(NEW YORK) — Six train cars, including two carrying propane, derailed in Manatee County, Florida, on Tuesday, according to the train’s operator, Seminole Gulf Railroad.
There is no immediate danger or leaks and no one was injured, according to the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office.
Robert Fay, vice president with Seminole Gulf Railroad, told ABC News that six rail cars derailed. Five cars went completely on their sides; four were carrying sheetrock and one was a propane tanker. A sixth car, also a propane tanker, derailed but that car stayed upright, Fay said.
None of the LPG, or liquified petroleum gas, on either car leaked out, Fay said.
The Southern Manatee Fire Rescue said that hazmat and fire crews are working to turn the cars upright.
According to Seminole Gulf Railroad, four train cars were hauling sheetrock and one tank car flipped over. One car was described as “half-derailed” and upright.
The derailment comes as East Palestine, Ohio, continues to grapple with cleanup after a Northfolk Southern train carrying hazardous materials derailed earlier this month, causing ongoing concerns and anxiety for residents, as well as increased scrutiny of railway protocols and demands for reform.
The salvage operation in Florida will take multiple days, with a spokesperson for Seminole Gulf Railroad saying that restoration efforts will be completed by March 6, according to Southern Manatee Fire Rescue Chief Robert Bounds.
One of the tipped-over train cars was carrying 30,000 gallons of liquid propane, Bounds told ABC News.
Since the tanker is undamaged, crews will not try to offload the propane, instead lifting the car with the contents within the tanker.
According to Bounds, a 100-foot section of the railroad is “snapped in half” and uprooted.
“It’s kind of a domino effect,” he said. “The one car jumped the track and flipped, and that’ll pull the next car, and so on and so on until the inertia stops enough that the last car just unbuckled.”
Bounds said that an effort to upright the propane tanker would occur in the coming days.
According to Bounds, crews monitoring the site are equipped with gas-monitoring equipment and local businesses have been notified about the derailment.
The Manatee County Sheriff’s Office is providing security near the site.
“The scene is as safe as it can be right now. Short of that tank being on its side, there is no problem,” Bounds said.
The Florida Department of Transportation will investigate the incident.
(NEW YORK) — The jury in the double murder trial of disgraced South Carolina attorney Alex Murdaugh — who is accused of killing his wife and younger son at the family’s property in 2021 — will travel to the site of the brutal killings on Wednesday ahead of closing arguments.
The bodies of Margaret Murdaugh, 52, and Paul Murdaugh, 22, were found dead from multiple gunshot wounds near the dog kennels at the family’s estate Moselle in June 2021, authorities said.
Alex Murdaugh, 54, who called 911 to report the discovery, was charged with their murders 13 months later.
The defense argued that it would be useful for the jury to visit the 1,772-acre hunting estate in Islandton to get a sense of the space in which the killings took place.
“You just can’t really appreciate the spatial issues without actually seeing them,” defense attorney Richard Harpootlian told the court on Monday.
Prosecutors had argued against the visit to Moselle, given that the property has changed in the 20 months since the killings, but Judge Clifton Newman ruled in favor of the defense on Monday.
The jurors are slated to travel to the property, which is under contract for $3.9 million, Wednesday morning amid tight security. No questions can be asked and no talking will be allowed on the trip. The judge has warned them that some things have changed on the property since the crime occurred.
Following the trip, court is expected to resume around 11 a.m., at which point the attorneys will argue charges for how the jury will be instructed to deliberate.
Once those rules are established, closing arguments will take place, then the judge will charge the jury before deliberations into the high-profile case begin.
Over the past nearly six weeks, the jury has heard from over 60 witnesses called by state prosecutors, who have argued that Alex Murdaugh killed his wife and son to gain sympathy and distract from his financial problems.
Prosecutors have focused on footage taken from Paul Murdaugh’s cellphone the night of the murders, including a video taken at the kennels several minutes before the victims were believed to be killed that investigators said has Alex Murdaugh talking in the background. Alex Murdaugh told investigators early in the case that he was not down by the kennels that night and had last seen his wife and son at dinner before finding bodies upon returning home from visiting his mother.
The defense has called 14 witnesses, including Alex Murdaugh himself, who during hours of at-times emotional testimony admitted to stealing from his clients and lying to investigators about his whereabouts the night of the murders but repeatedly denied fatally shooting his wife and son.
