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In Ohio, on February 3, a freight train traveling from Pennsylvania to Illinois derailed and caught fire. At first glance it looked like a conventional accident, but the train was carrying dangerous radioactive substances, causing chaos in the community where the incident occurred. In this edition of El Debate we talk about the controversy between authorities, unions and the transport company generated as a result of the accident, in addition to its environmental implications.
The derailment of a train operated by the company Norfolk Southern Railway disturbed the calm of the inhabitants of East Palestine, in Ohio. After the accident, the magnitude and danger it represented to the community became evident.
To avoid a large explosion it was necessary to make holes in the tanks that were in the wagons. Subsequently, the flames consumed the chemicals for hours and the toxic smoke affected the inhabitants of the community, forcing them to evacuate their homes, while the uncertainty of having toxic substances in the environment increased.
But then the authorities indicated that the conditions to return were safe, despite the fact that the inhabitants presented symptoms such as headache, nausea, weakness, among others.
From the White House they affirmed that they were in communication with the Ohio authorities and now on the table is the possibility that the operating company pay for the cleaning of the chemicals and face economic sanctions.
Why does this environmental emergency seem not to be a priority for federal authorities? What kind of spill are we talking about? What repercussions does this have in the medium term for the environment? What environmental risks are we exposed to? We break it down with the help of our guests:
-Carlos Ruiz, professor at the Faculty of Chemistry at the National University of Mexico.
-Javier da Cunha, professor of environmental emergencies at the UADE University in Argentina.
