Chlorine gas can be very deadly. My guess is that the authorities feel it is in concentrations low enough not to be dangerous.
Not surprising at all. Disasters always have a socio-political context. So, under federal rules, this is not a high hazard flammable train and railroad companies can use the braking system designed in the 1860s instead of a modern one that reduces derailments and dissipates the train's energy more quickly and evenly.
Video shows sparks and flames well before Ohio train derailment The video, obtained by the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, was taken by a security camera at an equipment plant in Salem, Ohio. What appears to be sparks and flames can be seen in the video under one of the train cars as it passes the plant. The National Transportation Safety Board referenced the video at a news conference last week. "We have obtained two videos which show preliminary indications of mechanical issues on one of the rail car axles," said Michael Graham, a member of the NTSB. That second video came from a processing plant in Salem a mile down the track. In front of that plant is a hot box detector, which scans the temperature of the axles as a train passes and sounds an alert if they're overheate "The crew did receive an alarm from a wayside detector shortly before the derailment indicating a mechanical issue," Graham said. "Then an emergency brake application initiated." https://www.cbsnews.com/amp/news/ohio-train-derailment-video-sparks-flames-well-before/
Snopes can’t track down the source of this photo. I’m still suspicious. https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/airplane-smoke-clouds-ohio-train-derailment-photo/
https://zoom.earth/#view=40.8238,-81.1425,8.28z/date=2023-02-06,16:20,-6/map=live/overlays=radar This is a possible shot from a satellite, but yeah no other news on this particular photo.
I'm involved with a group that is advocating for a National Disaster Safety Board designed in part on the National Transportation Safety Board. The idea is to take a hard look at disasters like East Palestine and see what we can learn and what we can do to prevent or lessen future disasters. Here's an op-ed written by the founders of the group:
That’s a great idea and fully agree with that. I’ve raised similar concerns following some disasters. When the I-35W bridge collapsed in Minneapolis in 2007 I spoke to a legislative hearing that they should ascertain why the bridge fell before they built a new one.
