The Observation Deck

With the post "Train Danger - Heads Up" I decided to take a trip to East Palestine, it was a real eye-opener.

The quick answer is yes it can happen here. Current thoughts are a wheel bearing or broken axle which means if there is a train by you, it can happen.

But the actual devastation is as amazing as the resolve of the people there.


The scene of the derailment. About 5 football fields from the center of a very small town.






Another trains speeds past the wreckage of the last wreck. That crispy black object is the end of one of the cars blown off in the explosion.


Typical clean up in one of the streams around town. One 8' stream being cleaned with a 2" hose sucking up water, pushing it through a diaper and back out again.

I believe the term is pissing in the wind.

The real problem outside of a small town going through economic hardship already, is the town is riddled with creeks and streams.


Here one of the streams runs not just under their house, but...


... where the creek flows underground though her backyard, underground, then under her neighbors house, where it joins up with another to the right of the house on the far right.


Then across the street for a block, then...


... under an apartment building....


... under city hall, and main street, then...


... out the other side to a park and more building.

This is just one of many, all being cleaned up the same way, with a 2" hose in 7' rivers.


Other side of town by more residential, and to the left is the high school.


Water being distributed through town, until it runs out. Which happens every day.


Water and clothing in the front of the church, while out back the clean-up continues.


One of the many EPA Air Quality Stations, in a bag, closed at the top with a small opening at the bottom.




Deb speaking with one of the many residents we spoke to. Unwilling to leave, scared, and not sure what is next.



A short drive around East Palestine...


See all of my photos of East Palestine at:
http://lakewoodobserver.com/photoblogs/ ... lment-2023

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Another interesting side note in this whole experience...

When speaking to residents about them leaving home and for how long. None left during the accident, all left for the mandatory evacuation during the burn-off,

All returned, at least one member because of...

CRIME, they all mentioned the druggies in the city and the hills would come down knowing the city is empty. They would take anything "like locust."

A majority of Ohio communities have been all but destroyed with crystal meth, the new moonshine, fentanyl, crack (mostly a combo of meth and fentanyl), moonshine and poverty. Living in the large cities and burbs provides no insight into Ohio and our real issues.

Finally all had GUNS not gun, because they fear other people with guns, or bigger or more guns than them.

I post this not to alarm or debate, but my city of Lakewood is upset with speeders, and loud drunks. They are delusional.

People, I do not have the answers, but none of this is working for anyone.

peace/love

Thank you for this remarkable photo journalism! The Lakewood Observer team does it again!

ditto, community journalism

Mark Kindt wrote:Thank you for this remarkable photo journalism! The Lakewood Observer team does it again!

Mark/Stan

It is done with community, ours, theirs, who ever.

Mark,

One of the comments I hear often from those who thinks railroads are regulated enough. Insurance and the company will take care of them.

WRONG

Mr. Kindt is an environmental attorney, whose average case last decades if not longer.

What is the future for the people of East Palestine, who were all minding their own businesses when the accident happened.

Explain to the novices how a company will spend millions on legal expenses in an effort to not pay hundreds of thousands.

Explain how the court case will be long and spread out over months, and people will be stalled getting facts.

How businesses actual count on people dying off or dropping out during the decades ahead.

Anything to game the system, to not write the check to the person that needs it.

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Jim,
As I look of the pictures of East Palestine and the one in the other thread of the Andrews railroad crossing, I am reminded of seeing those long trains of tanker cars passing through from only a few feet away, and that very spot, and assuming that everything was under control while really not knowing what was in the tankers. Now we know that the controls are minimal and the contents are often hazardous in the extreme. I understand that trains may be the safest way to transport these chemicals, but it must be done safely. Otherwise, in the purest sense of the acronym NIMBY, "Not In My Back Yard."