Train derailment in Willard, Ohio
A train derailment in Ohio and a pipeline explosion in Missouri
from Earth First! Newswire
CSX tanker cars of a model known to be unsafe derailed Tuesday in Willard, Ohio. The evacuated families were allowed to return Thursday.
In Willard, the four cars derailed at the rail yard while switching trains. The damaged car leaked about half of its 26,000 gallons of styrene monomer, CSX said. The liquid dripped from a 4-inch hole for hours before it was resealed.
The chemical in the spill is used to make plastics and rubber, according to federal regulators. At certain levels, exposure can cause headache, dizziness, trouble concentrating and a feeling of intoxication, the regulators say.
The car involved in derailment was a DOT-111, said Gary Sease, a spokesman for the railroad, CSX Corp. Four cars derailed on Tuesday night at the north-central Ohio town of Willard, an important link for CSX trains between Chicago and the East Coast.
At least five times since 1991, the National Transportation Safety Board has raised concerns about the design of the car, including its relatively thin metal skin.
A 30″ natural gas pipeline in central Missouri rupture and exploded early this morning. The explosion happened around midnight north of Sedalia. NBC station KOMU reported that the glow from the burning Panhandle Eastern Pipeline could be seen for miles.