Introduction
This memorandum is about an overview of the chemical pollution incident caused by a train derailment in Ohio alongside possible remedies to combat the pollution resulting from such accidents. The Ohio disaster served as a stark reminder of the environmental, health, and economic risks associated with train derailments. As a result, prompt action is required to prevent such situations from recurring in the future. This memorandum presents three solutions and recommends one of them as the best alternative for preventing chemical-related catastrophes caused by train accidents.
Overview of Ohio Catastrophe
On February 3rd, 2023, a cargo train transporting toxic chemicals derailed in Ohio, resulting in a chemical spillage that poisoned adjacent rivers and streams and jeopardized the safety of local populations. Many hazardous compounds, including vinyl chloride and benzene, which can increase the risk of cancer and respiratory tract disorders, were exposed to the environment (Maltais et al., 2019). Locals were forced to flee as a result of the event, and bioremediation activities are still underway. Concomitantly, some victims with chemical-related concussions were rushed to nearby hospitals.
The National Transportation Safety Board determined that the incident was caused by a faulty rail that thwarted several railcars off the track. The tragedy in Ohio is not an uncommon occurrence because cases of chemical leaks caused by multiple train derailments have been rampant in recent years (Zhang & Sun, 2019). These incidents pose a serious threat to public safety and the environment in its entirety. These occurrences emphasize the importance of taking decisive actions to counteract chemical pollution catastrophes spurred on by derailments. The section below highlights some of the proposed remedies that could reduce cases of train derailment and their corresponding chemical pollution disaster.
Details: Proposed Solutions
Enhance Emergency Response
Railway operators should be required to create and maintain emergency response procedures that address circumstances like spillages and derailments. Furthermore, there should be adequate emergency response personnel and tools both on-site and in remote contexts. The former should inform the public regarding the appropriate steps to take in case of an emergency. To guarantee their effectiveness, emergency response plans should be periodically evaluated and amended. On the same note, procedures for notification, isolation, relocation, and evacuation should be stipulated in the plan.
The emergency management personnel and first responders should all receive proper response training. Greater emphasis should be tailored toward the effective use of PPE, decontamination techniques, and other emergency response methods (Lai et al., 2022). Concurrently, all cohorts involved in handling the incidents, including regulatory bodies, should synchronize their response actions. This is because effective communication and coordination are critical for efficient emergency response. On the same note, investing in response tools such as absorbent materials, containment booms, and decontamination units should be prioritized. The availability of such equipment will lessen the effects of chemical contamination catastrophes whenever they occur. The section that follows demonstrates how corporate accountability can buffer the impacts of trail derailment and chemical pollution.
Promote Increased Corporate Accountability
The second option is to encourage more corporate accountability and transparency. This entails holding railroad businesses fully responsible for their safety procedures, applying stringent fines for safety infractions, and giving regulatory organizations greater resources to ensure the security of the transportation of hazardous commodities. Stakeholders can urge businesses to venture into eco-friendly forms of transportation. Additionally, there should be a significant increase in the fines imposed against companies that break safety laws. The preexisting penalties and sanctions for non-compliance have proven to be less effective in preventing businesses from breaking safety laws. Thus, tightening such guidelines will encourage them to follow set regulations and support a safety-oriented culture.
Rail companies should be obligated to notify regulatory authorities early enough when train accidents occur. This will help to buffer the severity of adverse effects associated with train derailment. At the moment, these corporations are not mandated to immediately disclose safety-compromising incidents, which causes delays in emergency response actions. Thus, increased reporting standards and transparency will enhance emergency response capabilities and aid in the prevention of chemical contamination catastrophes. The segment below illustrates the need to enhance railroad safety regulations as a solution for train derailment and chemical pollution.
Enhance Railroad Safety Regulations
Reevaluation of railroad safety regulations is the most effective way to curb chemical contamination disasters caused by train derailments. This entails improving rail and equipment maintenance and inspection, enforcing regular safety checks, and requiring the use of cutting-edge safety technologies like positive train control systems (PTC) (Zhang & Sun, 2019). This strategy minimizes the likelihood of derailments due to its ability to automatically stop a train in case of an emergency.
Develop Better Hazardous Material Transportation Practices: Adopting better transportation procedures for hazardous elements is another alternative solution. This entails identifying and avoiding risky railways and devising safer ways of transportation such as pipelines. To mitigate unforeseen accidents, it is crucial to make sure that rail cars used to transport toxic products are properly designed and maintained. Additionally, the frequency of maintenance and inspections should be increased to ensure that rail tracks are in good condition.
Frequent inspections will help to spot any flaws in the system before they result in accidents. To ensure the safety of their tracks, rail operators should also be mandated to maintain them at top-notch working conditions. Train companies should enhance their staff training on matters regarding safety regulations, emergency response methods, and the safe handling of harmful products. This can be done through safety awareness programs to educate them on the potential uncertainties associated with the transportation of toxic chemicals.
Conclusion and Recommendation
Based on the above discussion, it can be deduced that strengthening railroad safety rules is the most convenient strategy for preventing chemical contamination catastrophes brought on by train derailments. Enhanced safety laws will ensure that possible hazards are identified and minimized before they become a disaster. It should be noted that there already exist laws in place to ensure that all trains observe safety. Therefore, improving them will not necessitate the need for major changes in the railway transportation network (Kang et al., 2023). Concomitantly, the risk of a chemical pollution catastrophe can be significantly buffered by enhancing the maintenance, repair, and inspection of rails, trains, and related equipment. On the same note, the adoption of cutting-edge safety technologies, such as PTC systems should be widely deployed.
As highlighted in the introductory paragraph, this memorandum aimed to provide an overview of the Ohio-based train derailment incident and propose possible remedies to combat the resultant chemical pollution. Enhancing train safety rules, creating better toxic chemical transportation procedures, and encouraging effective corporate governance are three potential remedies proposed in this memo. From the three, enhancing railroad safety standards is highly recommended because of its potential efficacy, simplicity of execution, and pre-existing regulatory environment. Therefore, this paper emphasizes that it is possible to safeguard the communities’ health and safety by adhering to set guidelines and responding promptly during train-induced chemical pollution catastrophes.
References
Kang, D., Zhao, J., Dick, C. T., Liu, X., Bian, Z., Kirkpatrick, S. W., & Lin, C. Y. (2023). Probabilistic risk analysis of unit trains versus manifest trains for transporting hazardous materials. Accident Analysis & Prevention, 181, 106950. Web.
Lai, J., Xu, J., Liao, T., Zheng, Z., Chen, R., & Wang, P. (2022). Investigation on train dynamic derailment in railway turnouts caused by track failure. Engineering Failure Analysis, 134, 106050. Web.
Maltais, D., Lavoie-Trudeau, É., Labra, O., Généreux, M., Roy, M., Lansard, A. L., & Fortin, G. (2019). Medium-term effects of a train derailment on the physical and psychological health of men. American Journal of Men’s Health, 13(4), 1557988319865363. Web.
Zhang, H., & Sun, Q. (2019). An integrated MCDM approach to train derailment risk response strategy selection. Symmetry, 12(1), 47. Web.