April 2023 - News - lists.bikelover.org

First Responders Challenged by Chemicals at Train Derailment(s)
by Frack Check WV: Diana Gooding 20 Apr '23

20 Apr '23

# [First Responders Challenged by Chemicals at Train Derailment(s)](https://www.frackcheckwv.net/2023/04/20/first-responders- challenged-by-chemicals-at-train-derailments/) [![](https://www.frackcheckwv.net/wp- content/uploads/2023/04/10EFBD76-2B33-4D8A-BBE1-219BF4B004B81-300x168.jpg)]… content/uploads/2023/04/10EFBD76-2B33-4D8A-BBE1-219BF4B004B81.jpeg) Tank car chemicals intentionally set on fire to speed the “cleanup” process **East Palestine First Responders Faced Communications Gap With Railroad** Article by [Curtis Tate, West Virginia Public Broadcasting](https://wvpublic.org/east-palestine-first-responders-faced- communications-gap-with-railroad/), March 23, 2023 **Fire departments from Ohio, Pennsylvania and West Virginia responded to the Feb. 3 Norfolk Southern derailment in East Palestine, Ohio. At first, they didn’t have a lot of information to work with.** **Jennifer Homendy, chairwoman of the National Transportation Safety Board, told the Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee that none of the first responders on the scene had access to an app that was created by the rail industry precisely for that kind of situation.** The AskRail app was created in 2014 to help first responders amid a series of derailments and fires involving trains carrying crude oil and ethanol. Ian Jeffries, CEO of the Association of American Railroads, the industry’s principal lobbying group, said the app needs to be in more hands. “There are a lot of first responders in this country,” he said, “and having 35,000 with the app is absolutely not sufficient, not where we need to be.” U.S. Sen. Shelley Moore Capito of West Virginia, a member of the Commerce Committee, said the railroad also needed to improve its communication. “They were pledging safety and funds to help train, and things of this nature,” she said, “but they still have missed the ball in terms of communications.” **The NTSB is investigating the East Palestine derailment and separately probing Norfolk Southern’s safety culture. Since the Feb. 3 derailment, other crashes have occurred in Michigan, Ohio and Alabama**. Homendy said advance notification of hazardous materials moving through communities is key. “Because they need to be prepared,” she said. “They need to be adequately trained, they need the right gear, and they need to have emergency response planning done in coordination with the railroads.” Capito said a bipartisan bill to improve rail safety was likely coming in the next several months. **Meanwhile, East Palestine first responders were among the first to enroll in a hazardous materials training class in Bellevue, Ohio, paid for by Norfolk Southern. The training class is (now) available to first responders in Ohio, Pennsylvania and West Virginia. The first class began the week of March 23rd (too late).** #######+++++++#######+++++++######### **See Also:** [The Appalachian Chronicle – Fiercely Independent Reporting & Analysis](https://appalachianchronicle.com/) URL: <https://www.frackcheckwv.net/2023/04/20/first-responders-challenged-by- chemicals-at-train-derailments/>

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The West Virginia Hills ~ How Majestic & How Grand!
by Frack Check WV: Duane Nichols 19 Apr '23

19 Apr '23

# [The West Virginia Hills ~ How Majestic & How Grand!](https://www.frackcheckwv.net/2023/04/19/the-west-virginia-hills-how- majestic-how-grand/) [![](https://www.frackcheckwv.net/wp- content/uploads/2023/04/6C4916F2-4795-4777-82C2-6AF747B3A631-232x300.jpg)](… content/uploads/2023/04/6C4916F2-4795-4777-82C2-6AF747B3A631.jpeg) Click on this image to expand it. Hillsboro, Marlinton & Green Bank are in Pocahontas County, WV **Earth Day Open Forum: A Discussion of Emergency Preparedness to be held at Hillsboro Library** From [Michael M. Barrick, The Appalachian Chronicle](https://appalachianchronicle.com/), April 18, 2023 **Howdy Folks! Greetings to West Virginians in All 55 Counties!** This is a brief reminder that the Hillsboro Library Friends are hosting an Open Forum that I will be facilitating, based in part on by book, Fractured Sanctuary: A Chronicle of Grassroots Activists Fighting Pipelines of Destruction in Appalachia. [Details follow](https://appalachianchronicle.com/). Join us if you can and please share the word! Thanks, Pocahontas County is a great place to visit. I hope to see you there or in Morgantown on Sunday @ 3 PM. MMB #######+++++++#######+++++++######## **Hillsboro is Historic in the West Virginia Hills & Mountains** Brigadier General William W. Averell and his Federal troops encountered Confederate troops led by Brigadier General John Echols at Droop Mountain on November 6, 1863. The federal army had encountered Echols while on their second attempt to the Virginia-Tennessee Railroad located at Salem, Virginian. Echols and his troops positioned themselves on the high ground of Droop Mountain, a tactical advantage to the smaller army. However, despite using artillery to block the road, the Confederate troops were overwhelmed by Averell’s men. The Battle of Droop Mountain served as the final significant Civil War battle for the newly formed West Virginia. The site of the battle was declared West Virginia’s first state park on July 4, 1928. In 1892, famous author Pearl S. Buck was born in a large white two-story house at the northern end of Hillsboro. Shortly thereafter, her family, Presbyterian missionaries, returned to China, but her West Virginia roots nevertheless had a significant impact on Pearl through her mother Carrie. The Dutch-style "city house," now on the National Register of Historic Places, has been restored into a museum, The Pearl S. Buck Birthplace. It displays an array of antiques from the 1892 period, including many family originals. Also on the National Register of Historic Places are the Richard Beard House and Locust Creek Covered Bridge. Hillsboro is also featured in the movie Patch Adams, where Dr. Patch Adams purchased land to build a medical clinic based on his philosophy of doctor- patient interaction. A medical clinic is planned but has not yet been constructed, as fund-raising is still underway. Currently, the Gesundheit Institute host people at the facility to engage in learning and volunteering. URL: <https://www.frackcheckwv.net/2023/04/19/the-west-virginia-hills-how- majestic-how-grand/>

