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East Palestine, Ohio, train derailment

Coordinates: 40°50′10″N 80°31′22″W / 40.8360°N 80.5227°W / 40.8360; -80.5227
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This is an old revision of this page, as edited by Polihale (talk | contribs) at 06:44, 16 February 2023 (Expanded ECP section. Despite the claim that ECPs might have prevented the accident, they weren't required under the 2014 legislation.). The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.

2023 Ohio train derailment
Drone image of the accident scene by the National Transportation Safety Board.
Map
Location of the derailment
Details
DateFebruary 3, 2023 (2023-02-03)
8:55 p.m. EST (UTC-5)
LocationEast Palestine, Ohio
Coordinates40°50′10″N 80°31′22″W / 40.8360°N 80.5227°W / 40.8360; -80.5227
CountryUnited States
OperatorNorfolk Southern
Incident typeDerailment
CauseMechanical failure
Statistics
Trains1
Deaths0

On February 3, 2023, a freight train carrying vinyl chloride derailed along the Norfolk Southern Railway in East Palestine, Ohio, United States.[1] Emergency crews conducted a controlled burn of the spill on the request of state officials,[2] which released hydrogen chloride and phosgene into the air.[1] As a result, residents within a 1 mi (1.6 km) radius were evacuated, and an emergency response from agencies across three states was initiated.

Background

The derailed train was a Norfolk Southern freight train,[3] which consisted of three locomotives, nine empty cars, and 141 loaded cars.[4] The train was operating from the Terminal Railroad Association of St. Louis yard in Madison, Illinois, to Norfolk Southern's Conway Yard in Conway, Pennsylvania.

Electronically Controlled Pneumatic (ECP) brakes

In 2014, Congress passed the Rail Safety Improvement Act which required ECP brakes for "high-hazard flammable" trains.[5]. The accident train was not equipped with ECP brakes, which a former Federal Railroad Administration official claimed would have mitigated the severity of the accident. In 2017, railway industries successfully lobbied Congress with over $6 million and over $3 million in GOP and Democrat campaigns, respectively, to repeal the regulations requiring the use of such brakes on trains carrying hazardous materials. However, despite the scale of the accident, the accident train did not meet the qualifications of a "high-hazard flammable" train.[6]

Derailment

Around 8:55 pm local time on February 3, 2023, approximately 50 cars derailed in East Palestine, a village near the Ohio–Pennsylvania border with a population of 4,800. Out of the 141 cars on the train, 20 were carrying hazardous materials, with 14 of them carrying vinyl chloride.[7] Other chemicals present included butyl acrylate, ethylhexyl acrylate, ethylene glycol monobutyl ether, isobutylene, combustible liquids, and benzene residue.[8][9][10]

About 48 hours later, the National Transportation Safety Board released preliminary findings indicating that the derailment was caused by a mechanical issue on one of the railcars' trucks,[11][12] which may be connected to reports that an axle was observed throwing sparks about an hour before.[13]

Emergency response

Smoke from the derailment as seen during the night of the accident.

Nearly 70 emergency agencies from Ohio, West Virginia, and Pennsylvania mobilized in response.[14] East Palestine Mayor Trent Conaway declared a state of emergency.[7]

Norfolk Southern personnel were first to respond on February 3.[15] On February 4, they noticed water spillage into Sulphur Run and Leslie Run and installed booms and underflow dams to separate the floating pollutant. The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) began monitoring air quality on February 3. According to the U.S. EPA, humans can smell butyl acrylate at a concentration lower than the screening level.[16]

On February 5, due to a temperature change in one of the train cars, fears of an explosion with the potential of dispersing deadly shrapnel rose as the fires continued to burn.[17] Ohio Governor Mike DeWine ordered the mandatory evacuation of all residents within a one-mile radius and activated the Ohio National Guard to assist local authorities.[17] DeWine said, "This is a matter of life and death."[18] Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro ordered an evacuation in areas of Beaver County which bordered the site.[14] Officials in both states went door-to-door to evacuate residents.[19] The fire from the accident burned until February 5.[16]

On February 6, in an effort to prevent further explosions, Norfolk Southern emergency crews conducted a controlled release and burn of five tanks of vinyl chloride into the air.[20] The burn caused black clouds to form above the area and released phosgene and hydrogen chloride into the air.[9] Although officials reported that air quality readings were not showing anything concerning,[21] residents in nearby Mahoning and Trumbull counties reported a chemical smell in their areas. Officials in the Youngstown region advised residents to stay indoors.[22] Air monitoring conducted on February 7–8 revealed an increase in volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in the air below the screening level and an increase in particulate matter, probably from the soot.[16]

On February 8, state and federal EPA workers noticed oily spillage on the soil and notified Norfolk Southern, which began removing it with a vacuum truck.[16]

The evacuation was lifted on February 9 after the U.S. EPA reported that the air inside and outside the evacuation zone had returned to normal levels.[23] Although toxins were detected at the derailment site, they were not detected outside the area. The Ohio EPA also reported that drinking water (sourced from different waterways) was safe. In a testing report from February 8, the Ohio EPA showed WKBN that vinyl chloride, benzene, some chlorinated organic compounds, and other VOCs were not detected in the water.[24]

Since February 9, the U.S. EPA had been assisting Norfolk Southern and the Columbiana Emergency Management Agency with indoor air testing.

