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Recent Train Derailments Raises Alarm Over Chemical Spills and Public Safety [1]
['Mary Allain']
Date: 2024-07-10 18:30:26+00:00
July 10, 2024
Recent Train Derailments Raises Alarm Over Chemical Spills and Public Safety
WASHINGTON D.C. – Government Accountability Project, which has been investigating the East Palestine Train Derailment and response since last August, expresses grave concern over the recent train derailments in Illinois and North Dakota. These incidents, only a week apart, have resulted in the spill and subsequent burning of hazardous chemicals and mirror problems with the response to the derailment in East Palestine.
In Matteson, Illinois, a Canadian National Railway Company freight train carrying flammable liquids derailed on June 27, leading to a leak of the chemicals and a burn-off of residual gases, similar to the notorious “vent and burn” conducted in East Palestine which was later deemed misguided. The Matteson incident resulted in a mandatory evacuation within a mile of the derailment, and, echoing experiences of the community of East Palestine, local residents reported a variety of health symptoms such as skin issues and dizziness.
In the North Dakota incident, a Canadian Pacific Kansas City train carrying anhydrous ammonia, sulfur and methanol derailed in the small town of Bordulac before dawn on July 5. Residents within a mile of the derailment were notified of the incident and potential health hazards but officials only issued a voluntary evacuation.
In neither incident did the EPA deploy its ASPECT chemical sensing aircraft to collect data. Instead, ASPECT at the time of the derailments was performing a nonemergency assessment near Buffalo, New York, a legacy contamination issue since World War II.
Recently, Government Accountability Project whistleblower and former EPA contractor Dr. Robert Kroutil disclosed that EPA broke protocol in its response to the East Palestine derailment by deploying the ASPECT aircraft five days late and then shutting its chemical sensors off over the contaminated creeks during two flights on February 7, 2023. Yet, the EPA declared the ASPECT mission “successful” despite collecting minimal data. Dr. Kroutil disclosed that the data the ASPECT aircraft should have collected in East Palestine could have prevented the “vent and burn” disaster.
“EPA failed in East Palestine but it also appears to be failing today,” Dr. Kroutil said. He noted the New York mission is “a legacy issue, so it is not a high priority. I don’t know why they could not break off from that and do surveys in Illinois and North Dakota. The airplane should have gone to those derailments.”
“It has only done one mission since East Palestine,” Dr. Kroutil added. “It is like ASPECT dropped off the face of the earth. It is unbelievable how callous the EPA ASPECT program is to the public.”
“Our ongoing investigation into the East Palestine incident has already revealed significant gaps in emergency response and public safety protocols,” said Lesley Pacey, Senior Environmental Officer at Government Accountability Project. “These recent derailments in Illinois and North Dakota further underscore the urgent need for improved safety measures and transparency in the transport of hazardous materials by rail.”
Government Accountability Project remains committed to protecting whistleblowers and promoting accountability in matters of public health and environmental safety. We will continue to monitor these situations and advocate for full transparency and appropriate action.
Government Accountability Project is the nation’s leading whistleblower protection organization. Through litigating whistleblower cases, publicizing concerns and developing legal reforms, Government Accountability Project’s mission is to protect the public interest by promoting government and corporate accountability. Founded in 1977, Government Accountability Project is a nonprofit, nonpartisan advocacy organization based in Washington, D.C.
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[1] Url:
https://whistleblower.org/press/recent-train-derailments-raises-alarm-over-chemical-spills-and-public-safety/
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