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Michael Barrick will Speak on the Book titled “Fractured Sanctuary” on Sunday 4/23/23 @ 3 PM
by Frack Check WV: Duane Nichols 18 Apr '23

18 Apr '23

# [Michael Barrick will Speak on the Book titled “Fractured Sanctuary” on Sunday 4/23/23 @ 3 PM](https://www.frackcheckwv.net/2023/04/18/michael- barrick-will-speak-on-the-book-titled-%e2%80%9cfractured- sanctuary%e2%80%9d-on-sunday-42323-3-pm/) [![](https://www.frackcheckwv.net/wp- content/uploads/2023/04/50C62608-2BD2-4413-9E9C-C6F70E1244AF-300x169.png)](… content/uploads/2023/04/50C62608-2BD2-4413-9E9C-C6F70E1244AF.png) Co-sponsors are the Morgantown Friends (Quaker) Meeting, the Church of the Brethren, the WV Sierra Club and the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Morgantown **PUBLIC MEETING: “Fractured Sanctuary” by Micheal Barrick, 3 PM on April 23rd** [ANNOUNCEMENT, Morgantown Dominion Post, Sunday, April 16, 2023](https://appalachianchronicle.com/2023/04/13/barrick-to-discuss-book- fractured-sanctuary-at-public-meeting-on-april-23-in-morgantown/) At 3 pm on Sunday, April 23rd our speaker will be Michael Barrick on his new book titled 'Fractured Sanctuary'. This open meeting is being held in the public meeting room of the Church of the Brethren, 464 Virginia Avenue, Wiles Hill Neighborhood, Morgantown. (COVID-19 masks are optional.) Our speaker Michael Barrick will describe reluctant, citizen activists providing grassroots resistance against fracking, pipeline construction and other activities in West Virginia and beyond. Telling our stories helps encourage, empower and heal one another, so an open exchange of experiences and ideas will take place. Also, community preparedness and emergency management will be described to meet the many threats residents face in their communities, whether it be fracking, flooding or a major spill of hazardous chemicals as recently happened in East Palestine, Ohio. Michael Barrick was born in Clarksburg and graduated from Glenville State. He holds a postgraduate Certificate in Community Preparedness and Emergency Management from the UNC Gillings School of Global Public Health. He has extensive experience in these areas. The co-sponsors of this event are the WV Interfaith Power & Light, Morgantown Church of the Brethren, WV Sierra Club, Morgantown Friends (Quaker) Meeting and the local Unitarian Universalist Fellowship. **See also:** [The Appalachian Chronicle ~ appalachianchronicle.com](https://appalachianchronicle.com/2023/04/13/barri… to-discuss-book-fractured-sanctuary-at-public-meeting-on-april-23-in- morgantown/) #######+++++++#######+++++++######## **NOTE: SPECIAL SERIES** ~ [HOW CLIMATE-DRIVEN ICE LOSS THREATENS EVERYONE](https://www.npr.org/series/1168056854/beyond-the-poles-ice-melt) ~ Beyond the Poles: The far-reaching dangers of melting ice, National Public Radio, Week of April 17, 2023 URL: <https://www.frackcheckwv.net/2023/04/18/michael-barrick-will-speak-on- the-book-titled-%e2%80%9cfractured-sanctuary%e2%80%9d-on-sunday-42323-3-pm/>

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Chemical Pollutants from Norfolk Southern Train Wreck
by Frack Check WV: Duane Nichols 17 Apr '23

