Michigan Train Derailment

A freight train pulling at least one car carrying agricultural materials derailed yesterday near Michigan's Van Buren township, just west of Detroit. It is the second such incident in the Michigan-Ohio-Pennsylvania corridor in two weeks; initial reports suggest no hazardous material was released.

The crash follows the Feb. 3 derailment of a train transporting multiple cars worth of hazardous materials near East Palestine, Ohio (see video). Emergency crews were required to carry out a controlled burn of the leaked chemicals, releasing toxic hydrogen chloride and phosgene gas—a WWI chemical weapon—into the atmosphere, spurring a milewide evacuation.

Ohio residents have heavily criticized the government's response to the crash, citing unanswered questions about water contamination, reports of dead animals, and long-term health and environmental effects. The frustration came to a head Wednesday after the rail firm responsible for the crash, Norfolk Southern, pulled out of a meeting with residents.

Tests have reportedly shown no contamination in East Palestine's water system; read the preliminary National Transportation Safety Board report on the crash here.