000 rail workers during a year period in 2018-2019, representing the biggest layoffs in rail since the Great Recession, and the nation’s rail force has dipped below 200,000 – the lowest level ever, and down from 1 million at its peak.
“They have cut the hell out of the workforce, and there are big plans to cut it further,” Kaminkow said. “Just because the rail companies are profitable doesn’t mean they’re healthy.”
Norfolk Southern said 20 of the more than 100 cars were classified as carrying hazardous materials — defined as cargo that could pose any kind of danger “including flammables, combustibles, or environmental risks.” Graham said 14 cars carrying vinyl chloride were involved in the derailment “and have been exposed to fire,” and at least one “is intermittently releasing the contents of the car through a pressure release device as designed.”
https://apnews.com/article/pennsylvania-ohio-evacuations-fires-5d399dc745f51ef746e22828083d8591
50-car train derailment causes big fire, evacuations in Ohio
EAST PALESTINE, Ohio (AP) — A freight train derailment in Ohio near the Pennsylvania state line left a mangled and charred mass of boxcars and flames Saturday as authorities launched a federal investigation and monitored air quality from the various hazardous chemicals in the train.
About 4.5m tons of toxic chemicals are shipped by rail each year and an average of 12,000 rail cars carrying hazardous materials pass through cities and towns each day, according to the US Department of Transportation.
#moreyouknow #interesting #facts #train #toxic #chemicals #environment
Up to 50% of volatile Bakken crude oil refined on the east coast currently runs through metro Pittsburgh, RPPP estimated, and about 176,000 Pittsburghers live in the derailment blast zone.
“The railroads are playing Russian roulette with Pittsburgh,” he said.
Under the Biden administration, the transportation department has proposed a suspension of the Trump-era LNG rule allowing the substance to be transported via rail and to replace it with a new rule. The suspension was supposed to be published by June 2022, but it and the new rule have been delayed twice, and are now supposed to be final in March, Ong said.
Still, the US transportation department (DoT) in 2020 approved a rule to allow liquified natural gas, or LNG, to be shipped via rail with no additional safety regulations. Trains can now run 100 or more tank cars filled with 30,000 gallons of the substance, largely from shale fields to saltwater ports.
Just 22 train tank cars filled with LNG hold the same amount of energy as the Hiroshima bomb, a coalition of environmental groups wrote in comments to regulators opposing the LNG rail rule change in 2020. That is raising fears of a catastrophe if a proposed LNG port is built in New Jersey, which could take shipments from two 100-car trains daily that would run through nearby metro Philadelphia.
Claricei@unearth I’ve been vocal and constant in NY on this issue- #NoToBombTrains.
James Justice of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency said around-the-clock air monitoring has shown normal, un-concerning levels. Hundreds of data points from that "show that the air quality in the town is safe," he said.
He reiterated that there was a robust air monitoring system in place and data from that showed nothing at a level that would be cause for health concern. Monitors did detect toxins in the air during the controlled burn at the derailment site, but other samples outside that area did not.
Those just outside the evacuation zone in East Palestine and in neighboring Beaver County, Pennsylvania, had been urged to stay indoors as a precaution. Officials in neighboring counties have said air samples did not show any worrisome levels of contaminates.
-
What exactly r these guys up to? #why #chemicals #hazard #safety #Chernobyl
https://www.npr.org/2023/02/08/1155570564/east-palestine-ohio-train-derailment
John BaileyAlways believe "officials".
They never lie.
And, according to Joe Biden, "The pandemic is over."
The company responsible for the train that crashed, Norfolk Southern, posted record profits for the last quarter.
Amid this disaster, the cops still went on a power trip and arrested a journalist for doing his job.
A reporter was pushed to the ground, handcuffed and arrested for trespassing while covering a news conference about the derailment of a train carrying toxic chemicals in Ohio.
Lambert was held for about five hours before being released from jail, NewsNation reported.
“I’m doing fine right now. It’s been an extremely long day,” Lambert said after his release. “No journalist expects to be arrested when you’re doing your job, and I think that’s really important that that doesn’t happen in our country.”
The Washington, D.C.-based Lambert could still face charges of disorderly conduct and criminal trespassing, NewsNation said.
Reporter arrested during news event on Ohio train derailment
A reporter was pushed to the ground, handcuffed and arrested for trespassing while covering a news conference about the derailment of a train carrying toxic chemicals in Ohio. NewsNation posted video of its correspondent Evan Lambert being arrested Wednesday in East Palestine where Gov. Mike DeWine was giving an update about the accident. NewsNation says Lambert was doing a live report when the governor began speaking. NewsNation says police told Lambert to stop talking and then arrested him. He was released five hours later and could face charges of trespassing and disorderly conduct. DeWine says he didn’t see or authorize the arrest and reporters have “every right” to report during his news briefings.
The news conference started more than two hours late and Gov. Mike DeWine started speaking at the same instant Lambert had to do a live broadcast from the back of the gym, Preston Swigart, a photographer who was with Lambert, told NewsNation.
Swigart said police officers approached Lambert and asked him to stop talking. Lambert finished the live report but was then asked to leave by authorities, who tried to forcibly remove him from the event, NewsNation reported.
“From their standpoint, he didn’t obey orders,” Swigart said. “Gymnasiums are echoey and loud and sound kind of carries, so I’m guessing that they just didn’t like the fact that there was sound competing with the governor speaking, even though it was all the way at the other end of the room.”
The Columbiana County Sheriff’s Office administration said the arrest was made by officers from the East Palestine Police Department. A message seeking comment from the department was not immediately returned.
At the end of his news conference, DeWine said he didn’t authorize the arrest and reporters have “every right” to report during briefings.
-
Here's a link to the East Palestine Police Department site.
https://g.co/kgs/5nzxPN
ecsd"The Washington, D.C.-based Lambert could still face charges of disorderly conduct and criminal trespassing, NewsNation said."
<At the end of his news conference, DeWine said he didn’t authorize the arrest and reporters have “every right” to report during briefings.>
Then perhaps DeWine can insist that Lambert face no charges, or that the police having performed a questionable arrest can find new jobs.
@ecsd That's illegal.
How dare u propose such a thing!!! Haha
The gov probably won't do anything cos most of the time both the governor & the cops r besties.
illegal for the gov to dismiss the cops? then someone has to fire the police commissioner of the town, and somewhere along the line the gov has authority.
as to 'pals', if the gov defended free speech he should also expect to be expected to deal with attacks on it.
Palin@unearth
Other than the area is destroyed...
All of the wildlife are assured to be dead....
I hope that town sues them into extinction...
Other than the area is destroyed...
All of the wildlife are assured to be dead....
I hope that town sues them into extinction...
GATEKEEPER@unearth
No one died......Yet!
No one died......Yet!