17 Apr '23

# [Chemical Pollutants from Norfolk Southern Train Wreck](https://www.frackcheckwv.net/2023/04/17/chemical-pollutants-from- norfolk-southern-train-wreck/) [![](https://www.frackcheckwv.net/wp- content/uploads/2023/04/B98233A8-7521-4003-AE0E-B605D98BF552.png)](https://… content/uploads/2023/04/B98233A8-7521-4003-AE0E-B605D98BF552.png) Dioxins are dangerous even in very low concentrations **[Dioxin: The deadly legacy of a toxic compound](https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2023/mar/17/norfolk-southern- derailment-east-palestine-ohio-carcinogenic-chemical-levels)** Article contributed by Randi Pokladnik (PhD), Tappan Lake, Ohio, April 15, 2023 On February 3, a Norfolk Southern train carrying 51 cars had an [accident where 38 cars derailed](https://www.cbsnews.com/news/timeline-east-palestine- ohio-train-derailment-chemicals-evacuations/). Eleven of those that derailed were tanker cars carrying hazardous materials such as benzene residue, butyl acrylate and vinyl chloride. Five of the eleven cars carried vinyl chloride which is used to make PVC. Some estimates say 1.1 million pounds of vinyl chloride were in those five rail cars. The accident happened in the small community of East Palestine, Ohio; population around 4,000. **[Vinyl Chloride is a well-established animal and human carcinogen](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3327051/) and is associated with liver cancer as well as brain and lung malignancies. It is polymerized into polyvinyl chloride, a plastic that is used to make pipes and packaging. Globally, 16 billion pounds are produced annually.** Since the derailment, the citizens of East Palestine and the rest of the world have been getting an education on how easily one industrial accident can change your life forever. One fact is obvious, no one, including local, state and federal officials and agencies, or the employees of Norfolk Southern, was really aware or prepared for the long-term consequences of accidents involving hazardous materials. “The [National Transportation Safety Board issued its preliminary report](https://www.wsws.org/en/articles/2023/02/27/rail-f27.html) on the derailment which, even in its abbreviated form, made clear that the “accident” which has devastated the town was completely preventable and that through its actions Norfolk Southern ignored warnings for nearly an hour that one of the axles was overheating and would fail.” Alan Shaw, CEO of Norfolk Southern said, “[the ‘vent and burn’ decision emerged from a unified command group led by a local fire chief](https://www.post-gazette.com/news/politics-state/2023/03/20/east- palestine-norfolk-southern-pa-senate-chemical-release/stories/202303200077).” He added that local, state and federal officials including both Ohio and Pennsylvania Governors agreed on the decision that it was better to burn the vinyl chloride than risk an explosion. **On Feb. 6, vinyl chloride was intentionally released and burned. This resulted in a massive cloud of black smoke, resembling a mushroom cloud from a nuclear detonation, to rise above the surrounding area. It could be seen for miles as it blanketed the Ohio River valley.** This decision left the residents of the area with a much larger toxic mess because the combustion of this chlorinated organic compound (PVC) creates a group of some 400 compounds called “dioxins.” The first time I heard the term “dioxin” was in college during an environmental engineering class. Our instructor explained that no one intentionally makes dioxin, it is an unintended by-product of incomplete combustion. It also has the reputation of being one of the most toxic compounds known. **The[International Agency for Research on Cancer classifies dioxin as a human carcinogen](https://www.cancer.org/healthy/cancer-causes/chemicals/agent- orange-and-cancer.html). Dioxin was a contaminant in Agent Orange, the herbicide used as a defoliant during the Vietnam War. It was also found in contaminated oil that was sprayed over the roads to suppress dust in the now uninhabited town of Times Beach, Missouri. In 1976, an explosion at a chemical facility in Seveso, Italy resulted in the release of a cloud of dioxin. At the time, humans had never been exposed to this high a concentration of dioxin.** Most of human exposure to the compound is through foods, mainly meat and dairy products, as dioxins are very fat soluble. The half-life of dioxins once they enter the body is 7 to 10 years. Because they are present throughout the environment in small quantities, they accumulate in the food chain like DDT. Dioxins are classified as persistent organic pollutants or POPs because they persist in the environment, resisting breakdown. “Dioxin buried or leached under the surface or deep in the sediment of rivers and other bodies of water can have a half-life of more than 100 years.” **In 2001, The International Forum on Chemical Safety along with the United Nations Environmental Program developed a treaty, the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs). This treaty is aimed at reducing POPs.** **Dioxins were in the first 12 listed POPs addressed by the Stockholm Convention in the category of “by-products” from incomplete combustion, especially the combustion of chlorine-containing carbon compounds. This type of combustion happens when hospitals burn wastes, when municipalities incinerate their wastes and when hazardous wastes are burned in kilns like those at the Thermal Heritage Incinerator in East Liverpool, Ohio.** When I first learned about this incinerator in 1993 (it was then the WTI Incinerator), I was shocked as to the amount and types of toxic compounds it was being allowed to accept. The facility’s permit allowed it to emit over four tons of lead a year. At the time the facility was being permitted, citizens exposures to dioxin via the food chain were ignored. It was said that the incinerator would produce the most deadliest form of dioxin, 2,3,7,8 tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (2,3,7,8 TCDD). **The Ohio River Sanitary Commission or ORSANCO, monitors dioxin levels in the Ohio River.** Their data shows that incinerators, especially WTI, are a significant source of dioxin. In 2010, the Ohio Department of Health said that East Liverpool has a “strikingly high incidence rate of cancers (especially bladder, colon and rectum, esophagus, lung and bronchus, multiple myeloma, and prostate cancer) when compared to Ohio and the U.S.” Sadly, the facility was allowed to go online even though it failed to pass its test burn. “Its efficiency rating for removing mercury from emissions was only 7 percent, as opposed to the required 99.99 percent.” The United States lawmakers and agencies continue to cater to the petrochemical industry. Although the USA has signed the Stockholm Treaty, it has never officially ratified it or placed appropriate regulations in place that would require industries in the USA to adhere to it. So, companies in this country still produce POPs. PVC has a significant impact on human health and the environment from cradle to grave. Dioxin is not only released when PVC is burned but also when it is produced. [PVC is 60 percent chlorine by weight.](https://noharm- europe.org/sites/default/files/documents-files/6807/2021-06-23-PVC-briefing- FINAL.pdf) In years past, chlorine, a very toxic gas, was made via a process that used mercury to split salt into sodium and chlorine. Newer processes used today are just as dangerous and require membranes coated with the forever PFAS compounds. In Lake Charles, [Louisiana, a jury found one of the United States’ leading PVC manufacturers liable for “wanton and reckless disregard of public safety”](https://chej.org/wp- content/uploads/PVC%20&%20Environmental%20Justice%20-%20REP%20026.pdf), as it was responsible for one of the largest chemical spills in the nation’s history. The spill contaminated the groundwater underneath the surrounding community. Consumers are exposed to PVC via food contact containers and water pipes in their homes. Leaching of organic toxic compounds (carbon tetrachloride, toluene, chloroform, styrene, o-xylene, bromoform, dibromomethane, cis-1,3-dichloropropane, and trans-1,3-dichloropropane) from PVC water pipes has been reported. Sadly, some can coatings have replaced the bisphenol-A (BPA) with another toxic coating: PVC. Even at the end of its life, PVC continues to pollute because it releases vapors like dioxin when in landfills. If PVC is incinerated, dioxin is produced. Because PVC often has additives like the heavy metal cadmium, the waste ash from incineration is also toxic. Using plastics like PVC for a fuel source in cement kilns and incinerators is never a good way to dispose of the substance because of the emissions released. The **[recent fire at a recycling facility](https://www.cnn.com/2023/04/11/us/richmond-indiana-recycling-plan… fire/index.html)** near the Indiana-Ohio border is an example of what happens when plastics are burned. The emissions are causing concerns for the residents and experts and recent tests show they contain benzene, chlorine, hydrogen cyanide, volatile organic compounds and carbon monoxide. Our dependence on so many petrochemicals places us in a precarious position. We need to embrace safer alternatives. This is especially true in health applications where patients can be exposed to high levels of toxins from plastics items like IV tubing and IV bags. Safer alternatives include ethylene vinyl acetate for IV bags, silicone or polyurethane for tubing, and PVC free nitrile gloves, which are stronger than PVC gloves. In construction, PEX or cross-linked polyethylene pipes are comparable to copper but cheaper. They can bend a bit more than PVC and will last up to 50 years. PVC coated fabric which is used for tents, tarps and protective clothing for fire-fighters can be replaced with Rivercyclon’s fabric called Rivertex which is UV resistant as well as waterproof and PVC free. **The bottom line is we, as consumers, need to demand safer products and alternatives to toxic materials. Every day we are being exposed to toxins from petrochemicals in our lives. The communities living around the toxic facilities as well as those who work in these facilities are suffering and dying from exposures that can be eliminated. Just say no to toxic petrochemicals and products made from them.** URL: <https://www.frackcheckwv.net/2023/04/17/chemical-pollutants-from- norfolk-southern-train-wreck/>

