A train derailed in Van Buren Township, Michigan, that was operated by Norfolk Southern near Huron River Drive. Reportedly no hazardous materials were spilled at the crash.
Norfolk Southern told reporters that no injuries were reported and the tracks were damaged while wheels became disconnected from the cars.
“A representative with Norfolk Southern told Local 4 that there were no hazardous materials spilled in the crash, and there were no reports of injuries. It’s currently unclear what the train was carrying through the area, but officials said no train cars containing hazardous materials were involved,” per Local 4.
Michigan U.S. Rep. Debbie Dingell said in a statement that she and her team have “been in touch with Supervisor Kevin McNamara, the Van Buren Fire Department, and other local officials regarding the train derailment in Van Buren Township.”
Van Buren Twp. Police Dept./LOCAL NEWS X/TMX
“We are also in touch with the relevant federal authorities, including the EPA,” added Dingell. “At this time no one is aware of the release of any hazardous materials, the car carrying hazardous material has been put upright and is being removed from the area of the other derailed cars, and EPA is dispatching a team to ensure public safety. We will continue to monitor the situation very closely and remain in touch with federal, state, and local officials, and release additional information as it becomes available.”
Norfolk Southern has been a center of controversy in recent days after a train derailed in East Palestine, Ohio, causing a spill of toxic chemicals just 250 miles from Detroit. As Breitbart News reported:
More than 2,000 residents were evacuated due to health concerns over the chemical leak but have since been allowed to return.
State health officials were initially concerned about the presence of vinyl chloride, a highly volatile colorless gas produced for commercial uses which spilled in the accident.
Other toxins like hydrogen chloride were emitted in large plumes of smoke during a controlled release and burn, prompting officials to issue mandatory evacuation orders in a one-mile radius of the crash site.
Another of the substances released was phosgene, a gas deployed as a chemical weapon across First World War battlefields.
The Norfolk Southern Railway Company subsidiary operates approximately 19,300 route miles in 22 states and the District of Columbia, per Local 4.
