New details have emerged concerning the absolutely catastrophic train derailment that took place in East Palestine, Ohio on Feb. 3, revealing that the accident was the result of an overheated wheel bearing on the 23rd of 149 rail cars, according to a preliminary report that was issued on Thursday by the National Transportation Safety Board.
“The Norfolk Southern Railway train derailment led to a decision to burn more than a hundred thousand gallons of highly toxic chemicals, leading to concerns the air and water in and around the town of 4,700 could be badly contaminated. While it was already believed the wreck was caused by a malfunctioning wheel, the NTSB report revealed new details,” the Daily Wire reported.
“Surveillance video from a local residence showed what appeared to be a wheel bearing in the final stage of overheat failure moments before the derailment,” the report went on to say.
Video that was captured by the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette revealed that the train had traveled over 20 miles with the malfunctioning rail car axle, which looks to have been either on fire or shooting sparks. Yeah, that’s definitely not a good sign.
“The tracks are equipped with ‘hot bearing detectors’ that assess the temperature conditions of wheel bearings on passing trains, alerting crews if wheel bearings exceed 200 degrees Fahrenheit. The train that derailed passed three sensors before it derailed, with the doomed wheel bearing first registering 38 degrees above ambient temperatures, then 103 degrees, and finally 253 degrees above ambient temperatures, the report stated,” the Daily Wire continued.
The sensor system sent out a critical audible alarm message that directed the crew to slow and stop the train. The engineer did that, but after the train was stopped, the crew noticed the fire and smoke from cars that had derailed and immediately contacted the Cleveland East dispatcher about a possible derailment.
“By February 5, chemical fires sparked by the tanker cars colliding during the derailment were under control, according to the report. But with five cars carrying 115,580 gallons of highly volatile vinyl chloride on the derailed train, and the temperature rising in at least one of them, the decision was made to execute a ‘controlled burn’ of the chemicals, sending a black, toxic plume into the skies above East Palestine,” the report added.
“This increase in temperature suggested that the vinyl chloride was undergoing a polymerization reaction, which could pose an explosion hazard,” the report said. “Responders scheduled a controlled venting of the five vinyl chloride tank cars to release and burn the vinyl chloride.”
This incident is one of the worst we’ve seen in recent times, and to be honest, we won’t really know the extent of the damage done to the surrounding area for a long time to come. Meanwhile, the people of East Palestine continue to live in uncertainty. Is the water safe to drink? To bathe? To give to animals? What about the fumes in the air and all of the symptoms being reported by those who live in the community?
Meanwhile, President Joe Biden hasn’t really seemed to indicate he cares even a little bit about what is happening in Ohio. If he’s even cognitively aware of it that is. Such a shameful display of leadership.
"*" indicates required fields
