The Ohio Department of Environmental Protection and Water Resources (NTSB): Investigation of a suspected overheated train wheel bearing, its damage and air-railset
“The suspected overheated wheel bearing has been collected and will be examined by engineers from the NTSB Materials Laboratory in Washington, D.C,” the statement said.
The next phase of the investigation will examine the train’s wheelset and bearing as well as the damage from the derailment, the NTSB report noted. The agency will focus on the maintenance procedures for tank cars and railcars.
The NTSB said it is reviewing other videos, too, including footage from two local businesses reported by local media to show glowing or flames from the train prior to the derailment.
The residents of the small village are concerned about the air and water safety after the February 3 train wreck that caused a fire and forced crews to release chlorination from the cars to avoid an explosion.
The decision by crews to conduct controlled detonations on February 6th of some of the tanks that were carrying toxic chemicals, which had the potential to kill at high levels and increase cancer risk, spurring residents’ questions about safety.
A spokesperson Gov. DeWine told CNN the governor was not briefed on where in the country the shipments would be sent. The EPA is responsible for regulating the transport of material, which is why it’s usual, according to DeWine’s spokesman.
Ohio EPA leads efforts to investigate and remediate impacts to water, the agency says. Samples from Sulphur Run and other points of nearby water streams are taken for testing.
The governor said a chemical plume of butyl acrylate in the Ohio River is currently located near Gallipolis, Ohio, and will be near Huntington, West Virginia, sometime tomorrow. The chemical is currently well below a hazardous level according to testing results. No vinyl chloride has been detected in the Ohio River, he added, though agencies will continue sampling river water out of an abundance of caution.
The chemicals are a “contaminant plume” that the Ohio EPA and other agencies have been tracking in real time. It’s believed to be moving about a mile an hour, Kavalec said.
The majority of the chemicals can be passed if there is a potential closing of drinking water intakes. The strategy along with drinking water treatment is both effective at addressing these pollutants and helps ensure the safety of the drinking water supplies.
State officials have long said that the municipal system’s water is safe to drink. However, the state’s EPA encouraged residents who get water from private wells to get that water tested, the governor’s office said.
The Ohio Department of Natural Resources and Wayne Disposal Investigations of the East Palestine Railroad Derailment Resulting in Chemical Contamination
The Director of the Ohio Department of Natural Resources said that 3,500 fish have died in the state after the spill.
The estimation of the dead fish came after initial testing and sampling by the state agency, Mertz said. There does not appear to have been an increase in the number of fish killed since the first couple of days following the derailment.
Also, contaminated soil from the derailment site was being taken to the US Ecology Wayne Disposal in Belleville, Michigan, US Rep. Debbie Dingell of Michigan said Friday.
The dirt pits that have been dug up are 700 feet long and 8 feet deep.
The Ohio health director says that air quality does not appear to be the cause of the reported headaches and sore throats of people near the train wreck.
“Anecdotes are challenging because they’re anecdotes,” Vanderhoff said. “Everything that we’ve gathered thus far is really pointing toward very low measurements, if at all.”
The EPA Administrator arrived in East Palestine to assess the response to the train wreck. The administrator hears directly from residents about the impacts of the crisis, and discusses the work of the EPA with all those involved.
The EPA Administrator said in an interview that his agency has full authority to enforce over the crisis.
“We issued a notice of accountability to the company, and they’ve signed that, indicating that they will be responsible for the cleanup,” Regan told CNN. “But as this investigation continues, and as new facts arise, let me just say, and be very clear, I will use the full enforcement authority of this agency, and so will the federal government, to be sure that this company is held accountable.”
Jami Cozza is living in a hotel paid for by the railroad due to toxicity from the train wreck, but her family has lived in East Palestine for generations near the contaminated creek.
Despite the assurances, there was a chemical odor for days and officials estimate thousands of fish were killed by the chemical in the water.
EPA Administrator Michael Regan: “We are testing for the breadth of toxic contaminants that were spilled on the East Palestine train during the December 11 train hijacking”
Hundreds of East Palestine residents attended a town hall Wednesday night to express their frustrations and mounting distrust. The train operator pulled out of the event due to safety concerns after agreeing to attend.
