The Ripon Rabbit
Last night, residents in the town of East Palestine, Ohio gathered at the local high school for a town hall meeting to discuss the recent train derailment and the environmental concerns it has raised. The meeting was held in the high school gymnasium, which was filled to capacity with concerned citizens, officials, press and experts.
One of the first things that many people noticed upon entering the gym was that the drinking fountains had been locked and had “do not operate” signs posted on them. For many observers this was perceived as a clear indication of the severity of the situation and the potential risks to the town’s water supply as shown from this post on twitter:
The water fountains in East Palestine high school from the town hall last night. Norfolk Southern executives cancelled last minute because they felt “unsafe”. Tell that to the people living here. Video credit @jessicaroi99. pic.twitter.com/O6Kko5BE1i
— The Holler Ohio Valley (@heyjohnrussell) February 16, 2023
We were able to observe this meeting thanks to citizen journalists like John Russell and his girlfriend Jessica Roi who posted the tweet.
There were a few live streams from the meeting last night. Needless to say we were shocked when John and Jessica’s livestream caught the reality and irony of these fountains being locked in this way at a town hall meeting where residents gathered to discuss information and answers to the question “Is drinking the local water supply safe?”
To be fair, there could be a few reasons why a school’s water fountains are locked and have a “do not operate” danger sticker. Maintenance or repair work, vandalism or safety concerns, and of course Covid-19.
Water quality concerns rank highest on our common sense list though: If there are valid concerns about the quality of the water coming out of the fountains, the school may have decided to lock them and post a “do not operate” sign to prevent people from drinking from them.
Overall, it’s difficult to say exactly why the water fountains in any school would be locked and have a warning sign without more information.
Unless the town where the school is located experienced a train derailment that spilled a large amount of toxins into the land, water, and air, it’s possible that water quality concerns related to the school’s water fountains would be higher. This is because the toxins from the derailment could potentially contaminate the town’s water supply, including the water supply that the school uses for its fountains.
Nonetheless, it’s important to note that the school appears to have validated legitimate concerns and is taking those concerns seriously with precautions to ensure nobody is currently using them.
The meeting began with a presentation by local officials, who provided an update on the situation and the efforts being made to contain the toxins and minimize the impact on the environment. They explained that the derailment had caused a significant spill of hazardous chemicals, which had the potential to contaminate the local water supply and air, but went on to assure the townspeople that they are being told that both are okay, and present no danger.
This was followed by a series of presentations by experts in environmental science, toxicology, and public health, who discussed very little regarding potential risks to human health and the environment. They did however provide some information on the types of toxins that had been released, but seemed unsure exactly how or when they could impact the environment and human health, and what steps were being taken to mitigate or at the very least isolate these risks.
Throughout the meeting, there was a palpable sense of concern and urgency among the attendees. People asked direct questions about the potential health impacts, the cleanup efforts, and what steps they could take to protect themselves and their families. There were also calls for greater transparency and accountability from the authorities, and for more not less information to be made available to the public.
The accountability finger was most certainly pointing at the railroad company Norfolk Southern who pulled out of the meeting and chose not to attend and no arrangements for anyone from the railroad to appear remotely through a zoom or online call appeared to have been made.
Overall, the town hall meeting was a sobering reminder of the potential risks and consequences of environmental disasters, and the importance of working together to address these challenges. It was also a testament to the resilience and determination of the members of the East Palestine community, as they have come together to face this crisis and appear to be working on their own towards a safer, healthier future.
