Norfolk Southern behind 4 of 5 costliest hazmat incidents in Ohio in past decade
Nearly three train derailments take place in the United States every day, according to data from the Federal Railroad Administration.
That reality becomes problematic when hazardous materials are involved. And in the U.S., millions of tons of hazardous materials are transported via trains each day.
Hazmat shipments: Huge amounts of hazardous materials pass through Midwest every day. How safe are residents?
In Ohio, train derailments are the leading cause of costly hazmat incidents. And one rail company in particular, Norfolk Southern Corp., is behind four of the state's five costliest accidents involving the transportation of hazardous materials over the past decade.
Here are Ohio's costliest incidents since 2013, with costs adjusted for inflation:
Loudonville, Feb. 3, 2018. Cost: $1,107,433
When 15 cars on a Norfolk Southern train headed from Ohio's Bellevue County to Conway, Pennsylvania, derailed in Loudonville, propane and zinc oxide spilled into the air. In total, four cars on the 125-car train were carrying the hazardous materials. No injuries were reported.
One of the derailed cars was a tank car carrying propane. The car was punctured and released approximately 30,232 gallons of propane, according to the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration. Another 200 pounds of crude zinc oxide spilled from a second care that was punctured.
Officials deemed the derailment didn't pose a threat to public safety, but the train spill caused nearly $1 million in damages, according to PHMSA.
Loudonville: Train derailment in Ashland County
Canton, Nov. 22, 2016. Cost: $1,531,670
A derailment that caused the puncture of a tank car of a train traveling from Toledo to Dover spilled 27,100 gallons of tripropylene onto a Norfolk Southern property in Canton. The product that spilled was contained on the property and no waterways were affected.
The incident cost more than $1 million in damages, however.
Sandusky, Oct. 8, 2022. Cost: $2,580,000
A Norfolk Southern train spilled paraffin wax onto the street and caused power outages and train delays when it derailed on a Sandusky overpass.
Pedestrian and vehicular traffic remained closed under the bridge for a week.
The derailment occurred when 10 cars came off of the rail tracks. The incident caused delays for Amtrak trains.
Willard, Nov. 26, 2013. Cost: $13,574,182
More than 425 families evacuated their homes after a train derailment caused a chemical spill in Willard.
The derailment, which happened days before Thanksgiving, was caused by a CSX train that derailed at the rail yard while switching trains.
A damaged car leaked about half of the 26,000 gallons of styrene monomer it was carrying. The incident costed more than $13 million in damages.
East Palestine, Feb. 3, 2023. Cost: $58,520,000
A Norfolk Southern train derailed in East Palestine, a small village near the Pennsylvania border, when a mechanical issue with a rail car axle caused a fiery accident. Fifty cars derailed and 11 were carrying the dangerous chemical, vinyl chloride.
Officials decide to conduct a chemical burn days later to avoid an explosion of the derailed cars, which sat in a location near the center of town. Hundreds of residents were evacuated and many began to complain of symptoms following the controlled burn.
The derailment has cost more than $58 million in damages so far.
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: East Palestine: Five costliest hazmat incidents in Ohio since 2013
