Speaker 1 (00:00):
Start tonight with the latest on a train derailment that happened in Springfield yesterday evening. State and local officials say there are no health concerns after nearly 30 train cars came off the tracks. 2 News reporter Allison Gens is in the studio with what we’re learning today. Allison.
Speaker 2 (00:16):
Riley, officials with Norfolk Southern confirmed the cars that were derailed were not hazardous, but there were hazardous materials being carried on the train.
Speaker 3 (00:25):
There was no release of any chemical or any hazardous material to the soil, to the air, to the water. We were of course tracking that closely.
Speaker 2 (00:35):
The Ohio EPA has been on the ground in Clark County since Saturday’s train derailment and will continue to be there through the cleanup. Norfolk Southern officials say, 28 cars on the 212 car train derailed. Four derailed tanker cars previously carried diesel exhaust fluid and an additive used in wastewater treatment. However, some of the cars that stayed on the track were carrying hazardous materials.
Speaker 4 (00:56):
There was a couple liquid propane cars on there and a couple ethanol cars. The rest of the train was made up of mixed freight. A lot of steel, finished automobiles, and a lot of the cars that were actually derailed were empty box cars.
Speaker 2 (01:14):
I spoke with Clark County residents who say they’ve been concerned about the condition of the tracks in the Springfield area ever since they popped a tire going over a railroad crossing.
Speaker 5 (01:23):
All of the railroad crossings are just so bad, so torn up that we just don’t feel confident driving across them anymore.
Speaker 2 (01:29):
Norfolk Southern was asked about how often they inspect the conditions of the tracks, but did not have an answer. The cause of the derailment is still unknown at this time.
Speaker 4 (01:38):
We investigate every derailment and if there’s something we take away from that derailment that we need to implement, change, we do that.
Speaker 2 (01:47):
State leaders at Sunday’s press conference say, after the devastating derailment in East Palestine and now this one in Springfield, they’re pushing for new laws.
Speaker 6 (01:56):
We’re obviously looking for all of the things that will come out of these incidents so that we can find good legislation if it needs to be formed and passed. We can do that and ensure the safety of our residents in Ohio.
Speaker 2 (02:08):
The Clark County EMA Director says that they were not notified of the train coming through the county. Railroad companies by law only have to alert communities if the train is carrying highly flammable materials, which this train did not meet that requirement. The National Transportation Safety Board also announced it is investigating the derailment and investigators plan to arrive on scene tomorrow. In the studio, Alison Gens, 2 News.