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Message for You and West Virginia and our Earth!
by Frack Check WV: Diana Gooding 16 Apr '23

16 Apr '23

# [Message for You and West Virginia and our Earth!](https://www.frackcheckwv.net/2023/04/16/message-for-you-and-west- virginia-and-our-earth/) [![](https://www.frackcheckwv.net/wp- content/uploads/2023/04/A0D7115F-73E1-4C52-82BC-D99479FF5CC7-300x300.jpg)](… content/uploads/2023/04/A0D7115F-73E1-4C52-82BC-D99479FF5CC7.jpeg) The authors continue to add meaning, advice and warnings! **Words Sometimes Provide Tremendous Meaning for the Future** From the [Announcement by Mary Anne Hitt, Author & Activist, Shepherdstown](https://www.nottoolateclimate.com), April 5, 2023 It’s publication day! I have an essay in this book edited by Rebecca Solnit and Thelma Young-Lutunatabua, and the title sums up everything I’ve ever tried to say about climate change in three words – “Not Too Late.”⁣ ⁣ I practically fell out of my chair when Rebecca reached out and asked me to contribute an essay to this new climate anthology. The full title of the book is “Not Too Late: Changing the Climate Conversation from Despair to Possibility,” and Rebecca is one of my favorite writers because she’s constantly changing important conversations from despair to possibility. In her work she reminds us the future has not yet been written, and persuasively makes the case that each one of us can be its author, inspiring us with the stories of those before us who built a better world against the odds, who are doing so alongside us even today. ⁣ ⁣ My essay is a love letter from our clean energy future, imagining a day in the all-important year of 2030 when we’re looking back at the better world we’ve created, because we actually stepped up and tackled the climate crisis. I think this is possible down in my bones, with every fiber of my being, and every morning I wake up trying to live and love and work from that place. We’re the last generation of people with the power and opportunity to turn this crisis around, if we can block out the cynical voices telling us nothing can be done.⁣ ⁣ I’m astounded by the amazing company I’m in here, writers and leaders I love and admire including Leah Stokes, Adrienne Maree Brown, Mary Annaïse Heglar, Nikayla Jefferson, Jacquelyn Gill, and many more. Thank you Rebecca and Thelma for bringing this vision to life, and for including me as part of it. I think it’s just what the world needs right now.⁣ ⁣ [![](https://www.frackcheckwv.net/wp- content/uploads/2023/04/F782FD4F-1D00-44A0-905A-EECC1D299111-150x150.jpg)](… content/uploads/2023/04/F782FD4F-1D00-44A0-905A-EECC1D299111.jpeg) Mary Anne Hitt **You can pick up a copy at your local bookstore – it’s on the shelf in Shepherdstown at Four Seasons Books – or online.** More here: [www.nottoolateclimate.com](https://www.nottoolateclimate.com) #######+++++++#######+++++++######## **See Also:** [Thirty (30) Best Spring Flowers to Plant in Your Garden ~ Weary of winter? Check out these spring bloomers](https://www.countryliving.com/gardening/garden- ideas/g31102712/early-spring-flowers/). Article by Arricca Sansone & Janece Maze, Country Living, March 23, 2023 ⁣ URL: <https://www.frackcheckwv.net/2023/04/16/message-for-you-and-west- virginia-and-our-earth/>

