It has been claimed by the New York Times that the concerns being talked about when it comes to the potentially hazardous effects which could result from the recent train derailment that took place in East Palestine, Ohio, have just been overblown by “right-wing commentators” that only want to “sow distrust” in the public against government agencies.
Both state and local authorities chose to previously order the evacuation of all residents within a mile of the derailment site and kicked off a controlled burn-off of the loads of industrial chemicals carried on the train in order to decrease the chances of an explosion. Vinyl chloride, a highly carcinogenic substance used in the making of PVC, was released from a total of five train cars in the form of giant plumes of acrid smoke which could be spotted from all over eastern Ohio and western Pennsylvania.
Despite multiple state and federal agencies making claims that both the air and the town’s water supplies were not impacted by the incident, residents and the area first responders have noted a lingering small in the area, an oily iridescent chemical sheen in local creeks and rivers, sudden deaths throughout livestock and wildlife, and worrisome health troubles such as headaches and sore throats.
One reporter from the New York Times that is known to cover “misinformation and disinformation,” Stuart Thompson, openly admitted in an article on Thursday that the smell and the copious amount of dead wildlife have been a fairly large concern from residents. He still went on to claim, however, that the scattering of media outlets that have been talking about the incident, especially those that sport a conservative lean, are expressly exaggerating the possible issues stemming from the crisis.
“For many commentators from across the political spectrum, the speculation has gone far beyond known facts,” stated the reporter. “Right-wing commentators have been particularly critical, using the crisis to sow distrust about government agencies and suggest that the damage could be irreparable.”
Thompson went on to note that a number of commentators have spokes up to call the disaster “Chernobyl 2.0” or could have been because of a “planned attack.” While at the same time he just took the statements from a handful of agencies, including the EPA, that claim that both the water supplies and the aie in the area are sitting at a safe value.
“They warned, without evidence, that vital water reservoirs serving states downriver could be badly contaminated. And they suggested that the authorities, railroad companies and mainstream news media were purposefully obscuring the full toll of the crisis,” he went on. “The EPA has said air quality has returned to safe levels. Residents have been allowed to return. A chemical odor lingers because people can smell the contaminants even when they are far below hazardous concentrations, according to the agency. Water testing found ‘no indication of risk’ to public water systems so far.”
