Norfolk Southern train derails near East Palestine, Ohio; no hazardous spill reported
Nine rail cars from a Norfolk Southern train derailed near the Pennsylvania-Ohio border, not far from the site of the February East Palestine train derailment, but no hazardous materials were reported to be involved in the derailment late Wednesday night, according to local officials.
The derailment happened in New Castle, Pennsylvania, according to the city's police and fire departments. No injuries were reported. New Castle is about 20 miles, or 30 minutes, from East Palestine.
"At this time, there is no indication of any hazardous material being released," the police department said.
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According to the Lawrence County Department of Public Safety, the train was carrying soy beans and paraffin wax.
A statement from Norfolk Southern that the police department shared reads: "At 11:57 p.m. Wednesday evening, nine cars derailed outside of New Castle, PA. There were no hazardous materials involved, and no injuries have been reported. Our crews responded immediately and are actively working at the site."
The public safety department for the county where New Castle is located also quelled social media rumors related to the derailment.
"We have noticed many comments reporting a white powder spilling into the water and 'strange smells' in the area," the department said. "The only product that escaped one of the cars was soy beans. The only 'hazardous material' car that derailed is carrying paraffin wax.”
The department said that the train was blocking traffic, and Norfolk Southern crews were on scene working on a plan to remove the cars. The department also said that there's currently no threat to the public, no issues with drinking water and no need for evacuations or sheltering.
What happened in East Palestine?
About 50 cars of a 150-car train derailed around 9 p.m. Feb. 3 in East Palestine, about a quarter-mile west of the Ohio-Pennsylvania state line, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
Twenty cars contained hazardous materials, including vinyl chloride, ethylene glycol, ethylhexyl acrylate, butyl acrylate and isobutylene, the EPA said, with some cars catching fire, and some cars spilled their loads into an adjacent ditch.
Air and water testing and monitoring continues, and several lawsuits have been filed against Norfolk Southern.
Norfolk Southern trains also derailed in Michigan on Feb. 16 and March 4 in Ohio's Clark County, between Dayton and Columbus.
Contact reporter Emily Mills at emills@thebeaconjournal.com and on Twitter @EmilyMills818.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY NETWORK: Norfolk Southern train derails near East Palestine, no hazardous spill