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Fracking In and Around Ohio State Parks Goes to Court
by Frack Check WV: Duane Nichols 15 Apr '23

15 Apr '23

# [Fracking In and Around Ohio State Parks Goes to Court](https://www.frackcheckwv.net/2023/04/15/fracking-in-and-around-ohio- state-parks-goes-to-court/) [![](https://www.frackcheckwv.net/wp- content/uploads/2023/04/21FB202E-BF1B-4164-A426-0284FC5D8900.jpeg)](https:/… content/uploads/2023/04/21FB202E-BF1B-4164-A426-0284FC5D8900.jpeg) Hocking Hills State Park is unusually popular for hiking in Ohio **Environmental groups sue to stop fracking in Ohio State parks** From an [Article by Julie Grant, The Allegheny Front](https://www.alleghenyfront.org/environmental-groups-sue-to-stop- fracking-in-ohio-state-parks/), April 14, 2023 **While Pennsylvania has a moratorium on new drilling leases in state parks and forests, a controversial new law in Ohio requires state agencies to lease land for gas drilling. The law went into effect on April 7 and is designed to accelerate gas drilling under state-owned lands, like state parks. State agencies have had the authority to do this since a 2011 law allowed for it, but the difference with this new law is the language. The previous law stated that agencies “may” lease state lands for gas production; the new law says they “shall” lease it.** Sponsors of the bill say they changed the language in response to requests by the gas industry because energy companies were frustrated by the lack of movement on their drilling requests. **Environmental groups sue to prevent “wild west” drilling permits** ~ Four environmental groups filed a lawsuit in the Franklin County Court of Common Pleas, trying to stop the law from going into effect until the state creates rules to regulate drilling on state lands. Those rules were not created after the 2011 law was passed. The Oil and Gas Land Management Commission recently started that process. According to attorney **Megan Hunter of EarthJustice** , the rules could cover how parcels would be put forward for leasing, how the state would decide which leases to grant, and which parcels and bidders to move forward with. Currently, she said, the law is in effect without rules to govern how drilling applications will be decided. “And that… process includes a certain number of protections… the commission would have to consider environmental issues, economic issues, impacts to tourism, the current uses of the public lands before they would make a decision on what lease is going to move forward,” **Megan Hunter** said. “There’s also a requirement that the leases would go to the highest and best bid.” Without rules in place, **Megan Hunter** doesn’t think that will necessarily happen. She described it as a “wild west” moment, meaning a time for the worst and most dangerous bids to come forward. According to the **Cleveland Plain Dealer** , even before the law was signed by Governor DeWine in January, Encino Energy offered the state the potential of nearly $2 billion to be the first to frack Salt Fork, Ohio’s largest state park. That offer was ultimately rejected. **The Environmental Groups’ Legal Argument** ~ While the environmental groups would like to prevent fracking in state parks altogether, concerned about the environmental impacts it could have, their lawsuit only seeks to stop the state from leasing state-owned lands until rules are in place to regulate it. When the Ohio House passed this bill, HB 507, last spring, it looked completely different. It was focused on poultry. The Senate added amendments last December, including the provision about gas drilling on state lands, and another that redefines natural gas as green energy. The lawsuit claims that this violates the Ohio constitution, which only allows one subject per bill. Each bill also is required to have three hearings in both the state Senate and the House. “Both of those rules are there in the Constitution to ensure a fair legislative process that people can understand so that people can really participate in the legislative process and have their voices heard,” **Megan Hunter** said. “And that just didn’t happen here.” She said citizens didn’t get a chance to speak to lawmakers about their concerns before the bill was passed. “The only provisions that the public gave comment on were the agricultural provisions of the bill,” **Megan Hunter** said. “There was never a public hearing once the additional language had been added to include the mandatory leasing provision and the green energy provision.” So far, the environmental groups lost their request for a temporary, immediate halt on the law. A Franklin County judge said there was no evidence to indicate risk of imminent and irreparable harm if the law stands while the court decides on the issues, and noted **Governor DeWine** said that no leases would be signed in the immediate future. The court will next consider the constitutional issues in the lawsuit, and whether to put the brakes on this law until rules are in place. [![](https://www.frackcheckwv.net/wp- content/uploads/2023/04/3114D1A9-8898-4F2B-8D87-CA42DA466643.jpeg)](https:/… content/uploads/2023/04/3114D1A9-8898-4F2B-8D87-CA42DA466643.jpeg) Hocking Hills State Park [LISTEN to Julie Grant discuss her reporting with The Allegheny Front’s Kara Holsopple](https://www.alleghenyfront.org/environmental-groups-sue-to-stop- fracking-in-ohio-state-parks/) URL: <https://www.frackcheckwv.net/2023/04/15/fracking-in-and-around-ohio- state-parks-goes-to-court/>

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Truck Accident Closes Marshall County Roads ~ Slippery Oily Sludge Spilled
by Frack Check WV: Duane Nichols 14 Apr '23

