Ohio train derailment burning toxic chemicals

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I read that they punctured the remaining cars (draining their contents) to relieve pressure. I'll try to find that information. If that's the case, it's going right into the ground.

How is that dealt with after the fact? Do they have to dig it up later and cart it away?

OK found an article that looks very straightforward:
https://www.wsws.org/en/articles/2023/02/14/vsnb-f14.html

No paywall--everyone should read this.

They punctured the cars, let the chemicals flow into a ditch and burned that. But it doesn't account for everything.
This is an epic disaster. I can't imagine staying there with children and having no choices and no information. Liver cancer. You can't pay reparations for that.

[Anonymous]

People in this country act like the railways don’t exist anymore. When the rail workers were striking last year, no one really seemed to care. The idea that they were forced to settle without sick leave (which they are now getting a tiny bit of) was horrifying to me. This time it sounds like it was a structural rail problem. But it could just as easily be an exhausted driver driving with a fever. It’s astounding how people think the stuff in their life just magically appears without any risks involved. The rails are still hugely important to our country and bad stuff there can impact us on lots of different bad ways.

[Anonymous]

There’s been a lot of criticism of the environmental movement over the past decades for focusing overly on white UMC issues when it’s poor people, usually of color, who are most impacted by environmental issues. Most environmental progressive groups have initiatives focused on racial environmental Justice now, to try to cure that blind spot. I don’t know the demographics of this area of Ohio but I’d guess at a minimum it is poor or working class. It’s probably a good example of environmentalists still not putting enough attention on these issues that affect poor people. That’s where these hazmat train lines run. It’s all really upsetting.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:There’s been a lot of criticism of the environmental movement over the past decades for focusing overly on white UMC issues when it’s poor people, usually of color, who are most impacted by environmental issues. Most environmental progressive groups have initiatives focused on racial environmental Justice now, to try to cure that blind spot. I don’t know the demographics of this area of Ohio but I’d guess at a minimum it is poor or working class. It’s probably a good example of environmentalists still not putting enough attention on these issues that affect poor people. That’s where these hazmat train lines run. It’s all really upsetting.

In my experienced, even with a concerned and engaged community it's really hard to get traction on these issues. As in this thread (and most other discussion of the derailment) there is so much buck passing.

[Anonymous]

Latest on Reuters: https://www.reuters.com/world/us/ohio-cleaning-up-toxic-train-derailment-pollution-plume-moves-downstream-2023-02-15/

"I asked if he would personally guarantee that the railroad would stay there until absolutely everything was clean. He gave me his word and his commitment that the railroad would do that, they would not leave until that was done," the governor said.

The federal Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) had earlier notified the company it may be liable for cleaning up under the U.S. Superfund law."


Oh good. They got a verbal commitment to clean it up.

[Anonymous]

Also, one of the articles pointed out that farmers will be pumping up underground water to spread on crops for years to come. So lest you think you are immune, you never know if your food, your kids’ food, your babies’ food may have derived from one of these crops. It is not possible to trace the origins of everything you eat unless you are eating 100% whole food goods only from local farmers’ markets.

[Anonymous]

https://us.cnn.com/2023/02/15/us/toxic-chemicals-train-derailments-explainer/index.html

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:DMV is not that far away from Ohio, wondering if there is any monitoring on the water and air quality

Good question. Ohio has no more living anything in that river. Virtually everything is dead. Must be poisoned as hell. On the news, they poked a stick in the water and you can see the sheen of chemicals on the surface. Truly devastating.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:There’s been a lot of criticism of the environmental movement over the past decades for focusing overly on white UMC issues when it’s poor people, usually of color, who are most impacted by environmental issues. Most environmental progressive groups have initiatives focused on racial environmental Justice now, to try to cure that blind spot. I don’t know the demographics of this area of Ohio but I’d guess at a minimum it is poor or working class. It’s probably a good example of environmentalists still not putting enough attention on these issues that affect poor people. That’s where these hazmat train lines run. It’s all really upsetting.

I’m really upset as well because this administration is denying FEMA help. When did that ever happen before? Is it because these people are low-income white people? Or because it’s Amish and Mennonites? This is unprecedented.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There’s been a lot of criticism of the environmental movement over the past decades for focusing overly on white UMC issues when it’s poor people, usually of color, who are most impacted by environmental issues. Most environmental progressive groups have initiatives focused on racial environmental Justice now, to try to cure that blind spot. I don’t know the demographics of this area of Ohio but I’d guess at a minimum it is poor or working class. It’s probably a good example of environmentalists still not putting enough attention on these issues that affect poor people. That’s where these hazmat train lines run. It’s all really upsetting.