The defense has argued that police ignored the possibility that anyone else could have killed them and called experts who said investigators did not adequately examine the crime scene. On Monday, in one of their last witnesses before resting, the defense brought a crime scene expert to the stand who said he believed the killings were likely committed by two people.
Before resting on Tuesday, prosecutors brought forward experts to dispute some of the defense witnesses’ theories on how the shootings occurred and called former Murdaugh law partner Ronnie Crosby to the stand to discuss Alex Murdaugh’s tactics as a trial attorney.
“You asked me what kind of lawyer Alex was, and I told you he was a good lawyer,” Crosby said. “One of the things that I think I explained to you was that he was of a theatrical type presence in the courtroom and he could get very emotional doing closing arguments in front of a jury.”
Alex Murdaugh faces 30 years to life in prison without parole if convicted of the killings, for which he has pleaded not guilty.
(EAST PALESTINE, Ohio) — A freight train carrying hazardous materials derailed on Feb. 3 near East Palestine, Ohio, sending toxic chemicals into the air, soil and creeks in the area.
The incident has caused lingering concerns and anxiety for residents of the town, located near the Ohio-Pennsylvania border, as well as increased scrutiny of railway regulations and calls for reform.
Here’s a look at what’s unfolded so far.
Feb. 3
About 50 cars of a freight train operated by Norfolk Southern derailed in a fiery crash on the outskirts of East Palestine around 8:54 p.m. local time. Security camera footage from a local residence captured roughly 40 minutes before the derailment showed sparks and flames under one of the 149 railcars — which could have been a wheel bearing overheating, according to the National Transportation Safety Board.
Eleven of the derailed cars were transporting hazardous materials, five of which contained vinyl chloride, a highly volatile colorless gas produced for commercial uses. Several cars were also carrying ethyl acrylate and isobutylene, which are considered to be very toxic and possibly carcinogenic, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the National Institutes for Health.
First responders started evacuating residents within 1 mile of the derailment site, impacting up to 2,000 residents. There were no injuries reported from the accident, according to officials.
Feb. 5
Amid concerns an explosion could take place, authorities ordered a mandatory evacuation of homes and businesses within a mile of the derailment site.
Feb. 6
Authorities expanded the evacuation zone to within 2 miles of the derailment site.
Around 4:40 p.m., responders began an hourslong controlled release and burn of vinyl chloride in five derailed tanker cars, which were carrying 115,580 gallons of the flammable gas, that lasted for several hours. A large ball of fire and a plume of black smoke filled with contaminants could be seen billowing high into the sky from the smoldering derailment site as the controlled burn took place, prompting concerns from residents about the potential effects.
Feb. 8
A mandatory evacuation order was lifted after air and water samples taken the day before were deemed safe, officials said.
Feb. 10
The EPA reported in a letter to Norfolk Southern that vinyl chloride, butyl acrylate, ethylhexyl acrylate and ethylene glycol monobutyl ether were released during the incident and have been detected in samples from several creeks near the derailment site.
Feb. 13
In an open letter, Norfolk Southern Railway President and CEO Alan Shaw stated that the company was committing $1 million to a community support fund as a “down payment” on its contribution to rebuilding the village.
“I hear you, we hear you,” Shaw said. “My simple answer is that we are here and will stay here for as long as it takes to ensure your safety and to help East Palestine recover and thrive.”
Feb. 15
Residents confronted local, state and federal officials during a town hall, where many voiced health and safety concerns a week after the evacuation order was lifted and called for assurances that the testing will protect themselves and their loved ones before moving back into their homes.
State and federal officials have maintained that the air, soil and water surrounding the crash site remain safe enough for residents to return — and that contaminated waterways were contained.
Feb. 16
Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine spoke with White House officials and requested on-the-ground federal assistance in East Palestine, according to his office.
Feb. 17
A plume filled with contaminants that floated over the Ohio River in the wake of the incident had “completely dissipated,” DeWine told reporters.
Feb. 18
The Federal Emergency Management Agency deployed a team to East Palestine to help support the ongoing operations.
Feb. 19
U.S. Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg sent a three-page letter to Norfolk Southern Railway’s president, accusing the company of repeatedly prioritizing profit over safety.
