After Ohio derailment, some fear East Palestine may become ‘toxic town’
Coming up with ways to protect Miami-Dade County from the stronger storms and higher seas of the future has generated more questions than answers over the last few years. The county’s latest concept could stir up even more controversy.
It involves closing off most of Biscayne Bay from the Atlantic Ocean with natural and man-made barriers— a stronger dune system along the beach that would tie into massive storm surge gates at major ocean
EAST PALESTINE, OHIO
This hamlet was once known as a factory town. When the pottery and tire makers closed, it became a bedroom community for steel mills and an automotive plant. More recently, families have called it a quiet haven offering good schools and a reasonable commute to and from Pittsburgh. Then came the Feb. 3 train derailment, and, days later, the enormous black cloud of burning chemicals.
Two weeks after the derailment, many residents are wondering if their village can recover from the disaster and retain its identity, or inherit an unwanted new one. Melissa Smith, owner of a farm and candle shop, says her community will have to be strong, and she fears what the disaster’s legacy will mean for it.
“How can we not be known as that toxic town?” she wondered.
Ever since a Norfolk Southern train caught fire and crashed here on Feb. 3, just a few miles from the Pennsylvania border, many of East Palestine’s 4,700 residents find themselves trying to both protect their families and salvage their community’s reputation. A few have already made decisions to keep their kids out of school or to leave altogether, skeptical of assurances that the air is clear of hazardous chemicals released during and after the crash. That leaves the rest with little choice but to hold out hope and fight for accountability as they watch disaster continue to unfold.
Across the nation are towns scarred by industrial pollution, including several still in recovery. The most