Residents of East Palestine, Ohio, a town of about 4,700 people near the Pennsylvania border, are calling for protection after a freight train derailed there, leading to the release of large quantities of chemicals into the water, air, and soil.
What happened?
On February 3, a 150-car train loaded with toxic chemicals and flammable materials went off the tracks in East Palestine. Thirty-eight of the train cars derailed, starting a massive fire that damaged 12 other cars and blanketed the town in smoke. The train, operated by Norfolk Southern, was traveling from Illinois to Pennsylvania when a wheel bearing (a set of steel balls that help wheels spin) overheated. The National Transportation Safety Board is investigating. No one was injured.
What was the damage?
About 1,500 to 2,000 people were…
