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Finding the Secret Rail Hazmat Routes Near You [1]

Under federal rules, states can decide whether to divulge information about hazardous materials rolling along their railways — and mostly they don’t. Not knowing where and when hazmat trains are traveling or what’s on board creates anxiety and raises the risk for those who live near the tracks. TipSheet offers resources and step-by-step instructions for investigating railway hazmat threats to your community.

SEJ Publication Types: 
TipSheet [2]
Topics on the Beat: 
Chemicals [3]
Disasters [4]
Economy & Business [5]
Energy & Fuel [6]
Environmental Health [7]
Government [8]
Health [9]
Infrastructure [10]
Journalism & Media [11]
Laws & Regulations [12]
Policy [13]
Pollution [14]
Transportation [15]
Region: 
National (U.S.) [16]
Great Lakes (IL IN MI MN OH WI) [17]
International [18]
Canada [19]
Visibility: 
Public [20]

Plan To Incinerate Soil From Ohio Derailment Is ‘Horrifying’ - Expert [21]

"Contaminated soil from the site around the East Palestine train wreck in Ohio is being sent to a nearby incinerator with a history of clean air violations, raising fears that the chemicals being removed from the ground will be redistributed across the region."

Air [22]
Chemicals [3]
Disasters [4]
Environmental Health [7]
Environmental Justice [23]
Environmental Politics [24]
Infrastructure [10]
Waste [25]
Public [20]
National (U.S.) [16]
Great Lakes (IL IN MI MN OH WI) [17]
Source: Guardian [26], 03/06/2023

Diving Deeper on the Wetlands Beat Yields Groundbreaking Coverage [27]

Two journalists covering water policy used a wide range of reporting techniques, from FOIA appeals to on-the-ground reporting, to get at the heart of how problems with wetlands and waterways in the United States are tied to climate change concerns. Inside Story spoke with Hannah Northey and Kevin Bogardus of E&E News about their award-winning beat reporting.

SEJ Publication Types: 
Inside Story [28]
Topics on the Beat: 
Biodiversity [29]
Climate Change [30]
Disasters [4]
Diversity [31]
Economy & Business [5]
Environmental Health [7]
Environmental Justice [23]
Environmental Politics [24]
Government [8]
Health [9]
Infrastructure [10]
Journalism & Media [11]
Laws & Regulations [12]
Policy [13]
Pollution [14]
Science [32]
Technology [33]
Water & Oceans [34]
Region: 
National (U.S.) [16]
Great Lakes (IL IN MI MN OH WI) [17]
SE (AL AR FL GA KY LA MS NC PR SC TN) [35]
Visibility: 
Public [20]

"Did Dioxins Spread After The Ohio Train Derailment?" [36]

"On Thursday, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency ordered rail operator Norfolk Southern to begin testing for dioxins."

Chemicals [3]
Environmental Health [7]
Pollution [14]
Transportation [15]
Public [20]
National (U.S.) [16]
Great Lakes (IL IN MI MN OH WI) [17]
Source: AP [37], 03/03/2023

All Fish Tested From Michigan Rivers Contain ‘Forever Chemicals’ - Study [38]

"All fish caught in Michigan rivers and tested for toxic PFAS contained the chemicals – and at levels that present a health risk for anyone eating them, according to a new study."

Chemicals [3]
Fish & Fisheries [39]
Food [40]
Pollution [14]
Public [20]
Great Lakes (IL IN MI MN OH WI) [17]
Source: Guardian [41], 02/28/2023

"After Ohio Train Wreck, Biden Orders Door-To-Door Checks" [42]

"President Joe Biden on Friday directed federal agencies to go door-to-door in East Palestine, Ohio, to check on families affected by the toxic train derailment that has morphed into a heated political controversy."

Chemicals [3]
Disasters [4]
Environmental Health [7]
Laws & Regulations [12]
Transportation [15]
Public [20]
National (U.S.) [16]
Great Lakes (IL IN MI MN OH WI) [17]
Source: AP [43], 02/27/2023

"EPA To Take Control Of Ohio Derailment Response" [44]

"The Environmental Protection Agency will take control of the response to the Ohio train derailment and order rail company Norfolk Southern to clean up the contamination, the agency said Tuesday, the Biden administration’s strongest response yet to the disaster."

Chemicals [3]
Disasters [4]
Environmental Health [7]
Environmental Politics [24]
Laws & Regulations [12]
Pollution [14]
Transportation [15]
Public [20]
National (U.S.) [16]
Great Lakes (IL IN MI MN OH WI) [17]
Source: Washington Post [45], 02/22/2023

"Before Ohio Derailment, Norfolk Southern Lobbied Against Safety Rules" [46]

"The Trump administration abandoned rail safety rules that were pursued during the Obama era. The Biden administration is trying to revive some of them."

