Man Finds Undetonated Blasting Cap and Ash Debris 1.4 Miles from Ohio Train Derailment Site
Jerry Corbin, a resident of Darlington Township, Pennsylvania, was surprised to find an "undetonated blasting cap" on his property in a pasture near his house after a Norfolk Southern train carrying hazardous materials derailed and caught fire in East Palestine, Ohio on Feb. 3. Corbin was evacuated before the controlled burn of five freight cars containing toxic vinyl chloride on Feb. 6. When he returned to his home, he found black debris resembling ash all over his yard and on his roof.
Of the 151 cars that derailed, 11 contained hazardous materials, including vinyl chloride, ethylene glycol monobutyl ether, ethylhexyl acrylate, isobutylene, and butyl acrylate, which are all used in the making of plastic products. The vinyl chloride released from five rail cars was burned to avoid an explosion, which Corbin believes the blasting cap was used to help detonate.
Corbin expressed his concerns about the ash scattered around his yard and the undetonated blasting cap as evidence that the controlled burn was not as safe as Norfolk Southern and state officials claim. He added that the cleanup work around East Palestine is producing a lot of dust in the air, which could be contaminated, and residents often smell smoke from the wreckage in the evenings.
Corbin's neighbor showed him the undetonated blasting cap, which he placed in a bucket, and put it in a shed in his backyard. He demanded to know what was in the ash and if his soil was contaminated, and he wants it removed from his property. Corbin and his wife returned to their home on Feb. 9, which was his 73rd birthday. He is a radio personality for WXED 107.3 FM in Ellwood City, Pennsylvania, and the author of "Family Gold," a book that chronicles a Civil War story.
In response to the derailment, a lawsuit filed by Morgan & Morgan alleges that Norfolk Southern dumped more than 1.1 million pounds of vinyl chloride into the surrounding area because of the controlled burn, which creates phosgene gas, a chemical warfare agent used in World War I by the Germans and was banned by the Geneva Convention. The lawsuit contends that "Norfolk Southern blew holes in its vinyl chloride cars, and dumped 1,109,400 pounds of cancer-causing vinyl chloride directly into the environment."
Norfolk Southern CEO Alan Shaw defended the decision to conduct the controlled burn as the safest course of action for the citizens of East Palestine during a TV interview on Feb. 21. He explained that the governors of Ohio and Pennsylvania, East Palestine Mayor Trent Conaway, East Palestine Fire Chief Keith Drabick, the National Guard, and Norfolk Southern were aligned in making the decision.
Residents who live within a few miles of the derailment continue to express concerns over the safety of the air, water, and soil in the area. Corbin believes that if the ground is found to be contaminated with toxic chemicals, Norfolk Southern should buy their property so they can relocate to somewhere safe.