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Citizens need solutions to big problems such as what we now have in East Palestine, Ohio, not politicians on both sides of the aisle looking to score political points.
Ohio and now the entire nation are observing just what a disaster the East Palestine derailment has become.
The finger-pointing and the blame game is already in high gear.
Most Americans are quite skeptical about the government’s ability to solve problems – particularly one of this magnitude. As a consequence, our public officials face significant challenges, in part, due to the toxic political environment.
The decision to intentionally release vinyl chloride into the environment was judged to be the better of what Gov. Mike DeWine described as “two bad options.”
Vinyl chloride is a toxic, flammable gas, and the risk analysis required to weigh the controlled release of a known carcinogen versus the possibility of a catastrophic explosion is incredibly difficult.What happened in East Palestine, Ohio, could happen anywhere
The train derailment created an inevitable need to identify and implement the lesser of two evils, and this highlights the importance of accident prevention.
It is not surprising that the soundness of the decision is questioned when it results in a massive black plume of smoke. As dramatic as the video of the incident is, it is important to note that what happened in East Palestine is a concern requiring attention that goes beyond the disaster that continues to unfold.
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Millions of tons of vinyl chloride are produced and transported every year, and it is just one of many commonly transported hazardous materials.
