Weak, practically useless test for a terrible substance at Norfolk . South Train Derailment Site outside of East Palestine, Ohiocan mean suffering, illness and premature death in surrounding communities for generations to come.
That’s what independent researchers into chemical contamination who have reviewed the dioxin testing protocols surrounding the derailment told the press. guardian. The current culprit is dioxin, which is a by-product of chloride combustion and is likely to be released into the soil and ground.water as cleanup crews burned vinyl chloride from the rubble.
Regulators say further testing being conducted by Norfolk Southern-funded contractor Arcadis US will provide a better picture than initial samples. However, among other issues, the plan relies on what experts describe as an “unusual” process to test for dioxins, and the results “fail to give a complete picture” of the situation. pollution in East Palestine, said Stephen Lester, a toxicologist. Center for Health, Environment and Justice.
“It’s very limited and I don’t think it will answer the questions people in East Palestine have about dioxin exposure and the risk they face from dioxin exposure,” Lester added.
Arcadis noted that their plan was developed “in consultation” with the EPA, but, among other concerns, the dioxin researchers who reviewed the plan noted:
- Arcadis will rely primarily on visual inspection of the ground for evidence of dioxins, rather than systematically examining soil samples for possible compounds, which is standard protocol.
- The plan did not say how low the dioxin levels the company would test would be.
- Testing will only be conducted within 2 miles of the crash site when the ash is found 20 miles away.
- Testing is limited to soil only and does not include food or water.
So Arcadis, the company that works with Norfolk Southern, plans to look at the reality and if they don’t really see invisible poison, it’s not there, is it?
However, as experts have pointed out, searching for ash on the ground six weeks after vinyl chloride burns won’t give researchers much of a picture of what’s happening in the soil and water. Now the ash will be blown away or washed away. Also, only test the land, and not real food grown in potentially contaminated soil, will not show the presence of toxins in The most common method of dioxin poisoning.
Of course, if Norfolk Southern hadn’t rejected calls for dioxin testing from the start – before forced by the Environmental Protection Agency earlier this month — they could have taken a better jump on things. The plan also limits testing to within two miles of the fire site, although ash from the event is reported 20 miles away.
“They need to significantly expand the scope of testing to determine if other environmental vehicles such as farms and water bodies contain dioxins,” one expert told the Commission. guardian.
Initial dioxin testing showed levels hundreds of times the EPA limit in the soil around the burn area. This chemical has been linked to cancer, neurological problems, diabetes, heart disease and several other health problems.
The whole story is so sad and scary and can be found right here.
