Is everyone forgetting about 9/11? They deemed it “safe” for emergency responders to go into the wreckage. Thousands have developed cancer and other illnesses.

Mmm sure. Except its simple math. Air mixes rapidly. The volume of the rail cars is known. Water quality hazard in the area and downstream? Definitely. Local air quality hazard sure. 1000 miles away after atmospheric mixing? Parts per billion. Or less.

Gotta be Duckfat

Where did you get that tap system?

A rail car tank holds maybe 6,000 cubic feet. Vaporize that in a single cubic mile of air and you are already diluted to 1 part per 25 million.

That's baseless speculation. Nothing in your response addresses the fate and transport of this specific pollutant or the as yet publicly unknown chemicals that were also onboard.

What you've just said is one of the most insanely idiotic things I have ever heard. At no point in your rambling, incoherent response were you even close to anything that could be considered a rational thought. Everyone in this room is now dumber for having listened to it. I award you no points, and may God have mercy on your soul.

They did collect samples. They do that every 6 days year round per the article. But the samples take a few weeks to analyze.

So the quote is saying that if levels were elevated then it will show up in the monitoring samples from last week, but they won’t get the analysis results of those samples back until March.

Oh, thank god you've determined that. Ok. Nothing to see here! This guy says it's irrelevant

I think it's just processing lag. Probably take sample but process lags, as that is not something that is usually looked for.

And frankly the amount of burned chemical is miniscule compared to the atmospheric dilution. I'm going with this event outside the immediate area is environmentally irrelevant.

a dead one

This bot is the real mvp.

> If we monitored elevated levels of vinyl chloride last week

Weird that we don't dig into why this is an 'if' and not a 'because we monitored, we saw' here.

Readings are taken only every 6 days, with the last being Feb 11? Crash occurred Feb 3. Means 1 round of tests 2 days after crash? Something might show up.

That is great to hear! My only concern is a lot of these ecological disasters are covered up as much as possible for as long as possible but are always worse than what they initially claim.

But I'll be very happy if it doesn't reach Maine in any substantial / harmful amounts!

The leadership from the Feds is amazing on this issue. This isn't Trumps DC anymore, its real leadership.

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Excerpt from https://www.census.gov/topics/population/hispanic-origin/about.html below:

"U.S. federal government agencies must adhere to standards issued by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), which specify that race and Hispanic origin (also known as ethnicity) are two separate and distinct concepts. These standards generally reflect a social definition of race and ethnicity recognized in this country, and they do not conform to any biological, anthropological, or genetic criteria. The standards include two minimum categories for data on ethnicity: "Hispanic or Latino" and "Not Hispanic or Latino." Persons who report themselves as Hispanic can be of any race and are identified as such in our data tables. The following sources provide population data on Hispanic origin and race:

Population estimates by age, sex, race, and Hispanic origin are produced annually for the nation, states, and counties. Historical data are also provided in the Archive Files. Population projections out to 2060 are provided by race and Hispanic origin for the nation. The Current Population Survey (CPS) provides national-level data on the social, economic, and demographic characteristics of selected race groups, both current and past. Tables on the Hispanic population in the United States are also available, both current and past. The American Community Survey (ACS) provides sample data from the 1-year, 3-year, and 5-year estimates based on population size. Selected Population Profiles enable you to select characteristics by Race or Ethnic Groups (Mexican, Puerto Rican, Cuban, etc.) and by Country of Birth. The 2010 Census brief Overview of Race and Hispanic Origin describes these concepts and also provides information on how the race categories used in the 2010 Census were defined."

Don't let the downvotes keep you down. Folks lighten up once they start going outside.

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Woah woah woah woah woah!!!

Don’t worry about this, didn’t you hear that there are ‘Chinese’ weather balloons????

The air is fine, you should be clicking articles about the balloons not this pesky tiny risk to rail safety and EPA regulations

Just look at the air testing data from the actual crash site. Concentrations of the most hazardous chemicals there fell to the non-detectable level almost immediately.

I’m up in Lincoln. I knew I was a little early, but temps were right and the maples had buds showing. We won’t be too far behind ya.

I'm near Newport and it was flowing pretty good and its only getting warmer

I remember a cranky old neighbor who got pissed off at getting a ticket from a deputy who was always passing him over the double line at a high rate of speed. One time decided to pass him. At 80 miles an hour. Got a ticket. Not for going 80 but for driving on the wrong side of the road. Judge dismissed it. Guy got another ticket the next week. Same judge. First time I heard the phrase "official oppression."

A short time later, a reporter from the Boston Globe came up and interviewed him. Did not include the ticket story in his column.

Yeah March until they know the results. I want to know where the opinion on whether it is likely too small amounts comes from though, I doubt the author is qualified to make that assumption. But would love for it to be true, just would prefer to see some sources or something.