Photo courtesy of Bill Lackey / Springfield News-Sun
No hazardous chemicals were found after another Norfolk Southern train derailed in Springfield, Ohio (outside of Columbus) on Saturday. No injuries were reported, according to state and local agencies.
Twenty-eight cars slid diagonally across the tracks in Clark County, including four tankers carrying non-hazardous materials. Two had residual amounts of diesel exhaust fluid and the others had polyacrylamide water solution, according to Norfolk Southern Railway Company.
The Ohio Emergency Management Agency described these materials as “common industrial products shipped via railroad.”
The Clark County Emergency Management Agency and Ohio Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) inspected the site and said there was no risk to the public.
Though this incident did not involve toxic chemicals, officials acknowledged Monday that other cars on the train did have hazardous contents.
A spokesman for Norfolk Southern declined to say how close those cars were to the ones that derailed.
“I’m not going to speculate on how close of a call it was,” Connor Spielmaker said. “Obviously, safety at Norfolk Southern is a priority.”
The cause is still unknown. The National Transportation Safety Board said via Twitter that they would send investigators to the scene on Sunday, the day after the derailment. Ohio EPA Director Anne Vogel said her team will remain on site for cleanup.
The train was traveling right outside of Springfield city limits on its way to Birmingham, Ala. when it derailed, according to Kraig Barner, Norfolk Southern’s general manager.
Authorities told residents within 1,000 feet of the derailment to stay inside as a precautionary measure, which impacted about four or five homes, Springfield Fire Chief Dave Nagel said. The shelter-in-place order was lifted 10 hours later.
Nagel said the fire department found dried liquid outside of the tanker and assumed it was sludge that came from the derailment itself. He and his team said there were no leaks found.
Norfolk Southern is still facing scrutiny for its role in the East Palestine train derailment. The railroad’s sensors failed to detect an overheated wheel bearing, which eventually gave out altogether, the NTSB said in its preliminary report on the crash.
Norfolk Southern has agreed to pay for East Palestine and neighboring residents to relocate during the cleanup, the EPA announced Monday.
Watch the ABC News package below to see live video of the train derailment and drone footage of the aftermath.
The Rocket is committed to bringing you the latest updates on the Norfolk Southern train derailments. We have covered the class-action lawsuit that involves Slippery Rock. The Rocket will follow the Norfolk Southern lawsuit and other happenings as they develop.
