Multiple Norfolk Southern train cars toppled on March 4 in Clark County, Ohio. (Bill Lackey / Springfield-News Sun via AP)
Thirty days after the devastating Norfolk Southern train derailment in East Palestine, Ohio, residents are still reeling from the environmental effects of the toxic chemicals released from the 50 cars damaged in the crash. But the company operating the train doesn’t seem to have learned their lesson. At around 4:45pm yesterday, Saturday March 4, another Norfolk Southern train derailed near Springfield, Ohio.
As a refresher, the February 3 train derailment caused a fire that eventually led to officials releasing toxic fumes into the air in order to prevent further explosion from the hazardous chemicals onboard, including vinyl chloride, which is known to cause a rare form of liver cancer after chronic exposure. Around 5,000 residents were evacuated, and although they have since been allowed to return to their homes, serious concerns persist surrounding the health risks of remaining in the area. On February 8, the Ohio Department of Natural Resources reported that 3,500 fish had died in the local streams. Additionally, local residents have posted pictures online of dead farm animals, and many have reported coughs, rashes, and other illnesses common to chemical exposure. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has been monitoring the chemical levels in the water, soil, and air surrounding the area, and has reported no unusual or harmful levels despite these reports. Many are also concerned at the safety of the soil, as farming and livestock are major sources of income to residents in the area. On top of that, locals expressed anger at environmental authorities do to their delayed response to the situation; it took EPA administrator Michael Regan almost two weeks to tour the crash site, located only 20 miles from his state border.
Yesterday’s crash appears to have been far less dangerous to the local environment. Officials issued a precautionary shelter-in-place to nearby homes, but most of the 20 cars that derailed were empty boxcars. Only one car was of real concern to environmental officials, which contained polyvinyl chloride (PVC) pellets that have affected the soil, although reports claim they aren’t toxic. Officials have worked to clean up the pellets today to prevent anything other than surface soil from being contaminated. Arguably the most impactful result was that the crash left over 1,500 local Ohioans without power.
Despite the fact that the second derailment was much less harmful, citizens nationwide have begun raising concerns about the safety regulations at both Norfolk Southern and the American rail industry. Several lawsuits have been filed against Norfolk Southern in the wake of the derailments, and CEO Alan Shaw is set to testify in Congress on Thursday, March 9 about the East Palestine derailment. Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro also sent a letter to Shaw after the first crash claiming that Norfolk Southern failed to immediately inform authorities on the amount of chemicals involved and the true and complete effects of these chemicals. He also claims employees were too hurried in turning to controlled release to manage the chemicals, and did not explore other, safer options. Employees of Norfolk Southern and the railroad industry have also expressed discontent in recent years surrounding cut backs on regulations and added hours, making them feel less safe and confident in their work. Security footage from Salem, Ohio, which is 20 miles away from East Palestine, shows the axel that eventually caused the derailment was already glowing, with flames underneath at least one car of the train, but the employees operating the train claim they tried to stop as soon as the warning system alerted them there was a problem. Several Congress members, including both Ohio senators, have discussed and/or proposed legislation that would tighten railroad safety regulations.
In the wake of these derailments, the intense scrutiny the railroad industry has fallen under has been met with widespread support. Four derailments in less than five months in Ohio alone (two occurred last fall) in frankly unacceptable, and a huge risk to the lives of anyone nearby, in both the short and long term. No one knows how the chemicals from the East Palestine derailment may be affecting the health of those in surrounding areas, and we may not know for another 50 years. As Senator Sherrod Brown (Ohio) states, “Ohio communities should not be forced to live in fear of another disaster”. The federal government is already cracking down on the management of Norfolk Southern, as well as the entire railroad industry. Many are beginning to question if the industry itself has been left largely alone for too long, and are urging their representatives to take action in Congress. Rail companies spent almost $25 million lobbying Congress on various pieces of legislation in 2022 alone, and have stopped antitrust bills from passing in recent years. Despite their best efforts, the profit-oriented intentions of these rail giants has become painfully clear to the public in the wake of these derailments, and even their deep pockets may not be enough to save them from facing the consequences.
https://apnews.com/article/ohio-train-derailment-bcc6198dfbde42feefdeca8f24ccaea8
https://www.nytimes.com/2023/02/28/us/ohio-train-derailment-east-palestine.html
https://www.nytimes.com/2023/03/05/us/ohio-train-derailment.html
https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2023/03/05/springfield-ohio-train-derailment/
https://www.axios.com/2023/02/13/what-we-know-about-ohio-train-derailment
3 comments:
I think this incident highlights a really major factor of corporations. Without someone to take direct responsibility, accountability is limited, and in this situation, the addition of lobbying to reduce legislation to add accountability also poses another issue. Corporations these days have an immense amount of power and influence, and it seems the only time we notice is when something truly goes wrong and the person we should blame doesn't appear. What's also interesting is the lack of focus on the environment. Similar to what we've learned in econ about spillover costs, a major one being environmental pollution, this situation indicates the general lack of focus on the environment. Too often is the environment the second priority, and it is crucial to focus more on ensuring the environment doesn't suffer due to our decisions.
The railroad industry needs to prioritize safety measures to prevent train derailments, which we saw, can have catastrophic consequences. The environmental impact can also be severe, particularly if hazardous materials are involved like in East Palestine. There has to be some way to improve this through regular maintenance, effective monitoring, or the implementation of technological solutions. I do agree with Jayden, that some corporations/people are not being held accountable. You would think that by investing in safety measures, the railroad industry can improve the well-being of its workforce and the communities it serves while enhancing the sustainability and competitiveness of rail transportation. It does not make sense why this issue continues to repeat.
There have now been a number of train accidents, including several in just one month. Fortunately, the more recent accident was not as devastating at the one last month in East Palestine, Ohio. Railroad safety is probably something that is not a high-profile agenda item for politicians, but given how much railroad traffic there is across the country, it should be a higher priority. We do not have too many trains crisscrossing the Bay Area, unless you count Caltrain, so this is probably something we do not think about too much here. As was highlighted by the derailment in Ohio, freight trains often carry very large cargos of hazardous materials, and if there is an accident, the health and environmental impact can be severe and long lasting. Once chemicals seep into the groundwater and soil, getting them out is difficult, expensive, and time consuming. Exposure to toxic chemicals can cause lifelong health problems for people and wildlife. Safety standards appear to be too lax at the railroads, and more needs to be done to improve them going forward. No industry wants to be regulated more, and the railroads will no doubt push back with expensive lobbyists, but congress should step up and regulate their safety better.
Post a Comment