14 Apr '23

# [Truck Accident Closes Marshall County Roads ~ Slippery Oily Sludge Spilled](https://www.frackcheckwv.net/2023/04/14/truck-accident-closes- marshall-county-roads-slippery-oily-sludge-spilled/) [![](https://www.frackcheckwv.net/wp- content/uploads/2023/04/04AA91C9-8A69-4E37-9073-302F58545F8E-300x168.jpg)](… content/uploads/2023/04/04AA91C9-8A69-4E37-9073-302F58545F8E.jpeg) Clay-based absorbent material applied to miles of highway **SPILL CLOSES PORTION OF ROBERT 'S RIDGE IN MOUNDSVILLE** From an [Article by Gianna Dapra, WCHS News 8 (WTOV News 9)](https://wchstv.com/news/local/spill-closes-portion-of-roberts-ridge-in- moundsville), March 13, 2023 **MARSHALL COUNTY, W.Va. —Multiple roads in Marshall County were closed throughout the day because of an oil spill. Around 10 o 'clock on Sunday night, a Tug Hill truck was transporting materials that included fracking, or drilling sludge.** Roberts Ridge Road from Lindsay Lane to Snedeker Drive are all closed for cleanup. The West Virginia Department of Highways is urging commuters to use alternate routes. "Nature's broom, or floor dry, is kind of the brand name for what it is material that we put down to provide traction and to absorb the oil," DOH District 6 Engineer Tony Clark said. But that is not all being done, as Tug Hill has committed to an environmental cleanup. Clark says its important a proper cleanup is completed before the roadways can be re-opened, as oil is more dangerous than you might think. ([Video clip is in the Article](https://wchstv.com/news/local/spill-closes- portion-of-roberts-ridge-in-moundsville).) "It’s extremely slick, so it's no different than driving on black ice, for instance, for where you don’t necessarily think it's going to be slick until you're sliding off the road," Clark said. #######+++++++#######+++++++######## **Several roads in Marshall County remain closed following truck oil leak** From the [Article of WV Transportation News](https://transportation.wv.gov/communications/PressRelease/Pages/Sever…, March 13, 2023 The West Virginia Division of Highways (WVDOH) is assisting with the cleanup of several roadways in Marshall County following an oil mud leakage from an oil and gas truck on Sunday, March 12, 2023. **The truck traveled more than 14 miles, on WV 2 and county routes, while leaking drilling fluid.** The following roadways are closed on Monday, March 13, 2023, as a result of the spillage: Roberts Ridge Road (CR 21) from Fallen Timber Lane to Lindsay Lane Road (CR 88/5), all of Lindsay Lane Road and Round Bottom Hill Road (WV 2 ALT). WV 2 just south of Moundsville was impacted by the spill but crews have that 2.5-mile portion reopened. A clay and sand-based absorbent material was placed on that roadway to assist in drying it. The oil and gas company responsible for the spill is hiring a professional contractor to clean the closed roadways. The spill along with weather conditions has caused slippery roadways. WVDOH is monitoring the cleanup and advises motorists to avoid the areas. The West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection has staff on site and no environmental impacts have been observed. The roads impacted are expected to be closed for the remainder of Monday, March 13, 2023. #######+++++++++#######+++++++++######### **See Also:** [Truck carrying toxic soil from East Palestine overturns in Ohio](https://www.wtrf.com/ohio/truck-carrying-toxic-soil-from-east-palesti… overturns-in-ohio/), Chelsea Simeon, WTRF News 7, April 11, 2023 URL: <https://www.frackcheckwv.net/2023/04/14/truck-accident-closes-marshall- county-roads-slippery-oily-sludge-spilled/>

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The Icefin Instrument Goes Under Glaciers for Research on Melting
by Frack Check WV: Duane Nichols 13 Apr '23

13 Apr '23

# [The Icefin Instrument Goes Under Glaciers for Research on Melting](https://www.frackcheckwv.net/2023/04/13/the-icefin-instrument-goes- under-glaciers-for-research-on-melting/) [![](https://www.frackcheckwv.net/wp- content/uploads/2023/04/2E51FF92-C9A2-45CE-9A99-A956CCE80CAA-300x168.jpg)](… content/uploads/2023/04/2E51FF92-C9A2-45CE-9A99-A956CCE80CAA.jpeg) Prof. Britney Schmidt studies planets including Earth in detail **Prof. Britney Schmidt named one of Time’s 100 most influential people** From an [Article by Linda B. Glaser, Cornell Chronicle](https://news.cornell.edu/stories/2023/04/britney-schmidt-named-o… times-100-most-influential-people), April 13, 2023 **Time Magazine has named Britney Schmidt, associate professor of astronomy in the College of Arts and Sciences and Earth and atmospheric sciences in Cornell Engineering, to the 2023 list of the world’s 100 most influential people.** Each year, the Time100 features people who have changed the world, scientific pioneers along with innovators, artists, leaders, titans and icons. Schmidt was recognized for her contributions to climate science, following the recent publication of surprise results about the melting of the imperiled Thwaites Glacier in West Antarctica. The lead author of the companion paper from the project, Peter Davis of the British Antarctic Survey, was also named. **The Thwaites Glacier is roughly the size of Great Britain or Florida and is particularly susceptible to climate and ocean changes. The total collapse of the glacier would contribute an additional 65 centimeters to sea-level rise, whilst also destabilizing surrounding snow and ice.** Schmidt and her team develop robotic tools and instruments and use spacecraft to study planets. By exploring Earth’s ice shelves and glaciers and the oceans beneath them, Schmidt’s team helps to capture the impacts of changing climate on the cryosphere, while understanding analogs for Ocean Worlds like Jupiter’s moon Europa. **Icefin, the underwater, under-ice robotic oceanographer she and her team developed, allowed the team from the International Thwaites Glacier Collaboration to access to environments under ice shelves that had never been directly observed. Shaped like a torpedo, 13 feet long and 10 inches wide, Icefin carries cameras, sonar equipment, speed sensors, water column measuring tools and other devices. The team slips it into open water through a hole.** “Using Icefin, we could see for the first time how and where significant melt under the ice shelf is happening,” Schmidt said. “These new views show us how change is happening under the ice, revealing complex and intricate systems that are responding to climate change and driving sea level rise. Antarctica may feel distant and rugged, but the truth is that it is incredibly vulnerable, and that changes there affect every one of us. Understanding how the planet responds to our actions is critical for stemming the tide of climate change.” “If crisis is going to unite us, we must find within ourselves that same empathy,” TIME editor in chief and CEO Edward Felsenthal wrote in 2022. “The spectrum of leaders on this list, wielding influence in so many ways, is a reminder that we all have the option to use our power for good.” Schmidt received a B.S. in physics from the University of Arizona and a Ph.D. in geophysics and space physics from the University of California, Los Angeles. She’s worked on numerous NASA projects, including the Dawn and Europa Clipper missions and the Europa Lander and LUVOIR Space Telescope mission concepts. >>>>>>>>……………………>>>>>>>>……………………………>>>>>>>>> **See also:** ”[The Female Scientist Who Discovered the Basics of Climate Science — and Was Forgotten By History](https://www.audubon.org/news/the- female-scientist-who-discovered-basics-climate-science-and-was-forgotten)” ~ By Tyler Santora, Reporter, Audubon Magazine, July 17, 2019 Celebrate Eunice Foote’s 200th birthday ++++ by learning how she predicted the effect of greenhouse gases before the man who gets the credit. Over two hundred years ago, on July 17, 1819, Eunice Foote was born. Thirty-some years later, the amateur climate scientist made the remarkable discovery that when sunlight shines on carbon dioxide in a closed container — our atmosphere, for example — heat builds up inside. [She was onto the ”greenhouse effect” of the Earth’s atmosphere.](https://www.audubon.org/news/the-female-scientist-who- discovered-basics-climate-science-and-was-forgotten) URL: <https://www.frackcheckwv.net/2023/04/13/the-icefin-instrument-goes- under-glaciers-for-research-on-melting/>