The emergency response has now turned into an environmental cleanup and is the responsibility of the railroad, EPA Administrator Michael Regan said during a Tuesday press conference.
“We are testing for the full breadth of toxic chemicals that were on that train that was spilled. We have the capabilities to detect every single adverse impact that would result from that spill, and that’s what we’re doing,” he said.
The governor requested the CDC to send medical experts to East Palestine to evaluate and help community members with questions or health symptoms.
Emergency response teams will be prepared to prevent contaminated water from entering local waterways during the storms, DeWine said in a statement.
DeWine said the Ohio Department of Agriculture continues to assure Ohioans that its food supply is safe and the risk to livestock remains low following the train derailment.
Is It Still Okay to Be Here? The Secretary of the East Palestine Commission explains the decision to abandon the train wreck site and to leave the town
Is it still okay to be here? Are my kids safe? Is the people safe? Is the future of this community safe?” There is a person at the meeting in East Palestine. “We all know the severity of that question, and what’s at stake. Some people think they are downplaying; some people don’t think so – let’s find out.”
The Mayor told reporters at Wednesday’s meeting that there was a choice between detonation or explosion of the tanks. “Yes, harmful chemicals went into the air. I am truly sorry, but that is the only option we had. If we didn’t do that, then they were going to blow up, and we were going to have shrapnel all across this town.”
Conaway told reporters Wednesday night that he needed help. I have the village with me and I will do everything I can to make this right. I’m not leaving, I’m not going anywhere.”
The representatives of Norfolk Southern were going to come to the meeting to give information on how they are handling the chemical crisis. But the company backed out, citing threats against its employees.
“We have become increasingly concerned about the growing physical threat to our employees and members of the community around this event stemming from the increasing likelihood of the participation of outside parties,” the company said in a release.
A man who lives less than half a mile from the site of the train wreck said the absence of the company from the meeting was a slap in the face.
Velez and his family are staying in a few different places. He previously told CNN that when he visited the town Monday, a chemical odor left his eyes and throat burning, and gave him a nagging headache.
“Most people did not want to go home, but they had to. So, all the people who had to go home were complaining of smells, pains in their throat, headaches, sickness,” he said. “I have gone back a few times, and the smell does make you sick. It hurts your head.”
Transportation Safety and Health Issues: An Empirical Report on the East Palestine Fragment Disaster and a Letter of Potential Liability to Norfolk Southern
“I was extremely disappointed that they didn’t show up at the town hall meeting last night. The public deserves transparency,” he said. The public has a right to know the latest information. We should hold this company accountable because we are the federal government.
Speaking to CNN’s Don Lemon, Cozza said the railroad company told her it was safe to return home after conducting air testing. However, she insisted the railroad company run soil and water tests, and only then did a toxicologist deem her house unsafe.
If I hadn’t used my voice, I wouldn’t be in that house right now, when they told me that it was safe.
Crews are still working to respond to the freight disaster in East Palestine as community members worry about possible adverse health effects from the toxic materials released when dozens of cars derailed after a likely mechanical failure.
Feb. 11 — EPA issues a general notice of potential liability letter to Norfolk Southern to document the release or threat of release of hazardous substances, pollutants or contaminants to the environment. The letter shows how the EPA is taking action at the site and how the railroad may be held accountable for the costs associated with it.
“Norfolk Southern will pay for cleaning up the mess that they created and the trauma that they inflicted,” Regan said. “In no way, shape or form will Norfolk Southern get off the hook for the mess that they created.”
The company has committed more than $6 million to date in East Palestine, it said, including $3.8 million in direct financial assistance to families impacted by the accident.
In an interview with CNBC on Tuesday, CEO Alan Shaw responded to criticism from Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg and Ohio Sen. Sherrod Brown, saying the company invests more than $1 billion a year in “science-based” safety solutions, including maintaining tracks, equipment and technology.
“The NTSB is concerned that several organizational factors may be involved in the accidents, including safety culture,” the board said in a statement. An in-depth investigation into the safety practices and culture of the company will be conducted by the National Transportation Safety Board. At the same time, the company should not wait to improve safety and the NTSB urges it to do so immediately.”
