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CDC team studying East Palestine train derailment fell ill during investigation

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101–110 of 184 posts

Re: CDC team studying East Palestine train derailment fell ill during investigation

#101
post #88

I'm really worried about the effects on the food supply chain. The plume of chemical vapors covered a significant proportion this country's breadbasket. Corn, wheat and soybean fields got sprinkled with carcinogens, they will be harvested, turned into flours and processed derivatives, and could end up in practically any processed food on grocery store shelves. Does anyone have a reassuring reason why I shouldn't be w…

Relax, unless the grains were grown next door and you got that batch of corn or flour you'll be fine. Otherwise it's going to be very diluted. There are tons of carcinogens around, East Palestine is the least of your worries unless you live near there. (I have zero scientific background)

I would expect that most food is processed in batches, so there could be a few batches that are very dangerous, but most would be completely unaffected (assuming the chemicals don't persist through whatever cleaning/batch changeover processes)

Re: CDC team studying East Palestine train derailment fell ill during investigation

#102
post #87

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The CDC is full of shit. It’s not complicated.

What does the CDC have to gain by downplaying the seriousness of this disaster?

Loss of government credibility for telling people that they were in no danger while clouds of toxins were visible overhead? If there is one thing you can out on, it is that government agencies will always circle the wagons to cover up malfeasance and/or incompetence.

Re: CDC team studying East Palestine train derailment fell ill during investigation

#103

Wow, why do bad things happen to all the investigators sent to look into mishaps in Ohio? https://katv.com/news/local/authorities-responding-to-plane-...

> A Little Rock-based environmental consulting firm confirmed that all five people onboard the plane, including the pilot, were members of their company. Not "investigators"...

Don't know why you are downvoted, maybe because you are unclear.

Most of the people sent on site to perform tests and surveys are private contractors payed by the train company (Norfolk Southern) [0]. This is 1980 USSR level of corruption.

[0] https://www.propublica.org/article/east-palestine-ohio-norfo...

Re: CDC team studying East Palestine train derailment fell ill during investigation

#104
post #3

That whole disaster was terribly handled. From The sec of transportation dragging his feel by weeks, to the president being dismissive and the train company saying no big deal... go back home, it's safe! I hope Erin can help to bring the attention and justice this disaster deserves. At least GWB, though a contemptible fellow otherwise, took his frat attitude up in a chopper to survey Katrina.

What's the last solely environmental catastrophe a president has visited? People died in Katrina. There were no immediate deaths from this environmental catastrophe.

Obama visited Flynt. Even drank the water.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u2ZynkD3N_k

Re: CDC team studying East Palestine train derailment fell ill during investigation

#105
post #88

I'm really worried about the effects on the food supply chain. The plume of chemical vapors covered a significant proportion this country's breadbasket. Corn, wheat and soybean fields got sprinkled with carcinogens, they will be harvested, turned into flours and processed derivatives, and could end up in practically any processed food on grocery store shelves. Does anyone have a reassuring reason why I shouldn't be w…

> The plume of chemical vapors covered a significant proportion this country's breadbasket.

Does anybody have a scientific (not clickbait) citation for this?

The quick HYSPLIT plume simulation I ran[0] showed the plume crossing over New England on its way to the Atlantic. There is agriculture there, but I would hardly describe it as the nation's bread basket.

Don't get me wrong, there's a lot of contamination of the food supply from pesticides and soil-accumulating heavy metals in fertilizers. Buying local and organic food isn't paranoid, but it would be a mistake to over-attribute these pollution sources to the East Palestine incident.

[0] https://www.ready.noaa.gov/hypub-bin/hyresults.pl?jobidno=28...

Re: CDC team studying East Palestine train derailment fell ill during investigation

#106
post #87

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The CDC is full of shit. It’s not complicated.

What does the CDC have to gain by downplaying the seriousness of this disaster?

Immediately before this accident, the rail workers were striking over inadequate safety rules.

Multiple trains derailed in East Palistine. Netflix even filmed a documentary about it there.

Knowing all that, both parties sided with the railways and voted to force the rail workers back to work.

Post accident, audio recordings of a railway supervisor ordering safety inspectors to ignore safety issues were released.

Poisoning an entire town is not a good look for either the Democrats or the Republicans, so the CDC has every political incentive possible to downplay this incident, regardless of who wins the next election.

Re: CDC team studying East Palestine train derailment fell ill during investigation

#107

This sounds like CDC workers will have a big lawsuit against the CDC. Their employment contract can't possibly be so bullet proof as to fully waive their right to this? They should have sufficient protective equipment when investigating these types of disasters.

> Their employment contract can't possibly be so bullet proof as to fully waive their right to this?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sovereign_immunity_in_the_Unit...

Re: CDC team studying East Palestine train derailment fell ill during investigation

#108
post #98

Earlier quoted context omitted.

But toxic chemicals weren't burning at the time they walked around, right?

Right, just the toxic combustion byproducts.

Air quality sampling indicates they had dissipated if I understand correctly.

Re: CDC team studying East Palestine train derailment fell ill during investigation

#109
post #79

It’s possible there is a benign explanation (spring is allergy season after all), but it’s insane that the government hasn’t been erring in the side of caution throughout this incident.

Could also be psychosomatic.

Re: CDC team studying East Palestine train derailment fell ill during investigation

#110

Earlier quoted context omitted.

What does the CDC have to gain by downplaying the seriousness of this disaster?

Loss of government credibility for telling people that they were in no danger while clouds of toxins were visible overhead? If there is one thing you can out on, it is that government agencies will always circle the wagons to cover up malfeasance and/or incompetence.

That's exactly why, if anything, the CDC is incentivized to overstate the risk. Credibility is their stock in trade.
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