In mid-June, Mary Chastain reported that a research project conducted by the National Atmospheric Deposition Program found that the chemicals released during the East Palestine, OH, train derailment reached 16 states.
Another derailment carrying chemicals derailed in a Chicago suburb on Thursday, briefly sparking evacuations of nearby homes and businesses. One of the cars was leaking liquified petroleum gas (LPG), a widely used chemical substance.
The train derailed at 217th Street and Main in Matteson, NBC Chicago reported. A mandatory evacuation was underway amid a suspected leak from the derailed cars.The evacuation affected people and businesses within a quarter-mile east, 1 mile west and 1 mile south of the site, according to the station. The evacuation in the area was lifted Thursday afternoon except for areas very close to the derailment site.Canadian National Railway said in a statement that the derailment involved about 25 cars “carrying various substances.” There were no fires or reports of injuries, a spokesperson said.Two cars containing residue liquified petroleum gas leaked a limited amount, the spokesperson said, adding that it has since been contained.
Non-hazardous plastic pellets were also released.
“It was louder than normal and it was longer than normal,” Matteson evacuee Cassandra Montgomery said. “”I heard, like, the loudest crash. You see the police officers driving up and down the street, telling people they need to evacuate, the first thing you think about is, like, ‘Oh my God!’ When they mention chemical spill.”There were no immediate reports of injuries, but officials did look at a leaking train car. The emergency response was only a precaution while crews quickly contained the leak.The village spokesman said a white powdery substance seen leaking was tested by CN, who said it is not hazardous. A fire official said it was plastic pellets.”When that chemical reaches a certain temperature, it just evaporates into the air. We have no readings or any hazards in the air,” Homewood Fire Department regional hazmat specialist Steven DeJong said.
The cause of the derailment is under investigation.
Meanwhile, officials from the National Transportation Safety Board offered scathing testimony during a hearing Tuesday marking the conclusion of their investigation into the train derailment in East Palestine.
NTSB Chairwoman Jennifer Homendy accused Norfolk Southern railroad of interfering in the federal probe on multiple occasions.She claimed a Norfolk Southern contractor lied when he said he did not keep written records on temperatures within the tanker cars – which were carrying the caustic vinyl chloride that was later burned off or had spilled into the local aquifer.Homendy claimed in her closing remarks that the NTSB later interviewed Norfolk Southern employees who revealed text messages were sent between the railroad and contractor….Homendy also claimed Norfolk Southern wrongly hired a private company to test “commercially purchased” vinyl chloride versus the chemicals that had spilled into Ohio and Pennsylvania soil, and filed their results with the NTSB.”Not only did these actions violate our party agreement, but they violated the regulations governing our evidence collection,” Homendy said.
Transportation by rail is critical to our economy, and most derailments occur in the train yards and do not lead to injuries or leaks.
There were at least 1,164 train derailments across the country last year, according to data from the Federal Railroad Administration. That means the country is averaging roughly three derailments per day.”Yet we’re not hearing left and right about derailments in various places around the country, and the main reason for that is they are not really a major event,” Mehdi Ahmadian, a professor of mechanical engineering at Virginia Tech, told NPR.Industry leaders say that most derailments occur within the confines of rail yards, and suggest that trains are safer than other modes of transportation, such as driving. Last year train derailments injured sixteen people and left one person dead, federal data shows.
However, after East Palestine, derailments deserve extra scrutiny when they involve hazardous materials.
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