If things had gone a bit differently, the chemicals on the train that derailed in East Palestine, Ohio, could have exploded, killing people on the spot, maybe hundreds. That’s the unacceptable risk thrust on communities across the country by the transportation of hazardous materials. Fixing the problem won’t be easy.
Investigations will no doubt follow into what operator Norfolk Southern Corp. did wrong. The White House has already pledged to hold the company accountable. But the only sure way to avoid future accidents is to stop transporting dangerous materials across vast distances — whether by train, car or pipeline — since they all present risks.
The explosion danger stems from the nature of several of the substances on the train, which derailed Feb. 3 — in particular, vinyl chloride, a building block of plastics. It can only be transported as what’s called a pressurized liquid. If exposed to enough heat from a fire, the vinyl chloride can boil and build enough pressure to blow apart even the most powerfully reinforced container.
