[Animals] Toxic spill: Nearly 45,000 animals died after a train derailment in Ohio earlier this month

[HeWhoRemains™]

Environmental officials said nearly 45,000 animals died as a result of the derailment of a train carrying toxic chemicals this month in an Ohio city.

The figure from the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) updates the initial estimate of 3,500 animals killed after the February 3 accident.

The animals died within a 5-mile radius of the crash site, authorities said.

Cleanup efforts continue in East Palestine amid a federal investigation.

The accident
A total of 38 railcars derailed in the accident, 11 of which were carrying hazardous materials. Several of the residents began to report discomfort afterwards.

Mary Mertz, director of the ODNR, told a news conference on Thursday that the 43,700 animals found dead were aquatic species and that there was no evidence that the train's chemicals had killed land animals.

It is believed that none of the animals belonged to a threatened or endangered species.

However, Mertz added that some live fish have already been seen returning to one of the waterways affected by the train derailment.

There are no signs that any of the chemicals have killed animals in the nearby Ohio River, she added.

"Because the chemicals were contained, we have not seen any additional signs that aquatic life is suffering," she said, adding that all the deaths had occurred immediately after the accident three weeks ago.

 

The moments before the accident

For its part, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) said the train crew had tried to slow down moments before the accident after discovering that the ball bearing on one of the wheels had broken. heated.

Moments before the derailment, the ballliner reached a "threshold" of 123ºC above normal temperature, according to the preliminary NTSB report.

When the engineer applied the brakes to the train, an automatic braking system also kicked in, allowing the train to come to a stop, according to the NTSB.

"After the train came to a stop, the crew saw fire and smoke," according to the report.

The report found no evidence that the train was running above the 80 km/h speed limit.

Few are the details it contains about the causes of the derailment itself.

 

"100% avoidable"

At a press conference in Washington DC, NTSB President Jennifer Homendy said the crash could have been prevented.

"We call these things accidents," she said. "There is no accident. All the events we investigate are preventable."

A final report will likely take 12 to 18 months, Homendy said.

Fires at the derailment site were brought under control on February 5, but authorities were concerned that five of the railcars, carrying 437,500 liters of vinyl chloride - an odorless gas used to make PVC - could explode.

Therefore, the officials carried out a controlled burning of the substance that sent a huge column of black smoke over East Palestine.

The NTSB said it has its own ongoing investigation that will focus on the tank car's wheels and design, as well as the burning of the vinyl chloride and the response to the accident.

 

The company defends itself
The company that operated the train, Norfolk Southern, has defended its response.

Speaking to CNN on Wednesday, CEO Alan Shaw said the company has already paid out $6.5 million to residents living near the scene.

US Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg visited East Palestine on Thursday, after acknowledging earlier this week that he "could have spoken sooner" about the incident.

 

 

• The transportation secretary has become a lightning rod amid local frustration over the handling of the derailment.

  Speaking to reporters from the site, Buttigieg blamed Norfolk Southern and the administration of former President Donald Trump, whom he pointed to for easing rail regulations.

 

https://www.bbc.com/mundo/noticias-internacional-64753203