Train derailments and explosions and chemical spills

Joe said:
Annnnd...another one. This is getting ridiculous.
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There are 1705 railway accidents reported on average per year measured from 1990 to 2021 in USA. Which gives us 142 a month. Only very few trains carry toxic payload throughout the years. And lately it looks like nearly all trains loaded with toxic materials are crashing...

It is becoming harder and harder not to see planning and purpose behind at least some of those :-(
 
Money doesn't seem to be an object - just like Fox news:

Toxic train derailment in Ohio could cost Norfolk Southern almost $400m in clean-up costs and legal proceedings, with East Palestine residents now detecting cancer-causing chemicals in their URINE

Norfolk Southern has said the freight train derailment that released millions of gallons of toxic chemicals in a small Ohio town could cost the company nearly $400 million in legal fees and cleanup costs.

The company on Wednesday disclosed that it took a $387 million charge in the first quarter related to the East Palestine derailment, a sum that does not include any costs potentially covered by insurance.

About half of East Palestine's nearly 5,000 residents evacuated when, days after the February 3 derailment, officials decided to burn toxic vinyl chloride from five tanker cars to prevent a catastrophic explosion.

Now, several residents say that urinalysis tests revealed at least trace amounts of vinyl chloride in their systems, raising fears about potential long-term health problems including a heightened risk of cancer.
 
From The Guardian - excerpt:

Revealed: the US is averaging one chemical accident every two days

Mike DeWine, the Ohio governor, recently lamented the toll taken on the residents of East Palestine after the toxic train derailment there, saying “no other community should have to go through this”.

But such accidents are happening with striking regularity. A Guardian analysis of data collected by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and by non-profit groups that track chemical accidents in the US shows that accidental releases – be they through train derailments, truck crashes, pipeline ruptures or industrial plant leaks and spills – are happening consistently across the country.

By one estimate these incidents are occurring, on average, every two days.

In the first seven weeks of 2023 alone, there were more than 30 incidents recorded by the Coalition to Prevent Chemical Disasters, roughly one every day and a half. Last year the coalition recorded 188, up from 177 in 2021. The group has tallied more than 470 incidents since it started counting in April 2020.

The incidents logged by the coalition range widely in severity but each involves the accidental release of chemicals deemed to pose potential threats to human and environmental health.

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Map of reported chemical accidents in the US created by Coalition To Prevent Chemical Disasters. Red icons indicate accidents from 1 January to 31 December 2022. Purple icons indicate accidents since 1 January 2023. Photograph: Coalition To Prevent Chemical Disasters

There are close to 12,000 facilities across the nation that have on site “extremely hazardous chemicals in amounts that could harm people, the environment, or property if accidentally released”, according to a Government Accountability Office (GAO) report issued last year. These facilities include petroleum refineries, chemical manufacturers, cold storage facilities, fertilizer plants and water and wastewater treatment plants, among others.

EPA data shows more than 1,650 accidents at these facilities in a 10-year span between 2004 and 2013, roughly 160 a year. More than 775 were reported from 2014 through 2020. Additionally, after analyzing accidents in a recent five-year period, the EPA said it found accident-response evacuations impacted more than 56,000 people and 47,000 people were ordered to “shelter-in-place.”

Accident rates are particularly high for petroleum and coal manufacturing and chemical manufacturing facilities, according to the EPA. The most accidents logged were in Texas, followed by Louisiana and California.
 
These train derailments are reminding me of this excerpt from Session 9 April 2011:
Laura said:
(L) Next question on the list: Is the fukushima radiation negligible compared to the radiation due to 2,000 + nuclear explosions that have happened since 1945?
A: Yes.
Q: (L) How badly will it affect people?
A: Cumulatively, it is already bad.
Q: (L) you mean cumulatively the 2,000 nuclear explosions? And now, this on top of all of that is like critical mass of exposure?
A: Yes.
Q: (L) So, what does that mean for us.
A: DNA changes and diet help to keep the frequency stable.
Q: (L) What about all the people who are vegetarians?
A: They are nuclear “toast” since so much of their energy must be expended to raise the vibrations of their food.
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If you thought these chemical accidents were just the beginning of a program of mass contamination, just look a few years back—
our environment has already been very contaminated by nuclear explosions; we were born into a radiated mess!
Eating insects is definitely not a valid detox protocol!
 
https://twitter.com/x/status/1654322586354950149
Explosion Blows Roof Off Massachusetts Pharmaceutical Plant
A high-powered explosion blew the roof off a Massachusetts pharmaceutical plant early Thursday morning, according to reports and aerial footage.

The explosion occurred at around 1 a.m. at the Seqens North America plant in Newburyport and sent four people to the hospital, according to local news outlet WCVB. One worker remains missing.