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Chemical Analysis of East Palestine Railroad Derailment Contamination
by Frack Check WV: Duane Nichols 12 Apr '23

12 Apr '23

# [Chemical Analysis of East Palestine Railroad Derailment Contamination](https://www.frackcheckwv.net/2023/04/12/chemical-analysis-of- east-palestine-railroad-derailment-contamination/) [![](https://www.frackcheckwv.net/wp- content/uploads/2023/04/87DACBF6-45E5-4880-9373-3FAB34A7853C-300x171.jpg)](… content/uploads/2023/04/87DACBF6-45E5-4880-9373-3FAB34A7853C.jpeg) Pollution came mainly from decision to burn off contents of tank cars **East Palestine Derailment Prompts Independent Testing** From the [Staff Report, Chemical Engineering Progress](https://www.aiche- cep.com/cepmagazine/april_2023/MobilePagedArticle.action?articleId=1869680&…), April 10, 2023 **In the wake of the Norfolk Southern train derailment that released hazardous chemicals into the environment in East Palestine, OH, citizens are seeking out independent testing to determine what kind of contamination the town may be facing.** Both individuals and university teams have been conducting their own sampling of the area near the chemical release. These results are still being analyzed, but initial reports suggest that there are chemicals in streams and wells in East Palestine that state and federal agencies are not looking for. "One of the biggest issues with this response has been transparency," says Andrew Whelton, a professor of civil and environmental engineering at Purdue Univ. who is leading some of the independent testing. "As things have become more visible, we’ve found out that officials haven’t been testing for the right chemicals." **For instance, governmental officials had not conducted indoor surface testing of homes near the spill site as of early March.** A contractor for Norfolk Southern did one-time air monitoring in some homes, but residents told reporters that they were not informed that the testers were hired by the rail operator, according to The Guardian. Experts also say that these one-time, short-term air sampling tests are not sufficient to show that indoor air is safe. The tests conducted can detect certain volatile organic compounds, but do not measure other potential pollutants from the spill, such as benzene. **Experts have also raised concerns about dioxins, which are carcinogenic and highly persistent in the environment. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is requiring Norfolk Southern to test for dioxins within two miles of the spill site, although details of the testing plan are unclear.** **The derailment occurred on Feb. 3, 2023, when dozens of freight train cars carrying hazardous materials, including vinyl chloride, isobutylene, and butyl acrylate went off the tracks and caught fire near the Ohio-Pennsylvania border. Several days later, officials made the decision to flare off the vinyl chloride for fear of an explosion should the flammable chemical ignite. Residents complained of chemical smells, rashes, and headaches in the days following the crash and the controlled release.** A lack of interagency communication and communication with the public created a sense of mistrust among residents from the early days after the accident. The state and county environmental and health agencies did not immediately release their testing data, nor were they forthcoming about what chemicals they were testing for, Whelton says. As a result, residents who could afford it began to seek testing through independent laboratories, and volunteers from around the country have started working to build tools to help coordinate the sharing of the results. **Devon Oship, a neuroscientist in Buffalo, NY who has a platform on TikTok, began creating forms for residents to report health symptoms, an effort that has grown into a database for citizens to report their own independent testing data under a nascent organization called United for East Palestine**. "We have been racing against the clock to make a database that can keep up with all of the new influx of information and has a good data structure to allow for a really robust analysis," Oship says. The goal is to compare the citizen-science results with official testing results from the state and federal EPA, county health department, and other responding agencies. **Independent results are still rolling in, Oship says. Whelton and other researchers at Purdue Univ., Carnegie Mellon, and Texas A &M have also traveled to East Palestine to take air and water samples and screen them broadly. So far, Whelton and his team have found that two creeks near the derailment site, Sulfur Run and Lesley Run, are contaminated with acrolein, butyl acrylate, 1,2-butadiene, ethylene glycol, naphthalene, butyl acrylate, n-butyl ether, 2-butoxy ethanol, and 2-ethyl hexanol.** Upon the team’s first visit in late February, only data about surface water in the creeks had been released, showing low contamination, Whelton says. But locals weren’t warned about possible contamination in the streambeds. "We found that people were walking their dogs near the creek and the kids were playing near the creek because they were not told about the acute, immediate health risks the creeks posed to them," Whelton says. The testing revealed gaps in the official surveillance. For example, the federal EPA had found acrolein in the air after the chemical release but had not tested surface water or drinking water wells for the chemical, Whelton says. He and his team are now doing further analysis to determine whether the levels of these contaminants are dangerous. Whelton has conducted environmental testing in the wake of other disasters, including the 2022 Marshall Fire in Colorado, and says that communities and local agencies differ in their support of bringing in outside experts and providing transparency. The situation in East Palestine has been "markedly different" than the norm, he says, with agencies being slow to publicize what chemicals they were testing for and where. The usefulness of business and property owners testing their own soil, water, and air will likely depend on what testing is available from whichever commercial lab they choose, Whelton says. Comprehensive environmental monitoring is financially out of reach for most, he says. Even Whelton and his team are unsure if they will be able to afford to return to East Palestine for additional sampling, given that they are self-funding the effort. But citizens can continue to pressure politicians and environmental agencies to expand the testing agenda, he says. **" The only way [residents] can really support the response is by requiring and demanding that the officials that are supposed to be acting in their best interest do so," Whelton says.** URL: <https://www.frackcheckwv.net/2023/04/12/chemical-analysis-of-east- palestine-railroad-derailment-contamination/>

