Gary Stevenson, the mayor of Paulsboro, New Jersey, is still troubled by the disastrous messaging that surrounded a dangerous train derailment in his town more than a decade ago. The communications meltdown now troubling Norfolk Southern Corp. is worse.
Just like East Palestine, Ohio, which is coming to terms with the aftermath of a Feb. 3 derailment, Paulsboro was the site of a train that veered off the tracks. Both locomotives were hauling toxic vinyl chloride and each unleashed the chemicals over small towns. Residents of those places were then left equally confused by mixed messages and unanswered questions.
In the decade since the Paulsboro crash, social media use has only become more popular, and those who use it to spread misinformation have fine-tuned their skills and reach. So when Norfolk Southern initially kept a low profile after the derailment, and then skipped a chance to meet the town’s residents face-to-face, conspiracy theorists and those with political agendas filled the void.
