After the derailment of a freight train loaded with highly toxic chemicals in the US state of Ohio, a devastating environmental catastrophe threatens the region surrounding the 5,000-strong community of eastern Palestine. The cars burned for days and the “controlled” demolition by the authorities released dangerous gases into the environment. A dark cloud of smoke could be seen from afar. The residents who have been brought to safety are now allowed to return to their homes. But they report skin and respiratory irritation and numerous dead animals. The fear is great.
About 50 freight train cars, some of which were loaded with the carcinogenic vinyl chloride and other chemicals, derailed in eastern Palestine, Ohio, on Feb. 3. Several tankers caught fire. To prevent an explosion, the local authorities decided to release the vinyl chloride. That release was the source of the terrifying black plumes in the sky that flooded social media, U.S. Senator for Ohio JD Vance said in a statement on Twitter. But they have since disappeared.
“Complex Environmental Disaster”
Now even more questions are open about the safety of the residents. “This is a complex environmental disaster with impacts that are difficult to assess in the short term,” Vance said. Residents of eastern Palestine who have drinking water wells can request a test for contamination, according to the Ohio Department of Health. “We need to know what the level of groundwater contamination is, and private well testing gives us that information,” explains Vance.
“Four 7.5 miles of watercourses have been polluted,” Ohio Department of Natural Resources director Mary Mertz said Tuesday, according to a CNN report. “We estimate about 3,500 dead fish in this area, in these streams, tributaries and waterways, based on our sampling and modeling,” Mertz said at a news conference. None of the 12 affected species are endangered or endangered, but it is still a loss to wildlife.
Environmental authorities reassured: no acute danger
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) also said state and local authorities are taking samples throughout the Ohio River “to make sure drinking water abstraction points are not compromised.” At the same time, efforts are being made to calm down the local population. There is no acute danger to life. But environmentalists warn that burning vinyl chloride releases hydrogen chloride and phosgene. The latter served as a chemical warfare agent during World War I. In Ohio, it is now feared that these substances have settled in the groundwater and soil.
While it’s not yet entirely clear how the train crash happened, footage has now emerged of a surveillance camera near the train track showing ash spattering with sparks as the wagons pass (see tweet above). The recordings were made about 30 kilometers from the site of the derailment. The US traffic authority NTSB reported a few days ago about warnings that the driver received moments before the accident. It was a problem with a carriage axle. As a result, an emergency brake was activated.
The train was not marked as carrying dangerous goods
However, there is already strong criticism of security measures that are apparently too lax. The train should therefore not have been equipped with electronic pneumatic brakes. This might have eased the misery a bit. The brakes prescribed under the presidency of Barack Obama were abolished again under former President Donald Trump.
According to Ohio Governor Mike DeWine, the train was not even marked as carrying dangerous goods. “This is absurd,” DeWine said at a news conference Tuesday.
Source: Krone
I am Wallace Jones, an experienced journalist. I specialize in writing for the world section of Today Times Live. With over a decade of experience, I have developed an eye for detail when it comes to reporting on local and global stories. My passion lies in uncovering the truth through my investigative skills and creating thought-provoking content that resonates with readers worldwide.