“The future must not resemble the past when it comes to your company’s and your industry’s follow-through on support for stringent safety policies,” Buttigieg wrote. “Major derailments in the past have been followed by calls for reform — and by vigorous resistance by your industry to increased safety measures. This must change.”
Feb. 21
U.S. EPA Administrator Michael Regan announced that his agency ordered Norfolk Southern “to conduct all necessary actions associated with the cleanup from the East Palestine train derailment.”
The rail operator will be required to continue cleaning up the contaminated soil and water and transport it safely; reimburse the EPA for cleaning services; and attend public meetings at the EPA’s request and share information. If Norfolk Southern does not comply, the company will be ordered to pay triple the cost, according to Regan.
Meanwhile, amid residents’ health concerns, a medical clinic opened in East Palestine run by the Ohio Department of Health and the Columbiana County Health Department and supported by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
Feb. 22
Former President Donald Trump visited East Palestine, during which he delivered remarks at the East Palestine Fire House and toured an Ohio River tributary near the site of the derailment.
Feb. 23
The National Transportation Safety Board released preliminary findings from its ongoing investigation into the derailment, noting the surveillance video that showed “what appeared to be a wheel bearing in the final stage of overheat failure moments before the derailment.” During a press conference, NTSB Chair Jennifer Homendy called the derailment “100% preventable” and said it was “no accident.”
Meanwhile, the Ohio Department of Natural Resources announced that the number of aquatic life killed as a result of the derailment — including small fish, crayfish, amphibians and macroinvertebrates — is estimated to be around 5,500.
Buttigieg also visited East Palestine for the first time in the wake of the crash.
Feb. 24
In an exclusive interview, President Joe Biden told ABC News anchor David Muir that he’s “made it clear” to officials on the ground that “anything they need, we’ll make it available to them.” The comments came after East Palestine’s mayor called it a “slap in the face” that Biden traveled to Ukraine while his town felt forgotten in the weeks after the crisis.
Meanwhile, Norfolk Southern announced additional donations to the community of East Palestine, including $300,000 for the school district “without condition.”
Feb. 27
In letters sent to Norfolk Southern and other major U.S. freight rail companies, Buttigieg said he expects the industry to work in tandem with Congress and the U.S. Department of Transportation to improve safety, strengthen accountability and prevent future disasters in the wake of the East Palestine derailment, while calling on Norfolk Southern to join a program that would allow its employees to voluntarily and confidentially report close calls.
So far, approximately 4,832 cubic yards of contaminated soil and 1.8 million gallons of liquid waste have been collected for disposal from the derailment site, according to the Ohio governor’s office, which cited the Ohio EPA.
ABC News’ Morgan Winsor, Sasha Pezenik and Emmanuelle Saliba contributed to this report.
(BOSTON) — The Federal Aviation Administration is investigating another close call involving two jets at Boston Logan International Airport. The FAA said a Learjet took off from a runway without clearance from air traffic control while a JetBlue flight was preparing to land on an intersecting runway.
The agency said air traffic control instructed the Learjet pilot to line up and wait on runway 9 while the JetBlue plane landed on an intersecting runway. The Learjet pilot read back the instructions, “but began a takeoff roll instead,” the FAA said in a statement.
The JetBlue pilot “took evasive action and initiated a climb-out as the Learjet crossed the intersection,” the FAA said.
The agency did not say how close the planes were to each other.
In a statement to ABC News, JetBlue said, “Safety is JetBlue’s first priority and our crews are trained to react to situations like this. We will assist authorities as they investigate this incident.”
The incident, first reported by NBC News, is the latest in a series of recent close calls under investigation by the FAA.
In December of last year, a United Airlines flight bound for San Francisco experienced a sudden loss in altitude over the Pacific Ocean. Shortly after takeoff from Maui, the Boeing 777 dropped to just 775 feet above the water in less than 20 seconds, according to data from FlightRadar24. The plane was then able to regain altitude and continue on to its final destination.
In January, an American Airlines flight crossed a runway at New York’s JFK Airport without clearance from air traffic control. A Delta Air Lines flight was taking off from that same runway and was forced to abort its takeoff, according to the National Transportation Safety Board.
The two aircraft came within about 1,400 feet of each other, according to a preliminary report from the NTSB.
In another January incident, a United Airlines flight crossed a runway at Honolulu International Airport without clearance from air traffic control. A Cessna was landing on the same runway at the time, the FAA said. The Cessna came to a stop approximately 1,170 feet from the United flight, according to the agency.
