Ohio Train Crash Raises Questions on Transportation, Safety, Response
Summary from AllSides News Team
After a train derailment in East Palestine, Ohio forced around 2,000 residents to evacuate while crews worked to control toxic chemicals still inside the wreckage, outlets across the spectrum are analyzing what factors might have contributed to the accident, potential fallout for the region, and how the media and federal government have responded to the incident.
Preventable Accident? An article in the Huffington Post questioned if the incident was a result of years of regulatory repeals and cuts. The piece stated that “the Ohio disaster has led to renewed calls for stronger safety standards for trains transporting hazardous materials, nearly a billion tons of which travel by rail each year in the U.S.”
Chemical Concerns: A Newsweek article outlined the ecological impact and health risks that remain for East Palestine residents and regional wildlife. The piece quoted environmentalists and health experts warning of “serious environmental damage” in the area surrounding the crash site, determining that “many people fear the true scale of the environmental effects has yet to be identified, despite being told on February 8 it was safe to return to their homes.”
Ignoring The Accident? Responses to the derailment and chemical release, both from media and politicians, have been criticized, with a Newsweek opinion contributor determining that “Elites don't give a damn about Ohio.” Fox News highlighted criticism of Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, who did not mention the crash during a speech at a conference on Monday.
Featured Coverage of this Story
From the Left
Ohio's Toxic Train Disaster Follows ‘Perfect Storm’ Of Cuts, Deregulation
In 2007, railroad giant Norfolk Southern Corp. boasted it was making “railroad history” by operating the nation’s first freight train equipped with electronically controlled pneumatic brakes — a modern technology that the company noted could make trains safer by significantly decreasing how long it took them to stop.
Norfolk Southern said at the time that it planned to add ECP brakes — which the company said had “the potential to reduce train stopping distances by as much as 60 percent over conventional air brake systems” — to dozens of locomotives...
From the Center
Ohio Train Derailment Could Become Full-Blown Ecological Crisis
The cocktail of toxic chemicals released as a result of the Norfolk Southern Railway train derailment in Ohio may lead to serious environmental damage, experts say.
Fish have turned up dead in streams, pets have died, and residents have reported experiencing symptoms associated with exposure to toxic chemicals following the derailment of a cargo train near East Palestine, Ohio, on February 3.
But many people fear the true scale of the environmental effects has yet to be identified, despite being told on February 8 it was safe to return to...
From the Right
After criticism for ignoring Ohio train derailment during conference appearance, Buttigieg takes to Twitter
Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg took to Twitter Monday evening to address the disastrous Ohio train derailment after completely avoiding any mention of the situation while speaking at a conference earlier in the day.
During the on-stage discussion at the National Association of Counties Conference, Buttigieg discussed topics like racial disparity, the largely Democrat-backed infrastructure bill and even touched on transportation safety, but failed to talk about the impacts that could possibly be felt by the East Palestine, Ohio, community for years to come due to toxic chemicals from the train....
AllSides Picks
December 11th, 2023
December 9th, 2023
More News about Environment from the Left, Center and Right
From the Left
From the Center
From the Right