Impact

The train derailment reignited a national discussion about industry working conditions and safety concerns, such as the lack of modern brake safety regulations,[6] the implementation of precision scheduled railroading (PSR),[25] reduced railway workers per train, and increased train lengths and weight. Critics have pointed out that train companies have failed to invest in train maintenance to prevent accidents, even though they conduct stock buybacks.[26][27]

The Ohio Department of Natural Resources said the chemical spill killed an estimated 3,500 small fish across 7.5 miles of streams as of February 8.[28]

Potential health hazards

Reports circulated of sick children and ill or dead pets and wild animals.[29][30] Material from the crash was observed in storm drains and detected in samples from Sulphur Run, Leslie Run, Bull Creek, North Fork Little Beaver Creek, Little Beaver Creek and the Ohio River. An oily product was seen seeping into the soil and emergency response staff are assessing potential impacts[clarification needed] on aquatic life.[20][16]

Neil Donahue, a chemistry professor at Carnegie Mellon University, expressed concern about the potential production of dioxins during the burning of vinyl chloride, while Lynn Goldman, dean of the Milken Institute School of Public Health, worried more about residual vinyl chloride. Gaseous pollutants dissipate quickly in the air, but dioxins are persistent.[31]

Lawsuits

On February 8, affected businesses and local residents filed three class-action lawsuits against Norfolk Southern Railway.[32][33] One demands the company to pay for the medical screenings and treatments of people living within a 30-mile radius of the derailment.[34] Norfolk Southern Railway began offering $1,000 payments to locals in order to "cover costs related to the evacuation". Some residents expressed concerns that taking these payouts would limit their ability to join future legal actions.[35]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b "Ohio catastrophe is 'wake-up call' to dangers of deadly train derailments". The Guardian. February 11, 2023. Archived from the original on February 13, 2023. Retrieved February 13, 2023.
  2. ^ "Crews release toxic chemicals from derailed tankers in Ohio". AP NEWS. February 6, 2023. Archived from the original on February 7, 2023. Retrieved February 14, 2023.
  3. ^ Hauser, Christine (February 13, 2023). "What We Know About the Train Derailment in Ohio". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on February 14, 2023. Retrieved February 14, 2023.
  4. ^ Jennifer Rodriguez (February 6, 2023). "What caused the derailment". wkbn.com. Archived from the original on February 8, 2023. Retrieved February 8, 2023. During the presser, Graham said the train was carrying 141 load cars, nine empty cars and three locomotives, which are used to pull the train.
  5. ^ "S.2784 - Rail Safety Improvement Act of 2014". congress.gov. Retrieved February 16, 2023.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  6. ^ a b Sirota, David; Rock, Julia; Burns, Rebecca; Cunningham-Cook, Matthew (February 9, 2023). "Rail Companies Blocked Safety Rules Before Ohio Derailment". The Lever. Archived from the original on February 9, 2023. Retrieved February 12, 2023.
  7. ^ a b "50-car train derailment sparks massive fire, mandatory evacuation order in Ohio". ABC7 San Francisco. February 4, 2023. Archived from the original on February 7, 2023. Retrieved February 7, 2023.
  8. ^ "Norfolk Southern releases list of chemicals carried by derailed train". www.wfmj.com. Archived from the original on February 7, 2023. Retrieved February 7, 2023.
  9. ^ a b "Dead animals and reports of sickness as ecological disaster unfolds after Ohio toxic train derailment". Independent. February 13, 2023. Archived from the original on February 13, 2023. Retrieved February 13, 2023.
  10. ^ "3 additional chemicals discovered on East Palestine train derailment". WKBN.com. February 13, 2023. Archived from the original on February 13, 2023. Retrieved February 13, 2023.
  11. ^ "Derailment of Norfolk Southern Freight with Hazardous Materials Release (NTSB Investigation Number: RRD23MR005)". National Transportation Safety Board. Retrieved February 15, 2023.
  12. ^ "NTSB confirms rail car axle issue caused Norfolk Southern train derailment". www.wfmj.com. Archived from the original on February 7, 2023. Retrieved February 7, 2023.
