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BREAKING: Train Derails Outside Detroit, – One Car Was Carrying Hazardous Materials

Photo of Carmine Sabia Carmine SabiaFebruary 16, 2023
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OPINION: This article may contain commentary which reflects the author's opinion.

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Another train, with a car carrying toxic materials, has derailed in the United States.

This one happened in Detroit, Michigan on Wednesday and the cause of the derailment is still unknown, Fox News reported. Police informed Fox News that no one was injured in the derailment and hazmat was not required.

Fox News reported: “Officials that spoke to WXYZ, which reported that at least six cars were seen off the track, said one of them was carrying hazardous materials. The derailment comes less than two weeks after a train carrying toxic chemicals derailed in East Palestine, Ohio. Police told Fox2 Detroit that roads will be closed in the area while an investigation is ongoing.”

“We are also in touch with the relevant federal authorities, including the EPA,” Democrat Michigan Rep. Debbie Dingell said to Fox2 Detroit.

“At this time no one is aware of the release of any hazardous materials, the car carrying hazardous material has been put upright and is being removed from the area of the other derailed cars, and EPA is dispatching a team to ensure public safety,” the representative said.

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Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg has not had a ton to say about the recent train derailments, but he did have time to talk about there being too many white construction workers. And now representatives from both parties are demanding answers.

During the National Association of Counties Conference on Monday he spoke and he did not mention the three recent train derailments but he did focus on what construction workers in communities “of color” look like, Fox News reported.

“We have heard way too many stories from generations past of infrastructure where you got a neighborhood, often a neighborhood of color, that finally sees the project come to them, but everyone in the hard hats on that project, doing the good paying jobs, don’t look like they came from anywhere near the neighborhood,” he said.

He said that we could start by “tearing down those barriers” at the delivery level.

He did not mention a concerning train derailment in East Palestine, Ohio, in which toxic chemicals, including vinyl chloride, were spilled, NPR reported.

“On Feb. 3, about 50 cars of a Norfolk Southern train went off track in Ohio, causing a days-long fire in the area. Ten of the 50 derailed cars contained hazardous chemicals including butyl acrylate and vinyl chloride, which were among combustible liquids that authorities feared could set off a major explosion,” the report said.

“Residents of East Palestine were later asked to evacuate out of precaution. On Monday, Feb. 6, crews conducted what officials called a “controlled release” of the hazardous chemicals which caused a large plume of black smoke,” it said.

“The evacuation order was lifted on Wednesday and since then, there have been a growing number of reports about people experiencing a burning sensation in their eyes, animals falling ill, and a strong odor lingering in the town,” it said.

Vinyl chloride is commonly used to make PVC (polyvinyl chloride) pipes, but it is a carcinogen that becomes a gas at room temperature.

Breathing in or drinking the chemical can cause a multitude of health issues including dizziness, headache, and, over time, liver damage.

“Now that we are entering into a long term phase of this, people are going to be concerned about the long-term chronic exposure that comes at lower levels,” The Ohio State University professor Karen Dannemiller, who specializes in indoor air quality, said.

She said that residents of the town should participate in the Environmental Protection Agency’s at-home air screening. She said that residents should wipe down their surfaces, particularly those which collect dust.

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She said that because of the tiny atoms in the chemical air cleaners and masks would not be useful.

People on social media were furious with the transportation secretary’s lack of response to the disaster.

“Buttigieg made no mention of the Ohio train derailment while speaking at a conference this morning but did find the time to say that there are too many white people who work construction,” Greg Price said.

“Pete Buttigieg is nowhere to be found YET AGAIN as toxic chemicals are spewing out in East Palestine, Ohio after a train crash. While he’s worried about “racist highways”, our nation’s transit systems are falling apart,” Rep Lauren Boebert said.

“Pete Buttigieg has finally emerged today. Not a single comment about the train crash in Ohio. Instead, he bemoaned the whiteness of the construction industry. It’s a miracle that this country is able to function at all under this regime,” she said.

“Silence from the press and the federal government is dereliction of duty to the public. Where is Pete Buttigieg? How will this Ohio train derailment affect our farmers, the nearby population, and our supply chain for Americans?” former Rep. Mayra Flores said.

Even Democrat Rep. Ilhan Omar demanded answers from the transportation secretary.

“East Palestine railroad derailment will have a significant negative impact on the health and wellbeing of the residents for decades and there is almost zero national media attention. We need Congressional inquiry and direct action from @PeteButtigieg to address this tragedy,” she said.

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Photo of Carmine Sabia Carmine SabiaFebruary 16, 2023