Local response to Ohio train derailment

By Stephanie Karoutsos STAFF REPORTER

Endowment for International Peace. Due to the increase in atmospheric greenhouse gasses, McCain believes that it is important to counteract the damage and emphasizes the importance of consciousness of individual release of carbon into the atmosphere.

“Trying to find ways to lower their carbon footprint [is important], including carpooling,” McCain said. “More electric cars are coming out right now. I know a lot of people are trying to buy electric appliances instead of gas appliances, just to lower the amount of carbon emissions that they get.”

The project was proposed by ConocoPhillips, an energy company that is the sole organization permitted to conduct oil drilling in Alaska. In 2020, the plan to construct five drill sites was approved by the Trump administration. Currently, the number of sites was reduced to three by the Biden administration. Social studies teacher Dan Gilleran notes that the approval of the Willow Project has brought attention to the Biden administration.

““I think the Willow Project is a very controversial issue for the Biden administration because it appears that it might be contradicting some earlier policies,” Gilleran said.

The date that drilling will begin has not yet been announced, and many are continuing their attempts to stop the plan from moving forward. Ford appreciates the letters and petition signatures that have occurred both before and after the decision was definite.

“I think people should keep advocating against other projects like it and sign petitions against decisions hurting the environment,” Ford said.

On Feb. 3, a train carrying toxic chemicals derailed in East Palestine, Ohio. This led to a fire, impacting people in Ohio and across the nation, which has had environmental and health impacts such as concern for wildlife and water quality.

Staying updated on current events is important to history teacher Brent Maynard. He says there are various environmental impacts caused by the derailment and believes it affects Ohio’s waterways, people and animals near the area.

“The environmental impacts in Ohio are definitely severe,” Maynard said. “The big question is what will happen around the town of East Palestine, the people there and the environment the animals live in the waterways around there. [This] could then impact anyone who gets their water from the Ohio or Mississippi river which would be huge.”

Not only will the event affect Ohio, there is concern about how it will impact areas around the country, like in Wayne County. Maynard says this event may harm the environment and people there as well.

“Knowing that some of the dirt from East Palestine has been moved to storage areas and facilities down river, having a lot of the contaminated dirt in close proximity to the watersheds around here is not ideal,” Maynard said. “Considering the amount of industrial pollution we already deal with and the amount of contaminants here, it's not in the best interest to bring it in our area as well.”

Along with Maynard, senior Liam Harris believes the mental health of the individuals in Ohio is something to consider. He says this event impacted the individuals of the community, leaving many unsettled and worried about future issues.

“I think the biggest way it’s affecting people is that they are losing lots of confidence in the systems that are supposed to stop these incidents from happening,” Harris said. “People don’t feel safe drinking water or going outside because of social media videos showing discoloration in the water. I think that that has a massive impact on their mental health.”

With these impacts in mind, Harris believes the government should make changes in order to prevent similar issues from happening in the future.

“I think more regulations by the government should be created, making it so that there are stricker safety regulations in place for train companies to follow, which would help stop any future accidents,” Harris said.

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