The Ohio Department of Health explains the Norfolk Southern train wreck in Springfield, Ohio, after a mile from the Ohio-Pennsylvania border
The crash took place a mile away from the Ohio-Pennsylvania border, but the governor hailed the EPA for taking over the clean up.
“Norfolk Southern was going to do this out of the goodness of their own heart.” There’s not a lot of goodness in there,” Shapiro said. “They needed to be compelled to act.”
A Norfolk Southern train derailed Saturday evening in Springfield, Ohio, sending 28 cars sliding diagonally across the tracks but injuring no one, according to several state and local agencies.
Shaw, the CEO of Norfolk Southern, refused to answer questions regarding the wreck and details about what may have caused the derailing, saying he was barred from talking about it.
Eleven of the derailed cars were carrying hazardous chemicals such as butyl acrylate and vinyl chloride, which is used to make the hard plastic resin PVC.
Residents reported a variety of ailments, from bloody noses to dizziness and vomiting, even after an evacuated area was lifted and the air and water were declared safe.
The state opened a health assessment clinic for residents that fear their symptoms could be related to the wreck. Ohio Department of Health said that the clinic has nurses, toxicologists and mental health professionals, and can provide referrals if needed.
He said the idea is to help people get answers about their medical issues and make sure they are aware of any problems that they may be having.
First Day of the February 3 Train Wreck: Senator Joe Biden says Norfolk Southern needs to be cleaned up after the Pennsylvania Railroad Derailment
President Joe Biden called the EPA’s order common sense. “This is their mess. The president said in a post that Norfolk Southern should be cleaned up.
The governor said that the state environmental officials made a criminal referral against Norfolk Southern. The Ohio attorney general is reviewing actions the law allows him to take, according to Mike DeWine.
After the February 3 train wreck in the vicinity of the Pennsylvania border, air and water quality testing has found no dangers to residents of the small village, and Regan has confidence in the data from the agency.
DeWine encourages those East Palestine residents with private wells who have not had their water tested to continue drinking bottled water “out of an abundance of caution.”
Pennsylvania’s governor – who also ordered evacuations after the derailment – alleged Tuesday that the train operator gave officials “inaccurate information” and “refused to explore or articulate alternative courses of action,” in the days following the toxic wreck.
Norfolk Southern President and CEO Alan Shaw said that his company has been aligned with the EPA and local efforts on the ground in East Palestine since the train derailment.
Shaw’s company continues to monitor air and water quality, and has conducted many tests with thousands of data points, all of which have come back clean.
President Biden called on Congress to help implement rail safety measures and accused the Trump administration of limiting the government’s ability to strengthen rail safety measures.
“This is more than a train derailment or a toxic waste spill – it’s years of opposition to safety measures coming home to roost,” Biden wrote in an Instagram post.
“There’s been a concern by citizens, very understandably, that the railroad started, got the tracks back on and started running and the soil under the tracks had not been dealt with,” DeWine said. “So, under the administrator’s order, that soil will be removed. So the tracks will have to be taken up and that soil will have to be removed.”
As crews continue cleanup efforts and officials promise accountability, East Palestine residents are still dealing with fears surrounding potential impacts from the toxic wreck.
The state’s new health clinic in East Palestine has been opened to address the reports of various symptoms.
Why Do People Feel So Sick After They’re Seeped Into Air, Water And Soil? Comment on Stewart’s Concerns about the West Side of East Palestine
Asked about the reported symptoms, the EPA administrator said Tuesday that he’s “not discounting what people are experiencing” and asked anyone concerned to seek medical attention.
“I believe people when they say that they’re facing adverse impacts. We’re asking people to seek medical attention and then we can add that information to our response. What people areExperiencing at all is not being discounted. They can ask for medical help while we conduct our investigations.
The town needs to be cleaned up and residents need to feel safe in their homes, according to Conaway. That is the number one thing. Your home is your sanctuary: if you don’t feel safe in your home, then you’re never going to feel safe anywhere.”
The National Transportation Safety Board on Thursday released its preliminary report on the investigation into the February 3 train crash in East Palestine, Ohio, where residents have been complaining about feeling sick after hazardous chemicals seeped into the air, water and soil.
