The Norfolk Southern train derailment in Ohio has raised major concerns about the environmental and health impacts of hazardous materials released into the ground, water and air. The rail industry has successfully lobbied against stricter rules for trains carrying flammable chemicals, according to The Lever.
On this edition of Your Call's Media Roundtable, we discuss the Norfolk Southern toxic train derailment in East Palestine, Ohio, which has raised major concerns about the environmental and health impacts of hazardous materials released into the ground, water and air.
According to the EPA, about 20 of the rail cars were carrying highly toxic chemicals, including vinyl chloride, butyl acrylate, and ethylhexyl acrylate. Vinyl chloride is associated with increased risks of liver, brain, and lunger cancers, and lymphoma, and leukemia, according to the National Cancer Institute.
Documents show that when current transportation safety rules were first created, a federal agency sided with industry lobbyists and limited regulations governing the transport of hazardous compounds. The decision effectively exempted many trains hauling dangerous materials — including the one in Ohio — from the "high-hazard" classification and its more stringent safety requirements, according to an investigation by The Lever.
Guest:
Matthew Cunningham-Cook, reporter at The Lever