Most of the roof blew off and an industrial-sized vat was ejected 30 feet out of the building into a parking lot, the Associated Press (AP) reported.
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This happened on March 24, but I just saw news of it yesterday although I couldn't find the exact source again - here's the same story plus a youtube - and tragically, a whole new meaning of death by chocolate . . .

PENNSYLVANIA

‘Rotten Egg' Smell Before Chocolate Factory Blast, Workers Tell Officials​

The workers have accused owner R.M. Palmer of ignoring warnings of a natural gas leak ​

Workers at a Pennsylvania chocolate factory smelled “rotten eggs" before a powerful natural gas explosion that leveled one building, heavily damaged another and killed seven people, federal safety officials said Tuesday in a preliminary report.

The National Transportation Safety Board's five-paragraph account of the fatal explosion confirmed earlier reporting by The Associated Press and other media outlets that employees had detected an odor of natural gas at the R.M. Palmer Co. factory in West Reading, a small town 60 miles northwest of Philadelphia.

About 70 Palmer production workers and 35 office staff were working in two adjacent buildings at the time of the March 24 blast, according to the agency's report, and employees in both buildings told federal investigators they'd smelled gas.

“Employees from Building 2 recalled that they were sanitizing equipment in the building when they detected an odor of natural gas. The employees in Building 1 recalled the smell of rotten eggs around the same time,” the agency's report said. Natural gas is odorless, but a foul-smelling odorant called mercaptan is added to alert people to leaks.

Federal investigators said a “natural gas–fueled explosion and fire” destroyed Building 2, caused significant damage to Building 1 and other structures, injured 11 people and displaced three families from a nearby apartment building.

The probe has been focused on a natural gas pipeline as safety investigators try to figure out the cause.

UGI Corp. provided natural gas to the factory complex via two mains. UGI said there wasn’t any utility work going on in the area, and it detected no sudden surge in gas usage before the explosion, the report said.

Workers at the plant have accused R.M. Palmer of ignoring warnings of a natural gas leak, saying the plant should have been evacuated.

Patricia Borges, who survived the explosion, previously told the AP how she and others had complained about a natural gas odor about 30 minutes before the factory blew up. Borges's arm caught fire as flames engulfed the building. She then fell through the floor into a vat of liquid chocolate.

A wrongful-death lawsuit filed last month by the family of blast victim Judith “Judy” Lopez-Moran, a 55-year-old mother of three, said Palmer bore responsibility for the explosion. Workers smelled natural gas that day and notified Palmer, but the 75-year-old company “did nothing,” the lawsuit said.

Palmer has offered condolences, but said federal regulations preclude it from commenting on Tuesday's preliminary report, the ongoing investigation or “any allegations that may be made in litigation.”

“Our employees’ safety and health has always been, and will continue to be, of paramount importance,” Palmer said in a written statement Tuesday, echoing comments the company made April 13 in its last public statement on the blast.
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I wonder if these natural gas explosions will be used as fodder to further eliminate gas appliances and heat.
 
mabar said:
Explosion Blows Roof Off Massachusetts Pharmaceutical Plant
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Was reading up on it and this was cited:

"This explosion is only the latest avoidable disaster at this facility, following years of serious safety violations, multiple fines, and other explosions," the lawmakers said in the letter. "We write seeking the explanation as to why this latest incident occurred and how, after years of fines and regulatory enforcement actions, Seqens could have allowed unsafe conditions to persist."
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An explosion like that may indicate combustible dust. Take this Kinston pharmaceutical plants (2003) combustible dust explosion (see 13:50) as presented by the CSB (don't always agree with CSB's findings, yet they can be rigorous). It may or may not have elements of the same.

 
JEEP said:
‘Rotten Egg' Smell Before Chocolate Factory Blast, Workers Tell Officials
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If it smells like rotten eggs, it is no natural gas, you would not notice it.
Only if it is gas for the industry, or for heating or such (private use), transported in pipe networks, it is mixed with this smell, so you emediately know that there is a leak in the pipes, so you can akt adequadly.
At least we have learned it at school, not the gas smells only the added substance, to allert you if there is something wrong...
 
Claus said:
If it smells like rotten eggs, it is no natural gas, you would not notice it.
Only if it is gas for the industry, or for heating or such (private use), transported in pipe networks, it is mixed with this smell, so you emediately know that there is a leak in the pipes, so you can akt adequadly.
At least we have learned it at school, not the gas smells only the added substance, to allert you if there is something wrong...
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It's a good point. Mercaptan does not smell like rotten eggs. Hydrogen sulphide smells like rotten eggs, and that's usually a result of organic processes in anaerobic conditions. Some industry does use it, so there could also have been a store. It is explosive, and is in a sense 'natural gas', but not like piped gas used in the energy supply.
 
Stockholm Arlanda Express train derailed
27 May 2023

Arlanda_Express_Stockholm.jpg

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Rather unusual headline, that the Arlanda Express train, which is a high speed train shuttling between Stockholm City and Arlanda Airport (43 km outside), just derailed. I believe this is the first time in the past 30+ years. Two people were brought with ambulance to the hospital.

