Ohio Train Derailment

[Princesca]

I'm a little surprised no one has made a thread about this yet (that I can find)... but is anyone else following the Ohio train derailment? My in-laws live about pretty close to where this happened but they weren't in the evacuation zone. I'm just reading about all these chemicals, and their drift, and the potential contamination of the Ohio River (which is where my family gets their drinking water), groundwater, and reports of wildlife dying, and I'm pretty concerned. People are posting pics after driving through the area that show lots of (corrosive looking) residue on their cars.

I've read that China doesn't transport these types of chemicals because it's judged to be too dangerous; they manufacture them locally using materials that are not dangerous to transport. Wondering why we don't do something like that...

Anyway, wondering if any of our members live around there and how y'all are feeling about it all?

 

[DLgal]

Wondering why we don't do something like that...

$$$$

 

[DeeBee3]

Agree with above. The people in that area of Ohio should be very concerned about their health. It is not getting the major coverage it deserves. For all the talk about climate and the environment, THIS is something that should garner some attention. It's really serious.

 

[DLgal]

Agree with above. The people in that area of Ohio should be very concerned about their health. It is not getting the major coverage it deserves. For all the talk about climate and the environment, THIS is something that should garner some attention. It's really serious.

I have gotten plenty of stories in my news feed about this and I'm all the way in CA.

People who say "no one is talking about this" very often never watch or read the actual news.

 

[piglet1979]

I am far enough away to not be too concerned about our health but close enough that the local news has had it on a lot. I think I am only a few hours away. This should be getting more attention then just the local news.

 

[_19disnA]

I don't use Dis as a news or media site. Never understood the need to post current news on here when there are so many actual media organizations who already have websites.

 

[DLgal]

I am far enough away to not be too concerned about our health but close enough that the local news has had it on a lot. I think I am only a few hours away. This should be getting more attention then just the local news.

It is. I promise you I didn't hear about it here. It's been in the national news.

 

[DLgal]

I don't use Dis as a news or media site. Never understood the need to post current news on here when there are so many actual media organizations who already have websites.

Seriously. It's like people think if it isn't being talked about here, NO ONE knows about it.

Unless a story is super compelling or had some mystery aspect to it, I don't understand the need to discuss it, really.

Trains derail and spill chemicals ALL the time.

 

[GreatLakes]

I'm also close enough to have this all over the local news but luckily far enough away I don't have to worry about the immediate health effects.

Our rail transport is in a shambles in this country and we are "lucky" this didn't happen near a large population center. We are cutting railroad staff, lengthening trains, and letting the railroad lobby remove safety protocols that could prevent these disasters or at least make them less likely or less dangerous when they do happen.

The evacuation orders were originally designed around the possible shrapnel danger of an explosion but the chemicals leaching into the air and ground are much more troubling. The added cost of producing these dangerous chemicals near their final usage is worth the added costs.

 

[MrsCobraBubbles]

I honestly couldn't believe that they didnt evacuate more people in that community! I feel so bad for them!

im not too far, geographically, from where the derailment happened and it concerns me because my asthma has been on the borderline of being unmanageable for the last few days and of course I wonder if any of that smoke was blowing this way. I follow the air quality reports for Pittsburgh and just try to stay inside on the bad days but lately it feels like we are having more bad days than good! Supposedly Pittsburgh and the surrounding area are "clean" without the steel mills but we still have some of the most polluted air in the country and some of the highest levels of asthma and lung disease.

 

[_19disnA]

Conspiracy theories always fall apart for me when you stop and think how many people would actually have to be in on it. If it involves hundreds of people, don't you think at least some of them would blab to friends/neighbors/relatives about what they are involved with? Usually these sound more like a bad Mission Impossible script then something based on reality.

 

[Lehuaann]

Usually these sound more like a bad Mission Impossible script then something based on reality.

Apparently more like a Netflix Film…

https://www.cnn.com/2023/02/11/health/ohio-train-derailment-white-noise/index.html

 

[jalapeno_pretzel]

A lot of people don't care to worry about environmental concerns until they're directly affected.

 

[tarheelmjfan]

A lot of people don't care to worry about environmental concerns until they're directly affected.

Unfortunately, the same could be said about most things.

 

[DeeBee3]

I have gotten plenty of stories in my news feed about this and I'm all the way in CA.

People who say "no one is talking about this" very often never watch or read the actual news.

I watch, read, and listen to lots of news sources: online, TV, podcasts, etc. Not a lot of coverage but maybe I'm hitting things at odd times or just missing articles.

 

[DeeBee3]

My main issue with this derailment is the cargo. Yes, there have been a dozen derailments already in 2023. None of them contained hazardous materials.

Vinyl Chloride is serious stuff. When you do go through the news accounts and citizens' reports, you will see this is not just a derailment where they have to fix the tracks and move on. It is affecting water, air, wildlife and who knows how long it will take to thoroughly make the area safe.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

My main issue with this derailment is the cargo. Yes, there have been a dozen derailments already in 2023. None of them contained hazardous materials.

Vinyl Chloride is serious stuff. When you do go through the news accounts and citizens' reports, you will see this is not just a derailment where they have to fix the tracks and move on. It is affecting water, air, wildlife and who knows how long it will take to thoroughly make the area safe.

Did you hear about the pipeline spill?

 

[DLgal]

My main issue with this derailment is the cargo. Yes, there have been a dozen derailments already in 2023. None of them contained hazardous materials.

Vinyl Chloride is serious stuff. When you do go through the news accounts and citizens' reports, you will see this is not just a derailment where they have to fix the tracks and move on. It is affecting water, air, wildlife and who knows how long it will take to thoroughly make the area safe.

Oh, absolutely! This is a terrible disaster. I'd be very worried if I lived anywhere in Ohio or Pennsylvania, to be honest.

I can tell you with certainty, this one has been getting WAY more coverage than most derailments, which *might* get mentioned once and then never again. I feel like the amount of coverage is appropriate given the immense impact of the derailment. I've seen at least one article and news spot every day since this happened.

 

[Princesca]

I don't use Dis as a news or media site. Never understood the need to post current news on here when there are so many actual media organizations who already have websites.

I started a thread to see what 'everyday folks' were thinking ABOUT a news event.

I don't get my news here, but I don't think it's strange to enjoy discussing current events with people. My MIL lives in the area, about 15 minutes away, and she hasn't evacuated, and I posted here to see what other people in the area might be feeling/doing. Can't really get a good picture from that off CNN, aside from the random person they might decide to interview in the course of a story.

 

[AndreaDM]

Apparently more like a Netflix Film…

https://www.cnn.com/2023/02/11/health/ohio-train-derailment-white-noise/index.html

I live about 45 min from where this happened and it's so eerie how similar this is to that movie! I can tell you, people that live close are very concerned! Fish are dying, other animals and livestock are sick... no one wants to use the water at all.