The black smoke rising high above East Palestine, Ohio, looked ominous enough, but the cloud hanging over what has happened there since a train derailed on February 3, spilling hazardous chemicals, has only grown darker as the lack of concern from the rail company and government officials becomes increasingly apparent.
When the chemicals were burned off shortly after the derailment, a towering cloud of black smoke formed over the area. Even from the safe distance of news reports, the scene looked horrific. Then, animals began dying and residents started reporting symptoms of illness.
How anyone could watch what was unfolding without feeling the strongest concern and sense of urgency is difficult to comprehend. Yet neither the company (Norfolk Southern) nor the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) seem very worried about the situation. Residents, who had been asked to leave prior to the burning of the chemicals, were soon told it was safe to return.
After people began complaining of illness, Norfolk Southern hired another company to conduct tests for contaminants. That test, which outside scientists found "flawed," reported "no contaminants." It would seem that the point of the test was to quiet the complaints rather than to find out what was happening. Meanwhile, the United States EPA has yet to conduct any of its own tests.
The apathetic responses to the harm caused by these chemicals have darkened the cloud into a gathering storm of fear and distrust among the residents of East Palestine. As the rest of the country watches aghast, it appears likely that storm will reach far beyond eastern Ohio.
