Ben Goldman, a CRS Analyst in Transportation Policy, produced this brief (7 pages) but important report, 'East Palestine, OH, Train Derailment and Hazardous Materials Shipment by Rail: Frequently Asked Questions'.
Download CRS_Report_East_Palestine_OH_Hazmet_FAQ
The picture and video below are not from the CRS report.
Summary
On February 3, 2023, a freight train carrying hazardous materials operated by Norfolk Southern Railway Corporation derailed in the town of East Palestine, OH. The derailment involved a fire and damaged several railcars, but no deaths or injuries were initially reported. Emergency responders intentionally released a quantity of vinyl chloride, a flammable gas, from some of the damaged railcars to prevent them from exploding and then burned the gas to dispose of it. This action required the evacuation of many residents in and around East Palestine due to potential airborne exposure to toxic combustion byproducts. Once cleared to return to their homes, some residents complained of respiratory illnesses and the deaths of wild and domesticated animals.The incident is being investigated by the National Transportation Safety Board. Cleanup efforts are being monitored by the Environmental Protection Agency. The derailment and the response to it have prompted calls for legislative and regulatory action related to the safe transportation of hazardous materials (hazmat) by rail. This Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) report focuses on the federal safety standards, voluntary industry guidelines, railroad operating practices that may be considered in understanding how and why this derailment occurred, and how to prevent similar derailments in the future. It also provides a brief summary of past legislative responses to railroad safety issues.
Read on...
Here are a video and photo from USATODAY:
“The only presidents I want to see are dead presidents in my wallet. They’re using East Palestine like China and Russia and the U.S. are using Ukraine. It’s a proxy war.” - Joe Botinovch, East Palestine flower shop owner. (in Politico.
Enjoy!
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