After a Norfolk Southern train derailed near Springfield, Ohio, on Saturday, authorities reported that no hazardous materials were involved. This was the second similar event in less than a month.
Four empty tanker cars were among the 28 out of 212 train cars that derailed, according to Norfolk Southern General Manager Kraig Barner on Sunday.
Authorities were informed by the train company that no hazardous items were involved in this event.
Officials from Clark County, Ohio, said that the four empty tankers were previously transporting diesel exhaust fluid and a common chemical for wastewater treatment.
The empty tanker cars and the other derailed cars, according to officials at the press conference on Sunday, including the Springfield fire chief, the Clark County hazmat coordinator, and the Clark County health commissioner, did not release “any chemical or any hazardous material to the soil, to the air, or to the water,” Ohio EPA Director Anne Vogel said.
“We will be on-site to ensure that the soil is not damaged as cars are removed by Norfolk Southern,” Vogel added.
The recent derailment near Springfield is being looked into, according to a statement made by the National Transportation Safety Board on Sunday. Investigators are scheduled to arrive on Monday.
A little more than a month ago, a Norfolk Southern foreign train in East Palestine, Ohio, derailed, spilling vinyl chloride, ethyl acrylate, and isobutylene into the atmosphere. East Palestine is situated 218 kilometers to the southwest of Springfield.
A few days after the derailment, Norfolk Southern personnel carried out a controlled burn of hazardous chemicals from the train.
The colorless gas vinyl chloride, which easily burns and has been linked to an elevated risk of numerous malignancies, including brain, liver, and lung cancers as well as lymphoma and leukemia, has raised worries among the locals who claim to have been exposed to high doses of the substance.
Officials from the Environmental Protection Agency have stated that they haven’t discovered any chemical concentrations that pose a health risk, a remark that on Thursday’s town hall meeting in East Palestine incensed locals.
During the meeting, one guy shouted, “Don’t lie to us!” as others booed vociferously.
Many symptoms, including headaches, nausea, and irritated eyes and skin, have been reported by homeowners. A new medical facility has been established to help anyone who has questions or concerns about their health.