In February, a FedEx cargo plane was cleared to land at Austin-Bergstrom International Airport in Texas, just as a Southwest flight was cleared to take off from the same runway, according to the FAA.
As the FedEx plane was landing, the Southwest plane began its takeoff; the planes came within 100 feet of each other, according to the NTSB.
Acting FAA Administrator Billy Nolen announced earlier this month the agency would establish a safety review team to examine the nation’s aerospace system — saying the group will look at structure, culture, systems and integration of safety efforts.
“We are experiencing the safest period in aviation history, but we cannot take this for granted,” Nolen said in a hearing on Capitol Hill. “Recent events remind us that we must not become complacent. Now is the time to stare into the data and ask hard questions.”
(ORLANDO, Fla.) — A new document reveals that a 9-year-old girl screamed, “He shot me!” after a gunman allegedly broke into her home and fatally shot her during a series of shootings in Orlando, Florida, that killed three and injured two.
Keith Moses, 19, was arrested last Wednesday in connection to the three shootings, the Orange County Sheriff’s Office said.
“The fact that he was smiling after killing a 9-year-old and killing two other innocent victims … just tells me he’s just a very evil, evil person and needs to go away for the rest of his life,” Orange County Sheriff John Mina said at a news conference Tuesday.
The first shooting claimed the life of 38-year-old Nathacha Augustin on Wednesday morning, authorities said. Moses’ cousin said he witnessed the shooting inside a car, according to an arrest warrant affidavit.
Then, Spectrum News 13 reporter Dylan Lyons, 24, was shot and killed, and photojournalist Jesse Walden, 29, was shot and injured, while the journalists were near their car on Wednesday afternoon, the sheriff’s office said.
Walden later told police he and Lyons had just arrived on the scene to report about Augustin’s slaying when a gunman fired multiple shots at him, according to the new arrest warrant affidavit.
Walden, who was hospitalized in critical condition, was released from the hospital on Monday, Orlando ABC affiliate WFTV reported.
After Lyons and Walden were shot, 9-year-old T’yonna Major was gunned down in her nearby home, and T’yonna’s mother was shot and injured, according to the sheriff’s office.
T’yonna’s mother later told police she woke up to the sound of T’yonna screaming “He shot me!” according to the arrest warrant affidavit. T’yonna was shot twice in her torso, according to the affidavit.
The 9-year-old’s mother is expected to make a full recovery, the sheriff said.
No motive is known, the sheriff said.
Moses was initially charged with the first-degree murder of Nathacha Augustin, authorities said. He’s now facing additional charges, including the first-degree murders of Dylan Lyons and T’yonna Major and the attempted first-degree murders of Jesse Walden and T’yonna’s mother, according to the arrest warrant affidavit.
(NEW YORK) — A dangerous storm is on the move, bringing snow and rain to the Northeast on Tuesday morning.
New York City received its biggest snowfall of the season, with 1.8 inches on the ground in Central Park and up to 5.6 inches in the Bronx.
Parts of upstate New York have recorded 7 inches of snow so far, with more coming down.
Mount Pocono in Pennsylvania saw 7.5 inches while Wantage in northern New Jersey recorded 6.4 inches.
It’s still snowing in Hartford, Connecticut, where 5.5 inches of snow is on the ground so far. Plainfield, Massachusetts, is buried under 8 inches.
The snow is moving through upstate New York and New England Tuesday morning. Several more inches of snow is forecast for eastern New England, including Boston.
The snow will leave eastern New England by the evening.
The same storm first brought at least seven reported tornadoes from Illinois to Ohio on Monday afternoon.
Baseball-sized hail was reported in Ohio and wind gusts neared 60 mph from Missouri to Tennessee.
More severe weather is in store for this week in the Heartland and the Deep South.
On Wednesday, severe weather will impact an area from Texas to Tennessee, with Memphis and Little Rock, Arkansas, in the bull’s-eye.
On Thursday, tornadoes, damaging winds and large hail are possible from Dallas to Memphis, Tennessee to Jackson, Mississippi.
On Friday, the severe weather will move into the Southeast, bringing damaging winds and possibly tornadoes to Birmingham, Alabama; Atlanta; and Charlotte, North Carolina.
