Toxic Disaster in East Palestine
Posted on February 13, 2023 by Baron Bodissey
On February 3 a Norfolk Southern train derailed just outside of East Palestine, Ohio, close to the border with Pennsylvania and not far from Pittsburgh. Five of the derailed cars were carrying toxic chemicals, including vinyl chloride, some of which leaked and caught fire. A huge explosion was a distinct possibility, so residents within a mile’s radius were evacuated.
In order to forestall a potentially catastrophic explosion, emergency workers created a “controlled explosion” by deliberately draining toxic chemicals into a containment trench and then igniting them. The resulting massive fireball was alarming enough; Lord only knows what an “uncontrolled explosion” would have looked like. An enormous plume of black smoke could be seen for many miles, and was even visible from space.
Two days later, after the blaze had died down, residents were advised that it was safe to return home.
This kind of story is not normally in my remit here at Gates of Vienna. However, the horrific aftereffects of the explosion are not receiving much coverage in the mainstream media, and need to be propagated through other channels.
The toxic chemicals that were released combined with each other, creating a brew that included phosgene and hydrogen chloride, among others. The former can be used as a chemical weapon, and in fact was used for exactly that by the French army in World War One. When combined with water, the latter becomes hydrochloric acid.
Numerous other toxic chemicals were released; lists of them may be found in some of the sources below. They can cause neurological damage, and down the road may be expected to contribute to the development of cancers. They are said to have entered a tributary of the Ohio River, and are flowing in that direction.
Large numbers of fish have been turning belly-up in local streams, and authorities are collecting them for testing. Some people report that their pets have died suddenly. One woman said all her chickens died at once.
This could turn out to be the equivalent of the Bhopal disaster, or even Chernobyl, for the Eastern United States.
A final twist to the story: Norfolk Southern resisted and successfully lobbied against high-tech enhancements to their trains’ braking systems that might have prevented the derailment in East Palestine:
After rail industry donors delivered more than $6 million to GOP campaigns, the Trump administration — backed by rail lobbyists and Senate Republicans — rescinded part of that rule aimed at making better braking systems widespread on the nation’s rails.
Specifically, regulators killed provisions requiring rail cars carrying hazardous flammable materials to be equipped with electronic braking systems to stop trains more quickly than conventional air brakes. Norfolk Southern had previously touted the new technology — known as Electronically Controlled Pneumatic (ECP) brakes — for its “potential to reduce train stopping distances by as much as 60 percent over conventional air brake systems.”
But the company’s lobby group nonetheless pressed for the rule’s repeal, telling regulators that it would “impose tremendous costs without providing offsetting safety benefits.”
That argument won out with Trump officials — and the Biden administration has not moved to reinstate the brake rule or expand the kinds of trains subjected to tougher safety regulations.
Social Media (Hat tips Vlad Tepes and John Doe)
Upward News on TwitterNick Drom on InstagramAnthony Cabassa on TwitterThe Recount on Twitter — “We basically nuked a town with chemicals so we could get a railroad open.”News articles (Hat tips LP, McN, DV, MM, and JW)
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