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'Incompetence at its finest!' Truck carrying toxic soil from East Palestine train derailment site overturns on highway

The truck was carrying 40,000 lbs of contaminated soil from the East Palestine derailment site when it overturned, spilling 20,000 lbs of toxic soil on the highway

EAST PALESTINE, OHIO: A truck carrying highly toxic soil polluted from East Palestine, Ohio, train derailment crashed and spilled the unstable toxic soil all over a highway on Monday, April 10, 2023. The truck was carrying 40,000 pounds of contaminated soil from the derailment site when it overturned in Columbiana County, spilling 20,000 pounds of toxic soil. According to local authorities and the Ohio EPA, more than 17,000 tons of toxic soil is yet to be removed from the site. 

The crash comes just two months after a Norfolk Southern train derailed on February 3 in East Palestine while carrying numerous hazardous substances, prompting an immediate evacuation in the area. Since, the recent crash, concerns over the tractor-trailer carrying the toxic soil with an open hood have risen. Meanwhile, nearly 10 million gallons of wastewater have also been removed from the derailment site after thousands of fish were killed in the derailment. Despite the spill of thousands of pounds of contaminated soil along the roadway, the Ohio State Highway Patrol said, "The spill was contained and is not a threat to nearby waterways."

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Truck carrying 40,000 lbs of contaminated soil driven by 74-year-old Phillip Falck crashes

Ohio State Highway Patrol troopers were called to state Route 165 on Monday for the vehicle crash involving a tractor with a trailer. Upon arrival at the scene, troopers said they found the truck driven by 74-year-old Phillip Falck, "on its side, off of the right side of the roadway." Officials said Falck was "cited for operating a vehicle without reasonable control." The driver suffered minor injuries and the truck was removed from the site immediately. The crash came just hours after a new health clinic was opened in East Palestine over growing health concerns.

'People of East Palestine need long-term support!'

"The grand opening of the East Liverpool City Hospital East Palestine Clinic represents our continued commitment to this community," Ohio Governor Mike DeWine said in a release on Monday. "We realize that the people of East Palestine need long-term support, and they deserve another primary care option close to home. This new clinic will provide that," DeWine added, reported the Daily Mail.

There are also growing concerns over the air in East Palestine may be toxic. Experts from Texas A&M and Carnegie Mellon University have been conducting their own air quality tests using a mobile testing unit in East Palestine. They highlighted if the chemicals persist at the current levels, they could cause dangerously long-term health issues for residents.

'AGAIN. Oh God!'

Internet users were yet again baffled by the crash. One user wrote, "Incompetence at its finest." A second noted, "And you're surprised? Are you also amazed that this happened in another Republican hot zone? Admittedly toxic soil being hauled in an open truck! That's kind of ignorant to me!"

One user simply shared a gif. Another claimed, "AGAIN. Oh God." "Of course it did," added another. 

This article contains remarks made on the Internet by individual people and organizations. MEAWW cannot confirm them independently and does not support claims or opinions being made online.