Jim Stewart, who has lived in East Palestine for more than six decades, said the wreck burned down his dreams of retiring soon and selling his house, adding he worries what the home’s value now looks like. The dog stinks so much and he wonders if he can plant tomatoes in the summer after it was confirmed that the soil was contaminated by chemicals.
The East Palestine Railroad Derailment: Why a Child Cannot Ride a Train, But a Medical Expert Can Describe What It Means
The train’s average speed was less than it could have been, according to documents filed with the Federal Railroad Authority.
Courtney Newman, a mother and teacher in East Palestine, said since her family returned home, her son has had “bloody noses every day,” and she has had “skin issues.”
The resident, who was staying at a hotel and didn’t feel safe returning home, sought treatment at the emergency room on Tuesday because he was experiencing symptoms like headaches, dizziness and blood from his nose.
When vinyl chloride breaks down, chemicals of concern are phosgene and hydrogen chloride, butyl acrylate, ethylene glycol monobutyl ether acetate and 2-ethylhexyl acrylate. When chemicals react with one another, a stew of toxins can be created.
“We’re getting everything we need, except answers,” East Palestine Mayor Trent Conaway said Wednesday. “We need answers, as far as the health concerns.”
During the town hall, the governor said he did not want to minimize any medical issues that may have been linked to the train wreck, and he requested medical experts to the community.
The US Centers for Diseases Control and Prevention and the US Department of Health and Human Services will be in Ohio this week at DeWine’s request.
Source: https://www.cnn.com/2023/02/23/us/ohio-train-derailment-east-palestine-thursday/index.html
Analysis of East Palestine Public Drinking Water with the Norfolk Southern Experiment after the September 2016 Derailment. A statement by C.E. Shaw
Shaw said that they would reimburse the citizens, and invest in the long term health of the community. I will see this through, and we will be here. We are going to work with the community leaders to help you thrive.
Crews in East Palestine will also begin removing the train tracks at the site of the derailment to remove the waste, including contaminated soil, underneath.
So far, tests of East Palestine’s public drinking have found “no indication of risk to East Palestine public water system customers” and “treated drinking water shows no detection of contaminants associated with the derailment,” the EPA said in its Sunday update.
“Since I (got) home from evacuating, I’m still not using the water because I never know if … they’re telling the truth or it’s a lie,” resident Nene Stewart said during the town hall. “I use bottled water. I can not. I’m not trusting what they’re saying. I don’t know who’s telling the truth.”
Emphasis is being placed on recovery of all pooled liquids, excavation of heavily contaminated soil, and removal of all remaining rail cars, according to the EPA. In order to capture any contamination leaving the site, Norfolk Southern establishes a containment area in a section of Sulphur Creek to divert all up-stream water around the containment area. The containment area has cut off the introduction of more contaminated water.
The crash knocked out power and the area and resulted in a temporary shelter-in-place order for homes within 1,000 feet of the scene. Crews later determined nothing had spilled from the derailed cars and there was no environmental harm.
EPA community air monitoring readings do not detect any contaminants of concern, they say. The agency says that Norfolk Southern’s contractor is still doing air monitoring.
There are three Aeration pumps operating along Sulphur Run. Aeration helps treat contamination by injecting oxygen into the water. The East Palestine water treatment plant confirms there was no adverse effects to the plant, the EPA says. EPA and Norfolk Southern contractors collect surface water samples for analysis.
The train operator, Norfolk Southern, was ordered on Friday by the EPA to stop all shipments so that it could study the company’s plans for disposing of the train’s hazardous materials.
State of the Art: The Occupation of the Interstate Highway Patrol following a Safety-Violating Fire at the West End of the Lebanon River
The EPA is working with the 52nd Civil Support Team, an Ohio National Guard unit, to collect air samples for analysis.
Feb. 7 — Residents in the area are told they may smell odors coming from the site because the byproducts of the controlled burn have a low odor threshold – meaning people may smell these contaminants at levels much lower than what is considered hazardous, the EPA says.
The EPA is investigating a complaint that there is odors at the fire station. A team with air monitoring equipment goes to the station, and does not see any pollutants that are above detection limits.
