Victims of 2012 New Jersey toxic train wreck warns East Palestine residents to prepare for long legal battle
EAST PALESTINE, OHIO: Residents of East Palestine, Ohio are being cautioned as they cope with a fatal spill of a hazardous chemical that was also involved in a tragic incident a decade ago, caused by a toxic train crash in Paulsboro, New Jersey in 2012. The freight train derailment that happened on Feb 3, in East Palestine brought back painful recollections for residents of Paulsboro, where Derailed freight train cars leaked 180,000 pounds of vinyl chloride.
The victims, some of whom still experience health issues they claim are related to the toxicants, are now advising those in Ohio, where 1.1M pounds of vinyl chloride leaked after a derailment, to seek legal advice so they can avoid being taken advantage of by rail company Norfolk Southern.
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What happened in 2012 train disaster?
On November 30, 2012, a train carrying the chemical vinyl chloride derailed as it crossed a bridge over Mantua Creek in Paulsboro, New Jersey, close to Philadelphia. A tank was breached when four rail cars tumbled into a creek, releasing about 23,000 gallons of vinyl chloride, as per NOAA.
Following the exposure, scores of residents sought medical attention, and hundreds of residents were evacuated. In a report published in 2014 by the New Jersey Department of Health, which examined how the spill had affected the health of nearly 2,000 residents, it was discovered that one in ten of them had sought medical attention for symptoms like headaches, sore throats, coughing, respiratory problems, dizziness, and nausea.
The repercussions of the derailment left Cassandra Clark's son, who was only five or six at the time, with diarrhea and vomiting. "I remember it like it was yesterday. My son had been outside playing before school, and that particular day he got really sick," she stated. "It was really bad. He had never done that ever before or again. We hadn’t even heard about the train derailment yet, so we didn’t know what was going on."
What is their advice to East Palestine?
"My heart goes out to those people," Cassandra Clark, 54, said to New York Post recently while urging the residents of East Palestine to seek legal advice. "They have every right to be afraid of what’s going on." "Make sure you’ve got lawyers, because I’m telling you, I don’t think they [Norfolk Southern] really care," she continued. "We had a class action lawsuit, but you don’t really get anything from it. I can’t even remember the amount, but it was book money for my daughter for the first semester. It was nothing."
Current status of East Palestine Ohio train disaster
Following a Norfolk Southern train derailment in Ohio earlier this month that released dangerous chemicals into the environment, the Environmental Protection Agency stated on Tuesday that it would assume charge of the cleanup. Residents have expressed concerns about the safety of the air and drinking water after authorities burned toxic materials like vinyl chloride under controlled conditions after the accident on February 3. According to authorities, the burn was done to prevent an explosion, but it also polluted at least 4,500 cubic yards of soil and 1.5M gallons of water, according to Northfolk Southern on Monday. Meanwhile, crews are still working to react to the freight disaster in East Palestine.
'Norfolk Southern to take full accountability'
The legally binding order requires Norfolk Southern to locate and remediate polluted soil and water resources, cover the costs of the EPA's work, and pay back the organization for extra cleaning services provided to citizens and businesses. EPA Administrator Michael Regan stated during a news conference on Tuesday that the agency's action comes as the emergency response effort has changed into an environmental cleanup that is the railroad's responsibility. "Norfolk Southern will pay for cleaning up the mess that they created and the trauma that they inflicted," Regan stated. "In no way, shape or form will Norfolk Southern get off the hook for the mess that they created," reports NPR.
Regan advised those with symptoms they think may be related to the wreck to "seek medical attention," despite the EPA's assertion that tests indicate the air and municipal water in East Palestine are safe. Those residents should "ensure that the state and local health agencies understand those experiences because as we force Norfolk Southern to take full accountability for what they’ve done, Norfolk Southern will pay for everything," Regan stated, reports CNN.