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COMMENTS DUE ~ Should the PLEASANT$ POWER $TATION be Bailed Out at This Time, in This Way?
by Frack Check WV: Duane Nichols 11 Apr '23

11 Apr '23

# [COMMENTS DUE ~ Should the PLEASANT$ POWER $TATION be Bailed Out at This Time, in This Way?](https://www.frackcheckwv.net/2023/04/11/comments-due- should-the-pleasant-power-tation-be-bailed-out-at-this-time-in-this-way/) [![](https://www.frackcheckwv.net/wp- content/uploads/2023/04/60445583-0800-4D10-B23E-0D5402EDB465-300x172.jpg)](… content/uploads/2023/04/60445583-0800-4D10-B23E-0D5402EDB465.jpeg) The cooling tower accident happened here in April 1978, 51 worker killed. It’s on the Ohio River near St. Mary’s in Pleasants County. **DON 'T LET FIRST ENERGY SELL US OUT! ~~~ TAKE ACTION BY APRIL 14TH ** From the [West Virginians for Energy Freedom](https://www.energyfreedomwv.org/) & Others, April 7, 2023 **If you are a Mon Power or Potomac Edison customer, we need your voice now!** [Submit your comments to the West Virginia Public Service Commission opposing the Pleasants Power Station bailout before April 14th.](https://www.energyfreedomwv.org/pleasants-power-station-bailout-acti… First Energy is scheming to keep Pleasants Power Station open by forcing it on ratepayers like you. Not only is it an out-of-date, coal-fired power station that was actually scheduled to close in 2019, but even First Energy acknowledges that the plant is expensive to operate. The worst part is that we don’t even need the plant – we have enough power being generated in-state already to meet our needs! First Energy has proposed that Mon Power and Potomac Edison customers pay more to keep the plant open another year while government officials decide whether the plant is to be permanently subsidized by ratepayers. If the plant doesn't operate during that year, most families' bills will go up by about $36 a year – but if the plant operates, bills will go up even more. The Pleasants plant can already sell power into a regional power market, where it has to compete with other power plants. But the plant is no longer competitive, and the plant is facing serious environmental liabilities. First Energy wants ratepayers to subsidize the plant even though customers don't need the plant, and even though First Energy’s own analysis acknowledges the plant's many problems. Worse, First Energy’s proposal would protect its own shareholders, while forcing West Virginia customers to bear all of the costs and risks. If First Energy’s scheme is successful, customers would be saddled with potentially massive costs and liabilities. We've been here before. In 2017, Mon Power requested to buy the plant from another First Energy subsidiary. The PSC and the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission both recognized the proposal as a risky deal for West Virginians. And as before, this current Pleasants bailout proposal would raise customer bills. [TAKE ACTION](https://www.energyfreedomwv.org/pleasants-power-station-bailout- action) ~ _**Please sign the petition below and add some personal information* about how increased electric bills would affect your family or business.**_ [Personalize your letter: tell the Commissioners how increased rates will harm you and the people and businesses you love.](https://www.energyfreedomwv.org/pleasants-power-station-bailout-acti… Tell them why this is important to you. *Data collected will be shared with the [West Virginians for Energy Freedom](https://www.energyfreedomwv.org/) coalition. URL: <https://www.frackcheckwv.net/2023/04/11/comments-due-should-the- pleasant-power-tation-be-bailed-out-at-this-time-in-this-way/>

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