  13. ^ Mokay, Erica (February 10, 2023). "Video shows sparks and flames 20 miles before train derailment in East Palestine". CBS Pittsburgh. Archived from the original on February 14, 2023. Retrieved February 15, 2023.
  14. ^ a b "East Palestine Train Derailment: Evacuation order lifted as officials say air and water samples show it's safe". CBSNews.com. Archived from the original on February 7, 2023. Retrieved February 7, 2023.
  15. ^ "Site Profile - East Palestine Train Derailment - EPA OSC Response". response.epa.gov. Retrieved February 15, 2023.
  16. ^ a b c d e "Site Profile - East Palestine Train Derailment - EPA OSC Response". response.epa.gov. Archived from the original on February 13, 2023. Retrieved February 13, 2023.
  17. ^ a b "Controlled chemical release scheduled to prevent explosion in the wake of Ohio train derailment". NBC News. Archived from the original on February 7, 2023. Retrieved February 7, 2023.
  18. ^ "Slowly releasing chemicals from the derailed train in Ohio could prevent an explosion". 90.5 WESA. February 6, 2023. Archived from the original on February 7, 2023. Retrieved February 7, 2023.
  19. ^ "Evacuation order lifted in East Palestine". February 4, 2023. Archived from the original on February 7, 2023. Retrieved February 7, 2023.
  20. ^ a b Schwer, Donald R. (February 10, 2023). "Norfolk Southern East Palestine Train Derailment General Notice Letter 2.10.2023.pdf" (PDF). U.S. EPA. Archived (PDF) from the original on February 13, 2023. Retrieved February 14, 2023.
  21. ^ "Crews release toxic chemicals from derailed tankers in Ohio". AP NEWS. February 6, 2023. Archived from the original on February 7, 2023. Retrieved February 7, 2023.
  22. ^ "'Shelter in place': Officials advising Valley residents stay indoors". February 7, 2023. Archived from the original on February 7, 2023. Retrieved February 7, 2023.
  23. ^ "Air near Ohio derailment safe for residents to return home". AP NEWS. February 8, 2023. Archived from the original on February 13, 2023. Retrieved February 12, 2023.
  24. ^ "East Palestine water quality testing continues". WKBN.com. February 11, 2023. Archived from the original on February 14, 2023. Retrieved February 14, 2023.
  25. ^ Johnson, Jake (February 7, 2023). "Rail Workers Blame Fiery Train Crash in Ohio on Wall Street Profit-Seeking". www.commondreams.org. Archived from the original on February 9, 2023. Retrieved February 9, 2023. using PSR, railroad management's job is to drive down the 'operating ratio,' or operating expenses as a percentage of revenue.
  26. ^ "Press Release: Fiery Ohio Train Wreck the Result of 'PSR'". Railroad Workers United. Archived from the original on February 9, 2023. Retrieved February 9, 2023.
  27. ^ ""Bomb Train" in Ohio Sickens Residents After Railroad Cutbacks, Corporate Greed Led to Toxic Disaster". Democracy Now!. Archived from the original on February 14, 2023. Retrieved February 14, 2023.
  28. ^ "Residents near Ohio train derailment report dead fish and chickens as authorities say it's safe to return". NBC News. Retrieved February 15, 2023.
  29. ^ "Health concerns mounting as animals become sick after train derailment". WKBN.com. February 9, 2023. Archived from the original on February 10, 2023. Retrieved February 10, 2023.
  30. ^ "Wary residents return home after toxic train derailment". AP NEWS. February 9, 2023. Archived from the original on February 10, 2023. Retrieved February 10, 2023.
  31. ^ "Toxic gases connected to Ohio train derailment cause concern". AP NEWS. February 8, 2023. Archived from the original on February 13, 2023. Retrieved February 13, 2023.
  32. ^ "Class action lawsuits filed against Norfolk Southern for East Palestine derailment". WKBN.com. February 8, 2023. Archived from the original on February 9, 2023. Retrieved February 9, 2023.
  33. ^ "Class action lawsuit filed in train derailment, controlled chemical release in East Palestine". WPXI. February 9, 2023. Archived from the original on February 9, 2023. Retrieved February 9, 2023.
  34. ^ "Lawsuit seeks medical testing after East Palestine train derailment". WTAE. February 13, 2023. Archived from the original on February 13, 2023. Retrieved February 13, 2023.
  35. ^ Robertson, Campbell; Cochrane, Emily (February 15, 2023). "In Ohio Town Where Train Derailed, Anxiety and Distrust Are Running Deep". New York Times. Archived from the original on February 15, 2023. Retrieved February 15, 2023.
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