Chemicals [3]
Disasters [4]
Environmental Health [7]
Environmental Politics [24]
Infrastructure [10]
Laws & Regulations [12]
Pollution [14]
Transportation [15]
Water & Oceans [34]
Public [20]
National (U.S.) [16]
Great Lakes (IL IN MI MN OH WI) [17]
Source: Washington Post [47], 02/20/2023

Hazmat Highway Routes Key to Keeping Public Safe [48]

In the wake of the train derailment and toxic spill in Ohio, now is a good time for environmental journalists to be ready for the next such accident. The latest Reporter’s Toolbox offers up a data source for another transportation risk — hazardous materials transported via highway. Plus, why rail hazmat data can be trickier to access.

SEJ Publication Types: 
Reporters Toolbox [49]
Topics on the Beat: 
Chemicals [3]
Disasters [4]
Environmental Politics [24]
Health [9]
Infrastructure [10]
Journalism & Media [11]
Laws & Regulations [12]
Transportation [15]
Region: 
National (U.S.) [16]
Great Lakes (IL IN MI MN OH WI) [17]
Visibility: 
Public [20]

"Great Lakes Ice Cover Plummets To Record Mid-February Low" [50]

"In the midst of an unusually warm winter across much of the northern United States and southern Canada, the Great Lakes now have the least ice cover on record for the middle of February, which is typically when the ice begins to reach its maximum extent for the season."

Climate Change [30]
Water & Oceans [34]
Public [20]
National (U.S.) [16]
Great Lakes (IL IN MI MN OH WI) [17]
Canada [19]
Source: Washington Post [51], 02/17/2023

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Links
[1] https://www.sej.org/publications/tipsheet/finding-secret-rail-hazmat-routes-near-you [2] https://www.sej.org/category/sej-publication/tipsheet [3] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/chemicals/toxics [4] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/disaster [5] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/business [6] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/energy [7] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/environmental-health [8] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/government [9] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/health [10] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/infrastructure [11] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/journalism/media [12] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/laws [13] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/policy [14] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/pollution [15] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/transportation [16] https://www.sej.org/category/region/national [17] https://www.sej.org/category/region/national/great-lakes [18] https://www.sej.org/category/region/international [19] https://www.sej.org/category/region/international/canada [20] https://www.sej.org/taxonomy/term/81 [21] https://www.sej.org/headlines/plan-incinerate-soil-ohio-derailment-horrifying-expert [22] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/air [23] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/environmental-justice [24] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/environmental-politics [25] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/waste [26] https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2023/mar/04/east-ohio-train-derailment-soil [27] https://www.sej.org/publications/inside-story/diving-deeper-wetlands-beat-yields-groundbreaking-coverage [28] https://www.sej.org/category/sej-publication-types/inside-story [29] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/biodiversity-1 [30] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/climate-change [31] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/diversity [32] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/science [33] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/technology [34] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/water [35] https://www.sej.org/category/region/national/southeast [36] https://www.sej.org/headlines/did-dioxins-spread-after-ohio-train-derailment [37] https://apnews.com/article/ohio-train-derailment-dioxins-environment-0e1b8e6632fe7e0a310eeee965cfd6d1?utm_source=apnewsnav&utm_medium=featured [38] https://www.sej.org/headlines/all-fish-tested-michigan-rivers-contain-forever-chemicals-study [39] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/fisheries [40] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/food [41] https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2023/feb/24/pfas-michigan-rivers-fish-study [42] https://www.sej.org/headlines/after-ohio-train-wreck-biden-orders-door-door-checks [43] https://apnews.com/article/biden-politics-district-of-columbia-united-states-government-us-department-transportation-15205922ea6ba4f30930070388740af8 [44] https://www.sej.org/headlines/epa-take-control-ohio-derailment-response [45] https://www.washingtonpost.com/climate-environment/2023/02/21/epa-ohio-train-derailment-cleanup/ [46] https://www.sej.org/headlines/ohio-derailment-norfolk-southern-lobbied-against-safety-rules [47] https://www.washingtonpost.com/transportation/2023/02/18/norfolk-southern-derailment-ohio-train-safety/ [48] https://www.sej.org/publications/reporters-toolbox/hazmat-highway-routes-key-keeping-public-safe [49] https://www.sej.org/category/sej-publication-types/reporter%E2%80%99s-toolbox [50] https://www.sej.org/headlines/great-lakes-ice-cover-plummets-record-mid-february-low [51] https://www.washingtonpost.com/weather/2023/02/17/great-lakes-record-low-ice/ [52] https://www.sej.org/category/region/national/great-lakes?page=20 [53] https://www.sej.org/category/region/national/great-lakes?page=17 [54] https://www.sej.org/category/region/national/great-lakes?page=18 [55] https://www.sej.org/category/region/national/great-lakes?page=19 [56] https://www.sej.org/category/region/national/great-lakes?page=22 [57] https://www.sej.org/category/region/national/great-lakes?page=23 [58] https://www.sej.org/category/region/national/great-lakes?page=24 [59] https://www.sej.org/category/region/national/great-lakes?page=25 [60] https://www.sej.org/category/region/national/great-lakes?page=135