Trivia: Speaking of Airport transfer; Arlanda Express is either the most expensive or second most expensive airport train transfer in Europe (after London). Reason ? Swedish politicians decided a long time ago to give the company the monopoly on that high speed rail, lasting for many decades until 2040. One way cost 320 SEK, round trip 600 SEK. While when you use commuter train + buss, you just pay the normal Stockholm SL ticket fee, you pay on the subway.

Short in english
www.aviation24.be

Arlanda express has derailed

An Arlanda Express train linking Stockholm Central Station to Arlanda Airport has derailed north of Stockholm. Two people have been taken by ambulance to
www.aviation24.be www.aviation24.be

Swedish
www.expressen.se

Inga tåg stannar på Arlanda under helgen

Arlanda express har spårat ur norr om Stockholm. Två personer har förts med ambulans till sjukhus och tåget har evakuerats. Alla helgens tågavgångar med Arlanda express har ställts in, det är stopp för pendeltågen på sina håll och man får räkna med förseningar i SJ-trafiken. Ett par hundra meter...
www.expressen.se www.expressen.se

Translation (Expression)

Arlanda express has been derailed
Published May 27, 2023 at 05.28, updated at 13.07 • Text Malin Hansson, Denise Berg

The Arlanda Express has derailed north of Stockholm. Two people have been taken by ambulance to hospital and the train has been evacuated. All weekend train departures with the Arlanda Express have been canceled, commuter trains are stopped in some areas and delays can be expected in SJ traffic. A few hundred meters of rail may have been destroyed and it is unclear when the damage can be repaired.

The alarm about the derailment came at 04.40 on Saturday [27th May 2023] morning. The train was heading north and was at the height of Arlandastad near Märsta, when the rear of the train derailed. Emergency services, ambulance and police were alerted to the scene.

- "The train has derailed when it was in motion, but is standing up," says Håkan Eriksson, management operator at Storstockholms räddningscentral.

67 people were on board and were evacuated using buses. By 06:00, everyone had been evacuated.

- Two people have been taken by ambulance to hospital, says Agneta Gustafsson at SOS Alarm. According to TT, which refers to the police, no one was seriously injured.

"May jump on a taxi"

[Newspaper / Boulevard paper] Aftonbladet has spoken with people who sat on the derailed train. - We were on our way to Arlanda when it happened. Suddenly we felt how the train began to vibrate and it began to slow down. After about a minute it stopped and we saw smoke," says a man sitting on the train.

The derailment affects a large part of the train traffic. All Arlanda Express departures are canceled due to the accident.
Kevin Blackwell is one of the travelers who had intended to take the Arlanda Express to the airport, who now has to think again.

- "Yes, I came here early this morning to take the train that has now derailed. So it looks like I'll have to jump on a taxi to the airport. I'm out in good enough time so as far as I'm concerned there's no great danger - as long as I can get a taxi," he says to Expressen.

CEO: Focus on how it could happen

TT writes that one of the train wagons derailed completely, and two other wagons derailed with one wheel suspension on each wagon. The train did not overturn but stood upright after the derailment.

Arlanda Express CEO Magnus Zetterberg tells Aftonbladet that all weekend departures with Arlanda Express are canceled, and that a time forecast for when the error is fixed will come on Sunday at the earliest.

The passengers who were on the train have been taken to Arlanda Airport.

The accident commission will now investigate the site. The Swedish Transport Administration cannot assess the site until the Accident Investigation Board has finished at the site. There is therefore no forecast for when train traffic can be up and running again. But you have to expect that it will take time.

- "Based on the information we received from Arlanda Express, there are a couple of hundred meters of track system that is very damaged. It is not something that will be completed today, but it will take days," says the Swedish Transport Administration's press officer Bengt Olsson.

Problems in train traffic

Stockholm commuter trains are stopped between Sollentuna and Uppsala.
For long-distance trains, there is also a stop for train traffic past Arlanda C, which affects trains between Stockholm Central and Uppsala, Gävle and Sundsvall.

Many of the trains will be rerouted via Märsta.

- SJ trains will go via Märsta instead of Arlanda. So there may be some delays as there are more trains going that way. So far we haven't had to cancel any departures, but there may be some delays. And the Swedish Transport Administration can ask us to cancel departures during the day if there are too many trains on the track," says Ronny Hörstrand at SJ's press office.

Expect longer travel time than normal, according to the Swedish Transport Administration.

- All traffic going into Arlanda is affected. There are a number of commuter trains and long-distance trains that go via Arlanda. They will not run into Arlanda. But the trains that go straight north towards Uppsala or Dalarna, for example, will run as usual," says the Swedish Transport Administration's press officer Bengt Olsson.
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