Toxic chaos: What can we learn from the Ohio train derailment?
East Palestine’s train derailment has raised questions about safety culture in the US railroad industry.
A freight train derailed in the US state of Ohio on February 3, spilling toxic chemicals into the small town of East Palestine. Fire on the train sent a large, dark plume of smoke and chemicals into the air for days. Residents reported various health issues, and scientists have warned that one of the chemicals on the train, a known carcinogen, could have long-term impacts due to air, water, and soil contamination. Both federal regulators and railroad employees have said that derailments like this could have been avoided – so have railroad industries weakened safety regulations to prioritise profits?
In this episode:
- Josh Rushing (@joshrushing), senior correspondent for Al Jazeera’s Fault Lines (@AJFaultLines)
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