A listener from Ohio gives his firsthand account of what it is like to live within five blocks of the East Palestine train derailment. A train carrying vinyl chloride derailed and exploded near the Ohio-Pennsylvania border, resulting in a controlled burn of toxic chemicals to prevent a more dangerous explosion. Thousands of residents of East Palestine were evacuated, and the controlled burn resulted in a phosgene and hydrogen chloride plume. Public health advocates warn that the accident is a wake-up call for the potential for more deadly freight rail derailments. Ineffective oversight and a self-monitoring industry that prioritizes profits over safety is responsible for the wreck. About 4.5 million tons of toxic chemicals are shipped by rail each year, with an average of 12,000 rail cars carrying hazardous materials passing through cities and towns each day.
A listener from Ohio gives his firsthand account of what it is like to live within five blocks of the East Palestine train derailment. A train carrying vinyl chloride derailed and exploded near the Ohio-Pennsylvania border, resulting in a controlled burn of toxic chemicals to prevent a more dangerous explosion. Thousands of residents of East Palestine were evacuated, and the controlled burn resulted in a phosgene and hydrogen chloride plume. Public health advocates warn that the accident is a wake-up call for the potential for more deadly freight rail derailments. Ineffective oversight and a self-monitoring industry that prioritizes profits over safety is responsible for the wreck. About 4.5 million tons of toxic chemicals are shipped by rail each year, with an average of 12,000 rail cars carrying hazardous materials passing through cities and towns each day.
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