Newspaper Page Text
4A Thursday, February 16, 2023
The Times, Gainesville, Georgia | gainesvilletimes.com
NATION
Ohio town takes derailment questions; state considers suing
GENE J. PUSKAR I Associated Press
A black plume rises over East Palestine, Ohio, as a result of a controlled detonation of a portion of the derailed Norfolk
Southern trains Monday, Feb. 6.
Associated Press
EAST PALESTINE,
Ohio — The Ohio village
upended by a freight
train derailment and the
intentional burning of
some of the hazardous
chemicals on board has
invited affected residents
to a town hall meeting
Wednesday evening to dis
cuss lingering questions.
And there are still
plenty — about the huge
plumes of smoke, the per
sisting odors, the reports
of sick or dead animals,
the potential impact
on drinking water, all
the cleaning up. Even
as school has resumed
and trains are rolling by
again, things aren’t the
same.
In and around East Pal
estine, near the Pennsyl
vania state line, people
are asking whether the
air and water around
them is safe for people,
pets and livestock. They
want assistance navigat
ing the financial help the
railroad offered hundreds
of families who evacu
ated, and they want to
know whether it will be
held responsible for what
happened.
Ohio Attorney General
Dave Yost advised Nor
folk Southern on Wednes
day that his office is
considering legal action
against the rail operator.
“The pollution, which
continues to contaminate
the area around East
Palestine, created a nui
sance, damage to natu
ral resources and caused
environmental harm,”
Yost said in a letter sent
to the company.
The state’s Environ
mental Protection Agency
said Wednesday that the
latest tests show water
from five wells supply
ing the village’s drinking
water are free from con
taminants. But the EPA
also is recommending
testing for private water
wells because they are
closer to the surface.
Norfolk Southern
announced Tuesday that
it is creating a $1 million
fund to help the commu
nity of some 4,700 people
while continuing reme
diation work, including
removing spilled contam
inants from the ground
and streams and monitor
ing air quality.
It also will expand
how many residents can
be reimbursed for their
evacuation costs, cover
ing the entire village and
surrounding area.
“We will be judged by
our actions,” Norfolk
Southern President and
CEO Alan Shaw said in
a statement. “We are
cleaning up the site in an
environmentally respon
sible way, reimbursing
residents affected by the
derailment, and working
with members of the com
munity to identify what is
needed to help East Pales
tine recover and thrive.”
No one was injured
when about 50 cars
derailed in a fiery, man
gled mess on the outskirts
of East Palestine on Feb.
3. As fears grew about a
potential explosion, offi
cials seeking to avoid an
uncontrolled blast had the
area evacuated and opted
to release and burn toxic
vinyl chloride from five
rail cars, sending flames
and black smoke billow
ing into the sky again.
A mechanical issue
with a rail car axle is sus
pected to be the cause of
the derailment, and the
National Transportation
Safety Board said it has
video appearing to show
a wheel bearing over
heating just beforehand.
The NTSB said it expects
its preliminary report in
about two weeks.
Misinformation and
exaggerations spread
online, and state and fed
eral officials have repeat
edly offered assurances
that air monitoring hasn’t
detected any remaining
concerns. Even low lev
els of contaminants that
aren’t considered haz
ardous can create linger
ing odors or symptoms
such as headaches, Ohio’s
health director said
Tuesday.
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