The Nationwide Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) issued its first preliminary report Thursday on the Feb. 3 derailment of a practice carrying hazardous chemical substances in East Palestine, Ohio.
Whereas the report seemingly faults an overheated bearing for the derailment, the NTSB investigation is ongoing, and numerous questions stay.
Listed below are 5 remaining questions in regards to the practice derailment:
1. Did the tank automobile design contribute?
Within the preliminary report, the NTSB mentioned it has decontaminated the practice vehicles that contained hazardous materials, which included vinyl chloride. Publicity to the substance, which is used for manufacturing of plastics, has been linked to larger charges of liver and lung most cancers.
NTSB officers mentioned they’ve eliminated and examined the highest fittings from the vehicles that contained the substance, and people fittings can be despatched to Texas for additional testing.
2. What was the position of rail rules or lack thereof?
Public security advocates have regularly pointed to the Trump administration’s delay of a 2015 rule, vocally opposed by railroad corporations, that might require the usage of extra fashionable electronically-controlled pneumatic brakes.
Though the Transportation Division has mentioned the rule wouldn’t have prevented the East Palestine catastrophe, each Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg and President Biden have pointed the finger on the railroad foyer for deregulation and its potential position within the accident.
3. Are there nonetheless environmental hazards?
The NTSB famous in its report that it isn’t concerned in “air monitoring, testing of water high quality, environmental remediation, or evacuation orders” referring to the catastrophe. A lot of this falls underneath the purview of the Environmental Safety Company (EPA), which has taken over the response. EPA Administrator Michael Regan mentioned final week that the company would require Norfolk Southern, which operates the railroad, to imagine monetary accountability for all cleanup efforts.
Whereas the EPA and Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine (R) have mentioned water within the space examined as secure to drink, they beneficial consuming bottled water, and state officers have reported no less than 3,500 fish have died in surrounding waterways.
4. Was the managed burn the proper transfer?
DeWine ordered an evacuation of the world days after the derailment. Shortly after and anxious a couple of potential explosion because of the presence of flammable compounds, first responders performed a managed burn. In its preliminary report, the NTSB listed “venting and burning of the vinyl chloride” as an ongoing topic of investigation. Quite a few lawsuits have been filed within the meantime alleging the managed burn exacerbated hazards, including a grievance by native harm agency Morgan & Morgan claiming it has contributed to locals’ well being issues.
5. How lengthy will it take to find out the precise hazard?
Most of the potential dangers related to environmental disasters — from most cancers to developmental points — can take months or years to change into obvious and would require ongoing investigations by each the NTSB and the EPA.
Regan and Ohio Sen. Sherrod Brown (D) have urged residents to proceed testing their houses’ air high quality, and Brown has additionally mentioned he’s working to make sure Norfolk Southern doesn’t manipulate residents into waiving their proper to sue.
One other unknown is any doable danger to the encircling areas, not simply different components of Ohio however the different facet of the state line as effectively. Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro (D) instructed NPR this week that Norfolk Southern’s response has “given the center finger to the great folks of Pennsylvania and Ohio” and that testing of western Pennsylvania water is ongoing as effectively. “We’ve seen no regarding readings but, however we’re going to proceed to check for months and months and months, if not years,” he mentioned.