(NEW YORK) — Rare snowfall in parts of Southern California has left scores of people stranded this week as winter storms sweep across the United States.
About 600 elementary and middle school students from Orange County’s Irvine Unified School District were unable to return home last Friday from class trips to outdoor education camps in the San Bernardino Mountains due to closed and impassible roads from heavy snowfall, according to Los Angeles ABC station KABC-TV. The students and their chaperones were forced to stay there over the weekend.
On Monday, Irvine Unified School District Superintendent Terry Walker said she was informed by the California Highway Patrol (CHP) and the California Department of Transportation that, “at this time, the roads are safe for travel by our buses.”
“We have mobilized resources and are implementing our plan to bring students down the mountain safely and as soon as possible,” Walker wrote in an email to parents. “The buses will be escorted up and down the mountain by the CHP. We will need to use available snow certified buses and drivers to transport children down the mountain, where they will be transferred to additional school buses for the ride home. This process is going to take time and I ask for your patience as we manage working with multiple agencies, first responders, camp and school staff and transportation officials. If anything should change regarding road, weather or other unforeseen circumstances, we will immediately communicate with you.”
“To support an efficient exit from camp, students will be taking their backpacks with essentials only today. Camp staff will return luggage to our school at the earliest possible time,” she added. “Our first priority is getting everyone out of camp while road and weather conditions permit safe travel.”
Meanwhile, San Bernardino County declared a local emergency on Monday “after residents of mountain communities found themselves trapped at home or unable to reach home due to several feet of snow that fell over the weekend, with more to follow during the next several days,” according to a press release. The declaration seeks state and federal assistance to clear snow from mountain highways and neighborhood streets and to support any other necessary work and services.
“Today’s emergency declaration is an important step which will elevate the state’s response to this extreme weather event,” Dawn Rowe, chair of the San Bernardino County Board of Supervisors, said in a statement. “Our team of state and local partners will continue working round-the-clock on a coordinated and comprehensive strategy to bring relief and resources to our residents, while also prioritizing the safety of all.”
Although “crews have been working tirelessly” to clear “key routes for first responders,” with progress “being made in some residential areas,” San Bernardino County said in Monday’s press release that “there is no estimate for when mountain highways will open to public traffic or when residential areas will be safe for local travel.”
So far, crews have successfully plowed most of San Bernardino County’s primary roads across the mountain, with a focus on “creating arterial access from the state highways,” according to the press release. Secondary roads will be plowed “once primary roads are passable,” the county said. When the storms stop, crews “will begin to work on the widening and clearing of roads,” according to the press release.
“All agencies are asking mountain residents and non-residents not currently on the mountain to avoid the area and allow road crews, first responders, and supply vehicles priority access to the limited number of roads that have been cleared,” San Bernardino County noted in Monday’s press release. “The Sheriff’s Department and other first responders have had to divert resources to assist with several search and rescue calls for individuals engaged in non-essential travel across the mountain region. This is why agencies urge the public to be patient and respect the travel restrictions and road closures.”
Both San Bernardino County and the American Red Cross have established an emergency shelter and resource center for mountain residents who cannot get home at Redlands East Valley High School.
Last week, a massive winter storm left California buried under 84 inches of snow in some places and flooded with more than 11 inches of rain in others. Tens of thousands of customers across the Golden State were still without power on Monday, according to data collected by the website PowerOutage.us.
Another storm is forecast to hit the West Coast this week, bringing even more snow to the mountains and additional rain to the shores. The National Weather Service has issued a blizzard warning for the Sierra Nevada mountains in northern Californian, where 5 to 8 feet of local snowfall could accumulate.
The new system is expected to move into Southern California on Tuesday afternoon or evening, potentially dumping heavy rain on the coastal hills where mudslides have already occurred. The National Weather Service has issued a winter storm warning for the Southern California mountains, where local snowfall of 2 to 3 feet could accumulate to over 5,000 feet.
(NEW YORK) — U.S. Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg is calling on the rail operator at the center of a hazardous train derailment in Ohio to join a program that would allow its employees to voluntarily and confidentially report close calls.
In letters sent Monday to Norfolk Southern Railway and other major U.S. freight rail companies, Buttigieg said he expects the industry to work in tandem with Congress and the U.S. Department of Transportation to improve safety, strengthen accountability and prevent future disasters in the wake of the Feb. 3 derailment in East Palestine, Ohio.
