The National Transportation Safety Board released its preliminary report regarding what caused a Norfolk Southern train to derail in East Palestine, Ohio.
On Feb. 3, one train carrying toxic chemicals went off the tracks in the eastern Ohio community. The accident has caused local wildlife, and livestock, serious health issues including death. Local residents have had major issues. with water and air quality as well and the whole situation has been virtually ignored by the Biden Administration.
Possible cause of Ohio train derailment revealed in preliminary NTSB report https://t.co/pIKG7DSKyO
— Fox News (@FoxNews) February 24, 2023
According to the recently released NTSB report an overheated wheel bearing is being blamed for the disaster.
“NTSB investigators have identified and examined the rail car that initiated the derailment. Surveillance video from a residence showed what appears to be a wheel bearing in the final stage of overheat failure moments before the derailment,” investigators said.
“The wheelset from the suspected railcar has been collected as evidence for metallurgical examination. The suspected overheated wheel bearing has been collected and will be examined by engineers from the NTSB Materials Laboratory in Washington, D.C.”
For those who keep saying the train’s brakes caused the derailment because of Trump, I invite you to listen to 16 seconds of the NTSB report that explains that the derailment occurred BEFORE the emergency brakes were applied and the train came to a complete stop. pic.twitter.com/fhAgsxvW5D
— suzy (@Suzy_1776) February 24, 2023
The wheel bearing rose from a temperature of “38°F above ambient temperature” to a temperature of “103°F above ambient” as it passed multiple monitors designed to alert staff for such situations.
The train’s crew was notified by an automated system. The procedure for such alerts is to stop the locomotive and inspect the car with the overheated bearing.
The report claims the crew did so. However, by the time the train was stopped, cars carrying chemicals had already jumped the tracks.
“After the train stopped, the crew observed fire and smoke and notified the Cleveland East dispatcher of a possible derailment,” the NTSB said.
⬇️READ: My statement on the NTSB’s Preliminary Report on East Palestine Derailment⬇️
https://t.co/dqZwGoawB8 pic.twitter.com/oFrvIBMEoG— Senator Ted Cruz (@SenTedCruz) February 23, 2023
“Responders arrived at the derailment site and began response efforts,” the report continued.
Efforts to put out existing fires were not successful. Officials of the train company decided to start a controlled burn of the vinyl chloride.
“On February 5, responders mitigated the fire, but five derailed DOT-105 specification tank cars … carrying 115,580 gallons of vinyl chloride continued to concern authorities because the temperature inside one tank car was still rising,” the report stated.
'100 percent preventable' — NTSB plans rare field hearing in East Palestine https://t.co/KjR9DXHSAE
— Darrel Rowland (@darreldrowland) February 23, 2023
“This increase in temperature suggested that the vinyl chloride was undergoing a polymerization reaction, which could pose an explosion hazard,” the NTSB made clear. “Responders scheduled a controlled venting of the five vinyl chloride tank cars to release and burn the vinyl chloride, expanded the evacuation zone to a 1-mile by 2-mile area, and dug ditches to contain released vinyl chloride liquid while it vaporized and burned.”
