A train derailed in Ohio on Saturday requiring hazardous materials crews to respond, just weeks after another train carrying toxic chemicals derailed and ignited a fire near the town of East Palestine. File Photo courtesy of Norfolk Southern
March 5 (UPI) — A train derailed in Ohio on Saturday afternoon requiring hazardous materials crews to respond, just weeks after another train carrying toxic chemicals derailed and ignited a fire near the town of East Palestine.
More than 20 cars in the 212-car train derailed at 4:45 p.m. Saturday in Springfield Township, located just 10 miles north of East Palestine, while carrying tankers with “residual amounts” of diesel exhaust fluid and polyacrylamide water solution, officials in Clark County said in a statement.
Officials said that those four tankers had “non-hazardous materials” but that the hazmat team was deployed “out of an abundance of caution.”
“There is no indication of any injuries or risk to public health at this time,” the statement reads.
“A crew from the owner/operator of the railway Norfolk Southern, the Clark County Hazmat team and Ohio Environmental Protection Agency each independently examined the crash site and verified there was no evidence of spillage at the site.”
Officials in Ohio noted that the derailment did not occur in an area with a protected water source, which means that “there is no risk to public water systems or private wells at this time.”
During a press conference Sunday, Springfield Township fire chief Dave Nangle told reporters there was no hazardous material spill or leak from the derailed trains.
“We got up there … and made the determination that it was safe, so there’s no hazards, both ground water and air,” he said. “Nothing like that.”
Ohio Environment Protection Agency Director Ann Vogel confirmed there was no release of any chemical or hazardous material to the soil, air or water.
Norfolk Southern officials said Sunday that the total number of derailed cars was 28, and that the train was traveling from Bellville, Ohio, to Birmingham, Ala., when the derailment occurred.
Clean-up activities, which were held up due to downed power lines, began Sunday, Norfolk Southern’s operations general manager Kraig Barner said.
“This derailment, as all derailments, will be fully investigated and the findings will be turned over to the federal railroad administration,” he said.
Norfolk Southern is the same railway company that was involved in the East Palestine derailment, which caused vinyl chloride to burn and led to water and soil contamination.
During that crash, hundreds of residents were evacuated from the town.
Gov. Mike DeWine said in a statement after the latest derailment that President Joe Biden and Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg had called him to offer the state help from the federal government.
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Clora Haslett