“It is unacceptable that Norfolk Southern could be satisfied with the status quo. Inaction is not an option,” Buttigieg wrote. “On February 21st, our Department laid out several actions that Norfolk Southern and its peers could take immediately to improve rail safety. This included joining the Confidential Close Call Reporting System (C3RS), an important step you could and should undertake today. This common-sense program encourages employees to report safety hazards, including conditions that could lead to derailments, by protecting these workers from reprisal when they come forward. Research has shown that this program works to reduce collisions, injuries, and deaths because it encourages corrective action.”
Yet, as Buttigieg noted, “not one major freight rail company participates” in the program.
“By refusing to take this commonsense step, you are sending an undesirable message about your level of commitment to the safety of your workers and the American communities where you operate,” the secretary wrote.
Although Buttigieg is currently “asking” Norfolk Southern and others to join C3RS, he said his department “proceeds to take appropriate steps toward making this program mandatory.” The secretary added that he “would like a reply by the end of the week, so that your answer is confirmed by the time I present the public with a summary of which companies have agreed to this important safety measure and which have refused.”
“Americans will be interested to know whether Norfolk Southern is willing to take this basic step to address safety and help prevent future disasters like the one that occurred in East Palestine, Ohio,” he wrote, “and I hope you will welcome this opportunity to demonstrate your intentions.”
When asked for comment on Monday, a Norfolk Southern spokesperson was noncommittal in their response but said the company is “actively participating” in the C3RS Working Group that is part of the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Railroad Safety Advisory Committee. Participating in the working group is not the same as taking part in the program that Buttigieg wrote about in his letter.
The spokesperson also noted that Norfolk Southern has its own close call reporting program.
“Norfolk Southern has a close call experience program that encourages employees to report instances they consider to be close calls confidentially through an online portal,” the spokesperson told ABC News. “Our safety and environmental department, along with local safety committees, review the reports to capture teachable moments, which are then shared with employees to improve safety and encourage additional reporting.”
On the night of Feb. 3, about 50 cars of a Norfolk Southern freight train derailed in a fiery crash on the outskirts of East Palestine, which is nestled near Ohio’s state line with Pennsylvania. Eleven of the derailed cars were transporting hazardous materials, five of which contained vinyl chloride, a highly volatile colorless gas produced for commercial uses. Several cars were also carrying ethyl acrylate and isobutylene, which are considered to be very toxic and possibly carcinogenic. There were no injuries reported from the accident, according to officials.
Efforts to contain a fire at the derailment site stalled the following night, as firefighters withdrew from the blaze due to concerns about air quality and explosions. About half of East Palestine’s roughly 4,700 residents were warned to leave before officials decided on Feb. 6 to conduct a controlled release and burn of the toxic vinyl chloride from the five tanker cars, which were in danger of exploding. A large ball of fire and a plume of black smoke filled with contaminants could be seen billowing high into the sky from the smoldering derailment site as the controlled burn took place that afternoon, prompting concerns from residents about the potential effects.
A mandatory evacuation order for homes and businesses within a one-mile radius of the derailment site was lifted on Feb. 8, after air and water samples taken the day before were deemed safe, officials said.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency deployed a team to East Palestine on Feb. 18 to help support the ongoing operations there.
On Feb. 23, the National Transportation Safety Board released preliminary findings from its ongoing investigation into the Feb. 3 derailment. The NTSB report reads, in part: “Surveillance video from a local residence showed what appeared to be a wheel bearing in the final stage of overheat failure moments before the derailment. The wheel bearing and affected wheelset have been collected as evidence and will be examined by the NTSB.” During a press conference, NTSB Chair Jennifer Homendy called the derailment “100% preventable” and said it was “no accident.”
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Michael Regan announced on Feb. 21 that his agency is ordering Norfolk Southern “to conduct all necessary actions associated with the cleanup from the East Palestine train derailment.” The Atlanta-based rail operator will be required to continue cleaning up the contaminated soil and water and transport it safely; reimburse the EPA for cleaning services; and attend public meetings at the EPA’s request and share information. If Norfolk Southern does not comply, the company will be ordered to pay triple the cost, according to Regan.