The EPA and Ohio EPA find spilled materials in Sulphur Run, the EPA says. Oily product is leaking from a tank car and pooling onto the soil. Norfolk Southern is notified of a spill and uses a vacuum truck to remove the product.
Norfolk Southern was solely responsible for disposing of waste from the train wreck, but the waste disposal plans will now have to go through the federal EPA.
Despite officials deeming the air and water samples safe, some residents still have concerns. Residents are encouraged to get their homes deep cleaned and seek medical attention, if necessary, officials say at a press conference.
Air monitoring throughout East Palestine continues, the EPA says. Monitoring since the fire went out has not detected any levels of concern that can be attributed to the incident.
EPA discontinues phosgene and hydrogen chloride community air monitoring. After the fire was extinguished on February 8, the threat of vinyl chloride fire producing phosgene and hydrogen chloride no longer exists. EPA will continue 24-hour community air monitoring for other chemicals of concern.
East Palestine: A Community Meeting Presented at a High School Gym, Feb. 15, 2015, in the Lead-Up to Mayor Debra Shore
Feb. 15 — Residents pack a high school gym in East Palestine for a meeting with officials to discuss the current state of their community, CNN reports.
Instead, local leaders take questions from emotional residents who expressed distrust of officials’ accounts and anger – including at the transport company’s decision to skip the event.
Regional Administrator Debra Shore attends a community meeting alongside EPA on-scene coordinators and state and local officials to hear residents’ concerns.
“Contaminated soil will continue (to) leech contaminants, both up into the air, and down into the surrounding ground,” Richard Peltier, an environmental health scientist at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst, tells CNN in an email. The flood of new contaminants will enter the system when it rains.
Officials have repeatedly sought to assure residents that continued air and water monitoring has found no concerns. According to the EPA, they did indoor air testing at over 500 homes and found no issues associated with the derailed train.
There are no water quality concerns in the village of East Palestine, according to the EPA. The Columbiana County General Health district continues to sample private water wells. The agency says that 52 wells have been sampled in Ohio, and three across the border in Pennsylvania.
The Pennsylvania Train Derailment and the State of Environmental Protection: A First-Principles Study of the Bethe Ansatz for East Palestine
Shore said that the liquid waste will be deposited in an underground injection well in Ohio. Norfolk Southern will also be sending solid waste to the Heritage Incinerator.
Feb. 21 — The state opens up a health clinic for residents who worry their symptoms, such as trouble breathing, rashes and nausea, might be linked to the derailment.
• Reimburse the EPA for cleaning services to be offered to residents and businesses to provide an additional layer of reassurance, which will be conducted by EPA staff and contractors,
“We recognize that we have a responsibility, and we have committed to doing what’s right for the residents of East Palestine,” the company said Tuesday.
The Pennsylvania Attorney General’s office says it will investigate the train derailment following a criminal referral it received from the state department of environmental protection, according to a statement from the office.
They will fully pay for it. At any moment, if we have to step in because they refuse to do anything, we will do the cleaning up ourselves. The EPA chief said that they could fine them up to $70,000 a day.
They can charge us three times of the federal government’s cost when we recover our total costs. That is what the law provides.”
The Northeast Train Derailment Board Preliminary-Report Wheel Bearing Failure (NETSC-PRINT-2006-03-02)
The train operators do not have to take action until the wheel bearings are at 170 degreesF, the report said. Once a critical level of 200 degrees Fahrenheit is reached, Norfolk Southern requires its train operators to stop a train immediately and remove the affected car from the train.
Officials said that the bearing was compromised so much that it failed, raising questions about whether Norfolk Southern’s precautions were enough to avoid a catastrophic failure.
Roller bearings do not work. But it’s absolutely critical for problems to be identified and addressed early so these aren’t run until failure,” said NTSB Chair Jennifer Homendy at a Thursday press conference.
The third and final detector, located 19 miles later just east of East Palestine, recorded such a high temperature — 253 degrees Fahrenheit above ambient temperature — that the train’s crew was alerted to stop the train and inspect the bearing in accordance with Norfolk Southern safety guidelines, the NTSB report said.
