EAST PALESTINE, Ohio — The Village of East Palestine will hold an informational town hall meeting on Wednesday regarding followup to the Feb. 3 Norfolk Southern derailment, Mayor Trent Conaway has announced.
The 7 p.m. meeting at the East Palestine High School Auditorium will be an opportunity for residents and those in the surrounded area affected by the derailment, fire, and subsequent evacuation to ask questions about the situation.
In other recent developments:
— The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has notified Norfolk Southern that it may be liable for cleanup of the site of the Feb. 3 derailment and fire near the Ohio-Pennsylvania state line under federal law, WKYC-TV reports.
On Friday, the EPA sent the railroad a General Notice of Potential Liability, concluding NS may be responsible for the EPA’s costs under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act for the release of “hazardous substances, pollutants or contaminants” as a result of the 50-car derailment and subsequent fire, which led to a five-day evacuation of an area within a 1-mile radius of the accident site.
That notice also included a list of chemicals released during the derailment and fire, and WFMJ-TV reports it includes three chemicals not previously mentioned: ethylene glycol monobutyl ether, which can cause headaches, nausea, vomiting, and dizziness; ethylhexyl acrylate, the vapor of which can cause drowsiness and convulsions, while liquid can irritate eyes and skin; and isobutylene, inhalation of which can cause dizziness, drowsiness, and unconsciousness.
— The Associated Press reports that one of several new lawsuits regarding the derailment seeks to require Norfolk Southern to pay for medical screenings and other health care for anyone living within a 30-mile radius of the derailment to determine who was affected by the release of toxic substances. The suit, filed by two Pennsylvania residents, also seeks undetermined damages.
NS declined comment.
— WKYC-TV also reports that the East Palestine Police Department notified some residents that a group would be going door-to-door to notify some residents on Saturday that their drinking water might “at risk” as a result of the derailment and release of hazardous chemicals.
The at-risk homes have well water. The Potable Well Task Group consists of contractors working for Norfolk Southern and will be conducting water tests, according to the notification.
At the same time, East Palestine officials also warned of a scam by individuals going door-to-door claiming to be from Norfolk Southern, gathering information to offer financial help. NS financial help is only available at the railroad’s assistance center in New Waterford, Ohio, the Morning Journal News reports.
“Trains wrote: — The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has notified Norfolk Southern that it may be liable for cleanup of the site of the Feb. 3 derailment and fire near the Ohio-Pennsylvania state line under federal law, WKYC-TV reports…”
You can bet NS is liable. There is not a court in the land that would declare otherwise. It was their tracks, their train and their train car broken axle and operation of their train and they accepted transport of the hazardous materials. It is also possible some of the shippers or shipper owned cars may have been involved and they will pay for their mistakes too. But just like Lac-Mégantic the railroad (in that case Montreal, Maine & Atlantic which ended up declaring bankruptcy because of the claims) will in the end be held liable. Fortunately in the US we don’t criminalize engineers and conductors for problems they could not have reasonably prevented. But the railroads reap the profits and pay for when things go wrong, or at least their insurance companies pay and it is only right.
I suppose it’s to reduce potential for scammers?
I wonder why it took so long to release a full list of hazardous chemicals involved. Conductors as part of their paperwork have a list of cars in their train carrying hazmat including information on potential hazards in the event of a release. That info is immediately available to management in the railroad’s computer system.
I wonder why it took so long to release a full list of hazardous chemicals involved. Conductors as part of their paperwork have a list of cars in their train carrying hazmat including information on potential hazards in the event of a release. That info is immediately available to management in the railroad’s computer system. As a train dispatcher I could print a list of a train’s consist as well as the hazardous material information.
Sorry for the duplicate.
“The at-risk homes have well water. The Potable Well Task Group consists of contractors working for Norfolk Southern and will be conducting water tests, …”
Those town officials might want to have their own independent analysis of the water. A company in McHenry County, Illinois had it’s own contractors monitoring water and they said it was fine, further testing proved them wrong.
“At the same time, East Palestine officials also warned of a scam by individuals going door-to-door claiming to be from Norfolk Southern, gathering information to offer financial help. NS financial help is only available at the railroad’s assistance center in New Waterford, Ohio, the Morning Journal News reports.”
Someone is always trying to scam the unfortunate.
Why is NS financial help available in only one place, in one state, when the derailment and evacuations covered a wide area.
Mr Mulligan, the evacuation area was approximately a mile wide and 2 miles long. New Waterford is 5 miles and a 10 minute drive.
East Palestine is on the Ohio, Pennsylvania border.