I’m really upset as well because this administration is denying FEMA help. When did that ever happen before? Is it because these people are low-income white people? Or because it’s Amish and Mennonites? This is unprecedented.

Link?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There’s been a lot of criticism of the environmental movement over the past decades for focusing overly on white UMC issues when it’s poor people, usually of color, who are most impacted by environmental issues. Most environmental progressive groups have initiatives focused on racial environmental Justice now, to try to cure that blind spot. I don’t know the demographics of this area of Ohio but I’d guess at a minimum it is poor or working class. It’s probably a good example of environmentalists still not putting enough attention on these issues that affect poor people. That’s where these hazmat train lines run. It’s all really upsetting.

I’m really upset as well because this administration is denying FEMA help. When did that ever happen before? Is it because these people are low-income white people? Or because it’s Amish and Mennonites? This is unprecedented.

Link?

https://abc6onyourside.com/news/local/fema-advises-gov-dewine-ohio-is-not-eligible-for-assistance-at-this-time-east-palestine-train-derailment-white-house-federal-emergency-management-agency-health-human-services-cdc

https://www.foxnews.com/politics/biden-admin-turns-down-ohios-request-disaster-assistance-toxic-derailment

https://www.newsnationnow.com/us-news/midwest/gov-dewine-requests-federal-assistance-for-east-palestine/


It is all over the news, surprised you are questioning it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There’s been a lot of criticism of the environmental movement over the past decades for focusing overly on white UMC issues when it’s poor people, usually of color, who are most impacted by environmental issues. Most environmental progressive groups have initiatives focused on racial environmental Justice now, to try to cure that blind spot. I don’t know the demographics of this area of Ohio but I’d guess at a minimum it is poor or working class. It’s probably a good example of environmentalists still not putting enough attention on these issues that affect poor people. That’s where these hazmat train lines run. It’s all really upsetting.

I’m really upset as well because this administration is denying FEMA help. When did that ever happen before? Is it because these people are low-income white people? Or because it’s Amish and Mennonites? This is unprecedented.

I'm not defending it necessarily because I think they should be looking for ways to help but the way FEMA specifically operates is legislatively driven. This is not a natural disaster. I don't know why DOT and EPA are not doing more but I work in a government agency and you would be surprised by how many very very specific rules there are about what we can and can't do in our topic area...and the rules come from interpretation of actual laws so there is not a lot of wiggle room.

[Anonymous]

What's the basis for FEMA eligibility? Usually federal response is based on meeting certain criteria. Does a chemical spill usually meet that criteria? The news stories linked by that PP doesn't address that question -- just says DeWine had some discussions and the EPA says the situation isn't eligible at this time.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There’s been a lot of criticism of the environmental movement over the past decades for focusing overly on white UMC issues when it’s poor people, usually of color, who are most impacted by environmental issues. Most environmental progressive groups have initiatives focused on racial environmental Justice now, to try to cure that blind spot. I don’t know the demographics of this area of Ohio but I’d guess at a minimum it is poor or working class. It’s probably a good example of environmentalists still not putting enough attention on these issues that affect poor people. That’s where these hazmat train lines run. It’s all really upsetting.

I’m really upset as well because this administration is denying FEMA help. When did that ever happen before? Is it because these people are low-income white people? Or because it’s Amish and Mennonites? This is unprecedented.

Link?

https://abc6onyourside.com/news/local/fema-advises-gov-dewine-ohio-is-not-eligible-for-assistance-at-this-time-east-palestine-train-derailment-white-house-federal-emergency-management-agency-health-human-services-cdc

https://www.foxnews.com/politics/biden-admin-turns-down-ohios-request-disaster-assistance-toxic-derailment

https://www.newsnationnow.com/us-news/midwest/gov-dewine-requests-federal-assistance-for-east-palestine/


It is all over the news, surprised you are questioning it.

I'm not surprised at the question. I'm surprised that this would qualify for the same type of federal agency response as, say, flooding.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There’s been a lot of criticism of the environmental movement over the past decades for focusing overly on white UMC issues when it’s poor people, usually of color, who are most impacted by environmental issues. Most environmental progressive groups have initiatives focused on racial environmental Justice now, to try to cure that blind spot. I don’t know the demographics of this area of Ohio but I’d guess at a minimum it is poor or working class. It’s probably a good example of environmentalists still not putting enough attention on these issues that affect poor people. That’s where these hazmat train lines run. It’s all really upsetting.

I’m really upset as well because this administration is denying FEMA help. When did that ever happen before? Is it because these people are low-income white people? Or because it’s Amish and Mennonites? This is unprecedented.

Stop lying the administration did not deny help

Devine said No

Do not lie !