The data collected by Norfolk Southern defect detector, devices that are built on railroad lines with sensors that detect and report problems with signals and feet when trains pass by, were cited in the report.
There were hot-box detectors located along 30 miles of track near East Palestine. The suspect wheel bearing had increases in temperatures, investigators said.
Source: https://www.npr.org/2023/02/23/1158972561/east-palestine-train-derailment-ntsb-preliminary-report-wheel-bearing
Investigating the incident of the East Palestine train derailed at 47 miles per hour with a positive train control system, according to DOT Secretary Pete Buttigieg
investigators said the train’s movements at the time of the derailed appeared to follow safety regulations It was traveling at 47 miles per hour, just under the maximum speed limit of 50 miles per hour. Positive train control, an automated safety system, was enabled and operational.
The incident has prompted the Department of Transportation to consider new safety regulations, said Secretary Pete Buttigieg on Thursday during a visit to East Palestine.
“There are differences from railroad to railroad, from company to company, in terms of how they’re used. That’s an example that needs to be looked at in order to prevent things like that from happening again, said Buttigieg.
A preliminary report by the National transportation Safety Board concluded that one of the train’s cars carried plastic pellets, which caused the initial fire. She said that the investigation had found that the three crew members on the train didn’t do anything wrong and that the crash was preventable.
According to the chair of the board, the crash was preventable and the crew didn’t do anything wrong before it happened.
Plus, investigators will review the train operator’s use of wayside defect detectors and the company’s railcar inspection practices. More specifically, determining what caused the wheel bearing failure will be key to the investigation, Homendy said.
The response to the chemical disaster, particularly the manual detonation of tanks carrying toxic chemicals will be one of the key aspects of the investigation.
East Palestine residents’ concerns about the derailment of the Ackerly-Nucleosynthesis-Induced Electric Rail Cargo on a Train
Since then, some East Palestine residents have said they are experiencing headaches, dizziness, nausea and bloody noses — a host of health issues they say they did not have prior to the crash.
Homendy said that there were three employees on the train, all of them being in the head of the locomotive.
We are deliberative. We are the gold standard when it comes to investigations globally, and we are methodical in our approach,” Homendy said. “But if we see a safety issue that we need to be addressed immediately, something systemic, we will not hesitate to issue an urgent safety recommendation.”
The residents were frustrated by the exchanges and said officials dodged their questions.
Jim Stewart, a lifelong 65-year-old East Palestine resident who said he lives near where the crash happened, told Shaw he feels his health has been threatened by the derailment.
Did you shorten my life? I want to retire and enjoy it. How are we going to enjoy it? Shaw burned Stewart, Stewart said, addressing Shaw. I have become an angry man because of you.
Shaw declined on Wednesday to answer repeated questions from residents regarding the crash investigation and details about what could have caused the derailment, saying he was “prohibited” from talking about the probe.
What Have We Done About the Toxicity and Water Contamination in East Palestine, Ohio, Since the Decay of the Trash Train Wreck?
Norfolk Southern also plans to review the results of the National Transportation Safety Board’s investigation as well as use data to “figure out what we could’ve done better,” said Shaw, adding the company has already implemented new internal safety measures.
After a brief pause, shipments of contaminated liquid and soil from the toxic train derailment in East Palestine, Ohio, will resume Monday amid concerns – including from other states – about the movement of the hazardous waste.
That’s as officials in Texas and Michigan complained they didn’t receive any warning that hazardous waste from the crash would be shipped into their jurisdictions for disposal.
The Michigan and Ohio facilities were, in fact, EPA approved sites, but they are not currently accepting any more shipments at this time, and the EPA is “exploring to see whether they have the capacity” to accept shipments in the future, Shore said.
The rail cars that were held by investigators have left the area, according to the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency Director.
The EPA also installed “sentinel wells” near the city’s municipal well field to monitor contaminants in well water as part of the agency’s long-term early detection system “to protect the city for years to come,” Vogel, head of the Ohio EPA, said Saturday.
The hazardous waste material sent to Texas is now being processed by the EPA, according to the regional administrator.
There are extensive requirements for everything from waste labeling to packaging, as well as requirements for shipping documents and where they’re going.