On Feb. 25, the U.S. EPA ordered the waste removal to be paused for one day “so that additional oversight measures could be put in place to supervise where Norfolk Southern disposes of the contaminated materials,” according to a press release from the office of Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine. Norfolk Southern has since resumed removing contaminated soil and liquid from the derailment site.
As of Feb. 27, approximately 4,832 cubic yards of contaminated soil and 1.8 million gallons of liquid waste has been collected for disposal from the derailment site, according to the governor’s office, which cited the Ohio EPA. Norfolk Southern has not said which chemicals were found in the material that was removed.
Of the contaminated soil excavated from the derailment site, approximately 280 tons were disposed of a licensed hazardous waste disposal facility in Michigan, prior to the U.S. EPA’s one-day pause, DeWine’s office said. An additional 28-cubic-yard boxes of contaminated soil were sent Monday to a licensed hazardous waste disposal facility in East Liverpool, Ohio. More contaminated soil will be collected from the derailment site when Norfolk Southern begins removing the rails, according to the governor’s office.
Of the liquid waste removed from the derailment site, approximately 1.249 million gallons were disposed of at a licensed solid waste disposal facility in Texas and 319,002 gallons were disposed of at a licensed solid waste disposal facility in Michigan. Both disposals took place prior to the U.S. EPA’s one-day pause, DeWine’s office said. Another approximately 94,372 gallons were disposed of at a licensed solid waste disposal facility in Vickery, Ohio, which took place both before and after the pause. More contaminated liquid will be collected as the cleanup process progresses, according to the governor’s office.
DeWine’s office said the U.S. EPA has conducted indoor air testing at a total of 578 homes in East Palestine and no contaminants associated with the Feb. 3 derailment have been detected. Meanwhile, outdoor air monitoring remains ongoing with 15 air monitors in the area, which similarly have not yet detected any contaminants associated with the incident.
The Ohio EPA will continue to test East Palestine’s municipal water supply once a week “out of an abundance of caution” to ensure it is safe to drink, according to the governor’s office. While the majority of homes in the area get drinking water from the municipal supply, some get theirs from private wells. To date, the Columbiana County General Health District has tested 126 private wells in the East Palestine area and results have been returned for 19 of those wells, none of which showed evidence of contaminants linked to the Feb. 3 derailment, DeWine’s office said.
The governor’s office said residents whose drinking water is sourced from private wells should continue drinking bottled water until the testing results are returned. Officials have underscored that those who get their drinking water from private wells should get it tested, especially since those wells may be closer to the surface than municipal water wells and thus potentially easier for any contaminants to seep into.
DeWine’s office said the process of “sediment washing” has begun in both Sulphur Run and Leslie Run, two creeks that flow through downtown East Palestine and near the derailment site. A private contractor has finished the first round and was expected to start the second round on Monday, according to DeWine’s office, which noted that “additional rounds of sediment washing may take place in the future.”
“Much of the contamination remaining in these waterways is attached to the sediment in the creek beds, which is why contaminants can be seen rising to the surface of the water when the ground beneath the water is disturbed,” DeWine’s office said. “The process involves disturbing the sediment to release the contaminants to the surface of the water, and the contaminants are then removed from the water by vacuum trucks.”
Meanwhile, final necropsy results for four wild animals found dead in the East Palestine area showed “no findings to support chemical toxicity as a cause of death,” according to DeWine’s office.
(SAN FRANCISCO) — The San Francisco Police Department is urgently looking for an “at risk” radio DJ who hasn’t been seen or heard from since last Thursday, according to authorities.
Jeffrey Vandergrift, a popular 54-year-old radio DJ for Wild 94.9 — a top 40 radio station that serves the San Francisco Bay area — was last seen at his home in the 200 block of King Street in San Francisco on Thursday, Feb. 23 at approximately 10 p.m., according to a statement issued by the San Francisco Police Department asking for public assistance in locating him.
Vandergrift, who police say is “at risk,” is 6’0” tall, weighs approximately 180 pounds, is bald, has brown eyes and several tattoos, including on his arms and one above his right ear, authorities said.
“As you know, our own JV has been missing since Thursday night and was officially reported missing this past Friday by the SFPD,” Wild 94.9 wrote in a statement on their website published Monday evening. “Since that time, there has been no trackable activity on his cell phone. There has also been no activity on his credit cards or any other banking records. These updates are obviously incredibly worrisome, though we continue to hope and pray for better news.”
