Train in Ohio derailment ‘broke down’ days before catastrophic chemical leak

Workers say it likely got derailed because of its excessive weight and size

A Norfolk Southern train which was carrying toxic chemicals and suffered a catastrophic derailment in East Palestine, Ohio, broke down at least once before, employees familiar with the matter said.

The train, originating from Madison, Illinois, broke down just two days before derailing on 1 February, likely because of its excessive weight and size, the unnamed employees told CBC.

The employees who were working the train were concerned as its length was 151 cars long, stretching 9,300ft and weighing 18,000 tons.

On 3 February, a dark pillar of smoke filled the sky above East Palestine, Ohio, raising alarm and triggering a mandatory evacuation of the village’s residents. The train operated by Norfolk Southern Railroad had suffered a technical failure and derailed, causing a fire.

Almost five days after the incident the residents were allowed to return to their homes after railroad crews drained and burned off a toxic chemical from five tanker cars.

An employee told CBS news: “We shouldn’t be running trains that are 150 car lengths long.

“There should be some limitations to the weight and the length of the trains. In this case, had the train not been 18,000 tons, it’s very likely the effects of the derailment would have been mitigated.”

A company spokesperson said the weight and length of the train did not contribute to the accident.

It said “the weight distribution of this train was uniform throughout” and included a mid-train locomotive “which helps manage the dynamic forces of the train”.

“Assigning a ‘reputation’ to a train that fluctuates by thousands of tons on a regular basis is inaccurate,” the spokesperson said.

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) said 20 of the train cars were carrying hazardous materials, including 10 that derailed.

It said 38 cars in total derailed from the tracks and the ensuing fire damaged an additional 12. The NTSB has not commented on the derailment’s cause.

Hundreds of residents of the Ohio town – the site of the toxic chemicals spill – were seeking answers to what dangers they face after exposure.

East Palestine mayor Trent Conaway said at Wednesday’s town hall that he wanted to help provide some reassurance for the 4,700 citizens of his town, and hold to account those responsible for the train derailment.

“We need our citizens to feel safe in their own homes,” Mr Conaway said as the meeting began. “I need help. I’m not ready for this. But I’m not leaving, I’m not going anywhere.”

“They screwed up our town, they’re going to fix it,” he added.

There were no injuries due to the incident but many in the area have complained of headaches and irritated eyes.

Erik Olson, the senior strategic director for health and food at the Natural Resources Defense Council, said the unknown dangers linked to derailment vastly outweigh reassurances that officials have given on safety.

“This is clearly a very toxic brew of chemicals,” Mr Olson said. “And I’ve not seen any public accounting for how many pounds or gallons of any of these chemicals that were released.”

The air and water testing that’s been done so far seemed limited and “is not all that reassuring,” Mr Olson said.

Additional reporting by agencies