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U.S. authorities say new Ohio train derailment poses no public risk

U.S. authorities say new Ohio train derailment poses no public risk
Photo: AP

March 6th |

Ohio authorities say there is no indication of any public health risk from the derailment of a Norfolk Southern freight train between Dayton and Columbus, the second company train derailment in the state in a month.

Norfolk Southern and Clark County officials say 28 of the southbound train’s 212 cars, including four empty tanker trucks, derailed about 4:45 p.m. Saturday in Springfield Township, near a business park and the county fairgrounds. Springfield is about 46 miles (74 kilometers) west of the state capital of Columbus.

As a precautionary measure, residents living within 1,000 feet (305 meters) were asked to shelter in place and responding firefighters deployed the county’s hazardous materials team as a precautionary measure, but authorities said early Sunday that there was “no indication of injury or public health risk at this time.”

A team from Norfolk Southern, the hazardous materials team and the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency “each independently examined the accident site and verified that there was no evidence of spills at the site,” authorities said.

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Authorities confirmed Sunday afternoon that no hazardous materials were involved in the derailment.

However, Norfolk Southern general manager Kraig Barner said a couple of other cars on the train headed from Bellevue, Ohio, to Birmingham, Alabama, were carrying liquid propane and a couple more were carrying ethanol. The rest of the train was made up of mixed cargo, such as steel and finished automobiles, he said.

“Many of the cars that derailed were empty cars,” Barner said.

Officials said two of the four empty tank cars that derailed had been carrying diesel exhaust fluid and the other two had residual amounts of polyacrylamide water solution, which Barner said is an additive commonly used in wastewater treatment.

County officials say environmental officials have confirmed that the derailment is not near a protected water source, meaning there is no risk to public water systems or private wells. The shelter-in-place order affected only four or five homes, officials said.

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No injuries to the public or the two-person train crew were reported, he said. The cause of the derailment is under investigation and the findings will be turned over to the Federal Railroad Administration, Barner said.

Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine said Saturday night that President Biden and Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg had called him “to offer assistance from the federal government.”

On Feb. 3, 38 cars of a Norfolk Southern freight train in East Palestine, in northeastern Ohio near Pennsylvania, derailed and several of the train’s cars carrying hazardous materials caught fire.

Although no one was injured, nearby neighborhoods in both states were in danger. The accident prompted the evacuation of about half of the town’s approximately 5,000 residents, an ongoing multi-governmental emergency response, and lingering concerns among villagers about long-term health impacts.

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Paraguay summons Brazilian ambassador over Itaipú espionage scandal

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The surveillance effort aimed to uncover Paraguay’s position in now-suspended negotiations with Brazil regarding the pricing of electricity from the binational Itaipú hydroelectric plant, according to reports in the Brazilian press.

The Brazilian government “categorically denied any involvement in the intelligence operation,” stating in a Foreign Ministry communiqué on Monday that the espionage was carried out under former President Jair Bolsonaro’s administration (2019-2023).

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Elon Musk to step down as government advisor, per Trump insiders

President Donald Trump has informed his inner circle that Elon Musk will be stepping down from his role as a government advisor, according to a report by Politico today.

Citing three individuals close to Trump, Politico states that the president is pleased with Musk’s leadership at the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), where he has implemented significant budget cuts. However, both have agreed that it is time for Musk to return to his businesses and support Trump from a different position outside the government.

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