Police officer Roberto Rueca of the San Francisco Police Department spoke briefly about the case on Monday afternoon.
“Our investigation involves trying to see any clues for the usage of electronics, seeing the usage of his electronic funds and we’re not disclosing any of that information that we may or may not have found but that is part of the investigation,” Rueca said, according to ABC News’ San Francisco station KGO-TV.
Anyone who has any information about Vandegrift is asked to call the SFPD Tip Line at 1-415-575-4444.
Many listeners tuned in on Monday morning to get the latest info on the DJ’s disappearance, with many expressing hope that he would be found safely.
“I’m keeping hope alive,” said one listener, according to KGO.
“JV, if you’re out there listening, we love you buddy,” said another.
“Let’s continue to please think of his wife, his family, his mom, his sister, his brother, his nephews, his goddaughter, everyone,” said one of his on-air radio colleagues.
Said Wild 94.9: “We are continuing to work closely with JV’s wife Natasha as well as the police department. JV is loved by everyone here at Wild 94-9 and iHeartMedia, and we know he is equally beloved by his bay area listening family. We are asking for your continued prayers for both JV, his wife Natasha, and his entire family.”
(NEW YORK) — The California Lottery is maintaining it verified the rightful winner of the record-breaking $2.04 billion Powerball jackpot, after a man claimed he had the winning ticket before it was stolen from him.
In a lawsuit filed on Feb. 22 in Los Angeles County Superior Court, Jose Rivera claimed he purchased the winning ticket at Joe’s Service Center in Altadena the day before the drawing, but it was stolen by someone named “Reggie” who is a defendant in the suit, on the same day.
State officials pushed back against Rivera’s claim that he is the lottery winner, reiterating that Edwin Castro is the proper winner, as it announced on Feb. 14.
“When it comes to the vetting process for big winners, California Lottery has the utmost confidence in its process for doing so,” Carolyn Becker, a spokesperson for the California Lottery, told ABC News in a statement. “California Lottery remains confident that Edwin Castro is the rightful winner of the $2.04 billion prize stemming from the Powerball drawing in November of 2022.”
Rivera reportedly asked Reggie to return the ticket to him after the winning numbers were announced, but he refused, claiming that Reggie was trying to blackmail him into splitting the jackpot 50/50, according to the lawsuit.
Rivera said he does not know the real name of Reggie, which is a fictitious name, according to the lawsuit.
“The true names … are unknown to plaintiff at this time and, therefore, plaintiff sues said defendants by said fictitious names, and when the true names and capacities of said defendant are ascertained, plaintiff will amend this complaint accordingly,” the suit said.
The California Lottery announced Castro won $2.04 billion after he bought the winning ticket at Joe’s Service Center ahead of the Nov. 8 drawing.
According to the complaint, Rivera submitted a claim to the California Lottery after learning that Castro was the winner, saying that his ticket was stolen and that his win needed to be investigated by authorities and the California Lottery.
The California Lottery told ABC News in a statement that it isn’t “authorized to investigate criminal activity among its players” and that investigations are left up by local law enforcement officials.
It added, “should a local law enforcement agency investigate such allegations, Lottery’s only role is to assist in the matter by answering questions and/or providing evidence as allowed under the law.”
In a Feb. 17 letter to the California Lottery, Rivera requested to view the video of the winning ticket being purchased.
“Rivera is willing to fully cooperate with your investigation, including meeting with your investigators to give a detailed statement concerning the purchase and theft of the ticket, along with threats of blackmail,” the letter said, according to the lawsuit. “We request an opportunity to view the video depicting the date and time of the purchase of the winning lottery ticket at Joe’s Service Center in Altadena, California, where Mr. Rivera purchased the ticket on November 7, 2022. We also look forward to viewing any video that purports to depict Edwin Castro purchasing the winning ticket.”
Rivera’s lawyers did not immediately respond to ABC News’ request for comment.
Castro did not appear publicly when claiming the ticket, choosing to remain private, but said in a statement that he was “shocked and ecstatic to have won” and was happy that his win would be financially beneficial for the state’s public education system, according to the California Lottery.
Castro took the cash value of his winnings, totaling $997.6 million, state officials said in a press release.
Rivera’s lawsuit names California, the state’s lottery commission, Castro and Reggie as defendants.
