US EditionConfusion on Sensor Plane's Abilities Delayed Response in East Palestine Train Derailment, Report Says
- The 2023 East Palestine train derailment involved five rail tank cars filled with toxic vinyl chloride that were blown open during the emergency response.
- An EPA Inspector General report released Tuesday found the agency delayed calling the ASPECT sensor plane and misunderstood its advanced temperature detection capabilities.
- The plane could detect temperature changes of less than one degree, but EPA officials mistakenly believed it only sensed 20- to 30-degree differences, limiting its use before the vent-and-burn operation.
- The report said that limited awareness of ASPECT’s full capabilities by the on-scene coordinator "could negatively impact emergency response decision-making," and that accurate data could have helped avoid blowing open the tank cars.
- The incident caused massive toxic smoke and evacuation of much of East Palestine and has driven calls for rail safety reform amid lingering health concerns despite EPA assurances.
33 Articles
33 Articles
EPA report: Officials on ground in East Palestine could have benefitted from plane
A specialized plane equipped with advanced sensors that the government deploys to chemical disasters could have helped authorities avoid needlessly blowing open five rail tank cars and burning their toxic contents after the disastrous 2023 East Palestine train derailment, a new report says.
Report: Derailment blast in Ohio was unnecessary
A specialized plane equipped with advanced sensors that the government deploys to chemical disasters could have helped authorities avoid needlessly blowing open five rail tank cars and burning their toxic contents after the disastrous 2023 East Palestine, Ohio, train derailment,…
Associated Press: Confusion on sensor plane’s abilities delayed response in Ohio train derailment, report says
Confusion on sensor plane’s abilities delayed response in Ohio train derailment, report says This article features Government Accountability Project’s Senior Environmental Officer, Lesley Pacey, and whistleblower client Dr. Robert Kroutil and was originally published here. A specialized plane equipped with advanced sensors that the government deploys to chemical disasters could have helped authorities avoid needlessly blowing open five rail tank…
EPA finds no deployment delays of specialized aircraft in train derailment response
EAST PALESTINE, Ohio (WKBN) -- A new report conducted by the Environmental Protection Agency's oversight office found that the agency did follow procedures related to deploying a specialized aircraft to detect airborne chemicals during the East Palestine train derailment. The EPA's Office of Inspector General released the report on Tuesday after a complaint alleged the deployment of the Airborne Spectral Photometric Environmental Collection Tech…
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