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Train Operator May Face Residents Over Toxic Ohio Derailment


Nearly four weeks after a freight train derailed near the Ohio-Pennsylvania border with toxic chemicals, dozens of inspections and visits by senior government officials and politicians to East Palestine alleviated a town’s anxiety and distrust. worried by the threat of long-term chemical exposure.

On Thursday night, some of the town’s residents are expected to have the opportunity to publicly confront officials from Norfolk Southern, the company that operates the freight train, over the decision to burn chemical cargo. of trains and the possible damage to their communities.

Company officials abruptly withdrew from a similar meeting last month, citing unspecified concerns about the safety of their employees. And while the company’s chief executive, Alan H. Shaw, made a private trip to meet with local officials and some railroad employees last month, the meeting was at East Palestine High School. on Thursday created the largest public confrontation between the community and the railroad company.

It comes as Norfolk Southern and Mr Shaw face a barrage of demands and intense scrutiny from lawmakers and officials angry not only about the derailment but also about the consequences of their decision to burn a toxic chemicals carried by the train. Officials at the time said it was a necessary decision given the risk of a deadly explosion from heated chemicals inside the vessel.

Since then, the EPA has issued an order that not only requires the company to pay for all disaster-related cleanup, but also requires the company to “attend and participate in public meetings as required by the EPA” — including meeting on Thursday night. And Mr Shaw will testify before a key Senate committee next week as lawmakers and state officials demand more information about the cause of the derailment and the possible long-term effects on environment and public health of the region.

President Biden, talking to reporters on Capitol Hill after meeting with Senate Democrats, said he was “going to be out there at some point” when asked if he would visit Ohio.

Both residents and railroad workers focused on their concerns about the potential for harmful exposure to the cargo on board, including vinyl chloride, flammable gases, and any other chemicals that seep into the community. In the days following the derailment, residents complained of migraines, rashes, and a persistent chemical odor, even if preliminary data from government officials did not show significant levels of vinyl chloride. or other dangerous chemicals.

Jonathon Long, president of the union branch representing Norfolk Southern employees, including those working to help clean up the derailment site, Written to Governor Mike DeWine of Ohio condemning the railroad company and its treatment of workers. He said he has been told that some workers are not wearing proper protective gear, despite the risk of exposure to vinyl chloride and other chemicals, and that others continue to complain of symptoms. migraine and nausea days after derailment.

A spokesman for the railway company did not immediately respond to a request for comment, but previously told CNBC that the company “coordinated our response with hazardous materials experts who were constantly on site to ensure the work area was safe to enter,” along with use necessary protective equipment.

Lisa Friedman contribution report.

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