In Harris County, Texas, the chief executive stated last week that half a million gallons of water from the train wreck were already there. Meanwhile, contaminated soil from the derailment site was taken to the US Ecology Wayne Disposal in Belleville, Michigan, according to US Rep. Debbie Dingell of Michigan.
Health Information from East Palestine After the Biden-Biden Move: Implications for the Health and Safety of the Solid Waste & Water Treatment Facility in East Liverpool
A White House official told CNN that teams from East Palestine have begun going door to door to check in with residents and provide information after President Joe Biden directed the move.
The CDC is collecting health information from residents about the symptoms they have experienced after the accident, according to a senior environmental health specialist.
The storage site in East Palestine held over a hundred thousand gallons of liquid waste and over four thousand truckloads of solid waste. As the cleanup progresses, more solid and liquid waste will be generated.
She told CNN on Saturday that neither she nor the governor were aware that toxic waste would be delivered to her district.
When it came to knowing about the water shipment to her state, Texas’s chief executive didn’t get it from a government agency or the company hired to dispose of the water.
The shipments of water started arriving last week after the office was told that half a million gallons had already been in the county.
She said that the office wanted information about the disposal, including the chemical composition of the firefighting water, precautions taken, and why Harris County was chosen.
CNN asked Ohio’s agency where the remaining 600,000 gallons are, but they have yet to receive a response.
The controversy surrounding the crash and the possible health effects of toxic waste have left people in the town worried about their well-being.
The mayor of East Liverpool, one of the towns set to incinerate the waste, expressed concerns about the process but said the EPA has assured him that everyone has been following necessary guidelines.
Mayor Gregory T.Bricker said that they have a 2-year-old daughter. “But, again, I think this is a state-of-the-art facility that can handle this type of waste.”
There are people in other states that are concerned about how waste is transported and what will be done with it. EPA will continue to work with our local, state, and federal partners to use our longstanding experience and expertise in these matters to ensure the health and safety, and support the East Palestine community and to hold Norfolk Southern accountable,” Shore added.
The Norfolk Southern Freight Rail Safety Reporting System (FSS) and the Indiana Department of Transportation (Density Control), Al. J. DeWine, J. L. Holcomb, R. A. Lee, M
The soil underneath the rails is being excavated and four wells will be installed this week. Fourteen wells in total are planned.
“These monitoring wells will also support a better understanding of the direction and rate of the ground water flow in the area,” DeWine’s office said.
The advisory comes as all seven major freight rail companies in the United States, including Norfolk Southern, are expected to announce their participation in a voluntary safety reporting program, a Biden administration source told CNN Thursday.
Several of the tank cars had coverings that were made of aluminum meant to protect the valves and relieve pressure from the tank cars to prevent damage.
In an investigative update on the derailment published Thursday, the National Transportation Safety Board also said it was “looking closely” at aluminum protective covers used on three of the vinyl chloride tank cars that derailed.
The CEOs of the companies were given a week to make a decision after Pete Buttigieg sent a letter to them asking them to join the reporting system.
The agency is probing what caused the train to derail and has said that it can make emergency recommendations at any time.
The company backed out of the town hall after receiving threats against its employees.
In addition to residents who reported health effects, crews involved in the clean-up have also reported symptoms, according to a letter on behalf of workers’ unions to Buttigieg and Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine. CNN has reached out to Norfolk Southern to see if they have a response to the letter.
Indiana Gov. Eric Holcomb said on Thursday that the state plans to contract a third-party company to test waste in Indiana for dangerous levels of dioxins. The sampling is due to start Friday, the governor said.
The process would involve removing one side of the tracks, digging out the contaminated soil, conducting sampling and then replacing the tracks, EPA response coordinator Mark Durno said.
The agency said in a release that if dioxins are found at a level that poses an unacceptable risk to humans and the environment, it would order the immediate removal of the area.
The EPA will continue to sample forindicator chemicals which have a low probability of release of dioxin from this incident, according to the release.
The train carrying butyl acrylate is used to make plastic and paint. It’s possible to inhale it, ingest it or absorb it through the skin. It can cause irritation to the skin, lungs and eyes, as well as cause short-lived breathing problems, according to the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health. Lung damage can be a result of repeated exposure.
