The Ohio Train Derailment

On February 3rd, a train owned by Norfolk Southern Railroad was traveling from Madison, Illinois to Conway, PA, when it derailed near the town of East Palestine, Ohio. Some cars on the train were carrying hazardous materials, and ultimately this resulted in the temporary evacuation of residents near the derailment site, and continued monitoring of air and water quality. Casey and Sara discuss some of the potential factors involved in the derailment and safety concerns associated with the materials, as well as their thoughts around railroad safety and the press received by this event. Resources for this episode: EPA Letter to Norfolk Southern NY Times: Ohio Train Derailment: Separating Fact from Fiction Huff Post: Animal Deaths Calculated at 43,700 Following Train Derailment in East Palestine NPR: 7 Key Points about the East Palestine Train Derailment NPR: How EPA Plans To Keep East Palestine Residents Safe After Derailment AP: Buttigieg Warns Norfolk Southern to Support Ohio Community CNN: The Ohio toxic train wreck was ‘100% preventable’ – but there’s no evidence the crew did anything wrong, investigators say NY Times: In Fog of East Palestine’s Crisis, Politicians Write Their Own Stories AP: EPA Orders Norfolk Southern to Clean Up Toxic Derailment Independent (UK): Ohio crew tried to stop train after wheel issue warning, says probe – but it came too late to stop derailment