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A second train derailment in Ohio has residents noticing that Norfolk Southern seems to be establishing a “bad pattern.” On Sunday, March 5, authorities in Clark County provided an “update” on the wreck which happened the day before involving more than 20 cars. The good news is that there weren’t toxic leaks, this time.
Another train derailment
Norfolk Southern wasn’t happy when another train of theirs ran off the rails. Even worse for the company’s public relations department, this one also happened in Ohio.
The only difference is this time they were carrying pellets of PVC not the vinyl chloride precursor chemical.
Multiple state agencies were back on stage with Norfolk Southern management at the latest press conference, with the railroad emphasizing that “there is no risk to the public’s safety.”
Another Norfolk Southern non-passenger train derailed near a highway in the Springfield, Ohio on March 4th.
The derailment occurred near State Route 41 & Gateway Boulevard near the Clark County Fairgrounds. pic.twitter.com/CVRNWHkRS1
— Cyan Eyed (@osiris_neits) March 5, 2023
They’re breathing a heavy sigh of relief over that. Nobody is saying why this train decided to take an unscheduled detour from the tracks.
There weren’t any hazardous chemicals on the cars which derailed, the company proclaims. They’re playing down the fact that there were some dangerous ones on the cars of the train which weren’t involved in the derailment.
There were “couple of liquid propane and ethanol cars, but none of those derailed and are not expected to leave any impact.”
ANOTHER major #NorfolkSouthern #TrainDerailment in Ohio on Saturday 3-4-23? "Multiple cars of a Norfolk Southern train lie toppled after derailing at a train crossing with Ohio 41 in Clark County, Ohio" pic.twitter.com/oQymoR2RcE
— Agent131711 (@Agent131711) March 6, 2023
212 car train
The train which crashed around 5 p.m. Saturday night was traveling from Bellevue, Ohio to Birmingham, Alabama. Officials relate that it was pulling 212 cars and 28 of them went off the tracks. That’s a long string, a little over 3 miles long. As soon as the disaster was reported, Clark County issued a shelter-in-place order for people who live within 1,000 feet.
Firefighters brought in hazmat crews who “worked fast to begin cleaning up the derailment, with power lines involved making those efforts tricky to navigate.” The shelter in place was lifted shortly thereafter.
An official with Ohio’s EPA confirmed that “there was no release of any chemical or hazardous material.” The only thing that bothers them is “one car carrying PVC pellets that affected the soil.”
BREAKING — The Clark County, Ohio Emergency Management Agency is asking residents within 1,000 feet of a train derailment at Ohio 41 near the Prime Ohio Business Park to shelter-in-place out of an abundance of caution https://t.co/SGiVUlwhyU pic.twitter.com/H0qiBhCaKC
— Chief Nerd (@TheChiefNerd) March 5, 2023
They’ll hang around on site and watch over the railroad’s shoulder while they clean it up. Meanwhile local residents are getting nervous every time they hear a train whistle.
Frank Frantigrassi who’s from East Palestine says the déjà vu makes him uneasy. “It seems like a pattern. I mean, this train company needs to be held accountable.” Joseph Conkle agrees. He notes that his family’s farm remains in a state of limbo.
“It’s tough, we don’t really know what to do. It’s kind of out of our hands.” That didn’t stop him from getting together with his musician friends for an impromptu benefit concert.
