“There are no injuries or risk to public health at this time,” the county said. “Railway Norfolk Southern owner/operator, the Clark County Hazmat team and the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency each independently inspected the accident site and confirmed that there was no evidence of a spill at the site.”
The district administration said that two tankers were carrying residual quantity of diesel exhaust fluid and two more tankers were carrying residual quantity of polyacrylamide aqueous solution. The county called the materials “common industrial products shipped by rail” and noted that there is no protected water source in the area, adding that “there is no current risk to public water systems or private wells.”
The Ohio Environmental Protection Agency plans to oversee the cleanup Sunday.
Gov. Mike DeWine (R) said In a Twitter post, President Biden and Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg called for federal assistance. Boutique He tweeted that The derailment will be closely monitored, although no hazardous materials have been released.
A Norfolk Southern train derailed on February 3, causing an explosion in eastern Palestine, sending black plumes into the sky, coating the area with a chemical smell and raising concerns about contamination. Some of the derailed cars contained vinyl chloride, a carcinogen, and a 1,000-foot area around the tracks was “grossly contaminated.” The derailment led authorities to declare a shelter-in-place order on the outskirts of the crash site before evacuating some nearby homes. Residents have returned, some worried if it’s safe to stay.
Norfolk Southern, America’s fourth-largest railroad, has since come under scrutiny. CEO Alan Shaw is scheduled to testify before Congress on Thursday about the East Palestine derailment and measures to prevent similar accidents. Some lawmakers have already proposed new regulations.
Representative. Michael R. Turner (R-Ohio), whose district includes Saturday’s derailment, called it “powerful” during an appearance Sunday on NBC News’ “Meet the Press.” While it looks like “we may have missed a bullet on this one,” he said the risk to Ohio residents is unacceptable.
“The fact that we were derailed after the crash really shows a lack of investment in our infrastructure, a lack of restructuring, and that needs to change,” Turner said.