She doesn’t know if there could be longterm health effects, but she said the levels that are being detected in water sampling are lower than the federal hazard level for compound in drinking water. A health study currently underway may be able to help shed light on that, she said.
Vogel Assurances that the Northeast Region of the Norfolk Southern Train Accident had No Releases to Soil, Air, Water or Water and Its Impact on Clark County
The train was traveling just outside Springfield city limits en route to Birmingham, Ala., when 28 cars jumped the tracks around 4:45 pm, according to Kraig Barner, Norfolk Southern general manager for the northern region.
Ohio Environmental Protection Agency Director Anne Vogel said Sunday that there was no hazardous material released to the soil, air or water.
The dried liquid found on the outside of a tanker, the Fire Chief said, was probably sludge from the derailed train. His team detected no leaks on the tankers.
One car was carrying PVC pellets that affected the soil at the crash site, Vogel noted, adding that the EPA “will be onsite ensuring that as cars are removed by Norfolk Southern that the soil is not impacted under the ground.”
After the derailment, authorities at a Sunday news conference sought to assure the local community in Clark County that their air, water and soil are safe.
“Since there have been no releases, we’re looking at clean air, clean soil and clean water for our residents,” Clark County Health Commissioner Charles Patterson said. “Technicians will continue to be on site to ensure that there isn’t any contamination that has been missed.”
The assurances come as crews in East Palestine, Ohio, are still working to remove contaminated soil and liquid from the wreck of a Norfolk Southern train on February 3.
The train accident last month put rail safety under scrutiny and brought up questions about regulations surrounding the transportation of hazardous materials. Data from the Federal Railroad Administration Office of Safety Analysis shows there have been at least 1,000 derailments in the United States each year during the past decade.
The East Palestine Derailment: A Case Study with Multiple Teams and Multiple Sweeps by Multiple Teams, State Route 41, Clark County Health Commissioner Charles Patterson
“We’re looking at clean air, clean soil and clean water,” said Clark County health commissioner Charles Patterson in a Sunday press conference. “There have been multiple sweeps by multiple teams.”
Initial assessments of the scene were slowed by downed power lines, Nagel said, which left 1,500 residents without power in the county on Saturday. State Route 41 remained closed as of Monday morning, its asphalt cracked by the incident.
“If there’s anything we’ve learned so far, it’s that transparency matters, encouraging facts not misinformation,” Vogel said, thanking local agencies for their swift response. “We will be partners in getting the facts out.”
“At EPA’s request, Norfolk Southern has agreed to provide additional financial assistance to residents of the East Palestine area, including the portions of Pennsylvania within a mile of the derailment site,” the EPA said in a news release. This assistance may include temporary lodging, travel, food, clothing, and other necessities.”
Norfolk Southern will do all it can to support the conductor and his colleagues. We are mourning the loss of a colleague. Our hearts go out to his friends and family.
The railroad said in a news release that the conductor was fatally injured at the Cleveland-Cliffs Cleveland Works property. The railroad in the state has had three incidents in just over a month.
The NTSB said in a statement later that its safety culture probe encompasses multiple incidents and three deaths since December 2021, including the toxic East Palestine derailment and the employee killed earlier Tuesday. It is already investigating a October 28 derailment in Sandusky, Ohio.
A Loss for a Veteran of the BLET Division 607. Lou Shuster and the Road to Preserve the Safety of Railroad Workers
BLET Division 607 in Cleveland had a president who was from Broadview Heights, Ohio. Shuster is an Army veteran and had a 16-year-old son, according to the union.
“Lou was a passionate and dedicated union brother,” said Pat Redmond, Local Chairman of BLET Division 607. “He was always there for his coworkers. He was very supportive of veterans who worked on the railroad in our community.
Eddie Hall, BLET National President said that it was a tragic situation and that it was a devastating loss for the members of the union. “All railroad accidents are avoidable. The need for better rail safety for both workers and the public is underscored by this collision.
As the railroad works with the Environmental Protection Agency to remediate the site, it announced a new six-point safety plan Monday designed to help prevent similar derailments in the future.