Justice focuses on safety in train derailment aftermath

Feb. 17—Heavy rain predicted for the area surrounding the Ohio train derailment near the West Virginia should actually help dilute any chemicals in waters.

Deputy Secretary of the West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection Scott Mandirola said the rain will "add a significant amount of dilution" to chemicals.

Not only that, Mandirola said, the immediate area around the crash site itself in East Palestine, Ohio., is carefully shored up to prevent more runoff due to heavy rain.

"There is a built-in extra capacity to capture any runoff at the site because of the rain," he said.

Mandirola was one of the speakers during Gov. Jim Justice's virtual administration briefing on Thursday.

The train wreck was the main topic of conversation.

Justice assured everyone that no dangerous level of chemicals have been detected in water or the air in West Virginia.

"I got a lot of help from a lot of folks from several states," he said. "The National Guard has been on top of this."

Emergency Management and the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) teams have been on site, he added.

"There is no danger to drinking water," he said of water samples being monitored as the initial spill "plume" works its way from the Ohio River and nearing Point Pleasant. "It is not in the water supply anywhere."

Air is also being closely monitored, he said, and no health advisory has been issued related to water supplies or the air.

"Any resource I have will be deployed," he said of any danger detected. "I don't want people to be afraid. I want them to be informed."

Justice said everyone is working together and he is getting "constant updates."

"Our people are on the ground doing all they are supposed to do," he said. "They are going to protect you. If there is any concern, you will hear from me immediately. These people are doing great work."

The crash occurred on Feb. 3 when a 100-car freight train carrying vinyl chloride and other chemicals derailed on the Norfolk Southern Railway near East Palestine, resulting in a large fire.

That released hydrogen chloride and phosgene into the air.

An evacuation near the site was ordered, but has since been lifted.

Chemicals also flowed into a nearby stream that fed into the Ohio River.

— Contact Charles Boothe at cboothe@bdtonline.com

Contact Charles Boothe at cboothe@bdtonline.com