How safe are the railways in the Tuscarawas Valley?
Bolivar and Dover firefighter Bobby Sterling, left, has applied to serve on a county hazmat team. Jason Ely of the Bolivar Fire Department is a county hazmat team leader who keeps a keen eye on materials being transported by rail on the tracks behind the Bolivar station.
In the wake of the Norfolk Southern train derailment in East Palestine, Ohio, people are wondering how safe the railroads are near their homes. In fact, Shawn Lynch, Bolivar fire chief, said he has received numerous calls from people wondering if the same thing could happen here, and what the response would be if it did.
“There are a lot of parallels between our area and theirs as far as population, industries and the railroad, and people are just concerned,” said Lynch. However, he said, “it’s two completely different rail systems. Ours is Wheeling & Lake Erie and theirs is Norfolk Southern.”
According to Lynch, the Wheeling & Lake Erie Railway Company, based in Brewster, Ohio, has a “very good safety record. They do a phenomenal job of taking care of everything,” he said. “If you watch, you’ll see a white pickup truck converted so it can run on the railroad tracks. That’s a rail inspection supervisor. They’re checking the rails almost daily, the crossings and the protection systems at the crossings.”
Repeated calls to several representatives of W&LE to confirm safety records and training went unanswered. John Virges, who provides safety training for the company, did respond, but said he was instructed by the company president not to answer any questions unless the article could be reviewed prior to publication.
A quick check of what available records online for W&LE’s showed no recent accidents other than a two of incidents of vehicles on the tracks being struck by trains.
The East Palestine accident
For those who are unfamiliar with the East Palestine incident, the background is this, according to a preliminary National Transportation Safety Board report: Moments before the derailment, a hot bearing detector along the railroad issued and alarm instructing the crew to slow down and stop to inspect a hot axle.
As an effort was made to slow the train, a wheel bearing failed and the train derailed, triggering emergency brakes. As a result, vinyl chloride and other chemicals were spilled into the ground, air and water.
Dover heads up county team
Shane Wells, a lieutenant with the Dover Fire Department, has led the county hazmat team for the past seven years. He said most of the team members are from Dover, although there are some from Mineral City, Uhrichsville and Bolivar.
Wells said the team undergo training every month on a variety of topics and how to respond to various emergencies. “There are always technological advancements and also occasional changes in the response process.”
Other railroad operators in the county
According to Noah Porter, deputy director of the Tuscarawas County Homeland Security and Emergency Management Agency, said the other two rail companies that run through the county are RJ Corman and Ohio Central, and all three companies carry hazardous materials.
The county EMA does have a plan and a response team at the ready should an accident occur. “I believe we’re right around 20 people, and it’s a mix of members from paid and volunteer fire departments that are on it,” said Porter. “Our county hazmat team would make the initial response and then, depending on the severity and the situation, we would get either additional resources from the state or from the railroad.”
Porter said he is aware of at least three substances categorized as Extremely Hazardous Substances that are carried through the county by rail: phenol, chlorine and phosphorus trichloride.
According to Porter, the only way to know if hazardous materials are being carried on the rails is if a company in the county is taking delivery. “Any facility in the county that has a hazardous substance or EHS delivered is required to report that to the local emergency planning committee. However, local railroads are not required to report to us.”
This means EHS and other toxic materials can be transported through the county without the county EMS being aware of it.
In the end, all that can be done is to be prepared to react, and it appears the county is. The hazmat team members from Bolivar attend all training sessions and proactively keep an eye on the railcars traveling the tracks behind the fire station.
“Occasionally, our guys will get a little bored, and they’ll stand outside when a train goes by to look at the placards on the cars,” said Lynch. “Then they’ll look in the hazardous materials guide book to see what is in the cars. That way, if there is an accident, they’ll know how to respond.”