NPR yesterday on the East Palestine disaster:

Some residents have reported headaches and rashes in the days since the derailment. And many have expressed frustration at what they say is a lack of answers from the railroad company and public officials.

I suspect the lack of answers is because the answers don’t make the railroad company or public officials look responsible or competent. “We could answer, but then you would come at us with pitchforks.”

On Wednesday night, hundreds of East Palestine residents crowded into a high school gym to press state and local officials for answers about air and water testing and the risks of long-term exposure.

“Why are people getting sick if there’s nothing in the air or in the water?” one resident shouted to thunderous applause.

It could be because there is something in the air or the water, or it could be the power of suggestion, or it could be a mix of both. We can be pretty confident that the controlled explosion and fire didn’t improve the public health.

The meeting was originally meant to include representatives from Norfolk Southern. But a few hours before the meeting was set to begin, the railroad pulled out, saying in a statement that it had become concerned about a “growing physical threat to employees and members of the community.”

Ok so skip the representatives, send in the big bosses for a change. Send in the people who actually make these decisions, not the ones who try to sugarcoat them after the fact.

Because most of the rail cars were carrying non-hazardous materials, Norfolk Southern was not subject to laws that would have compelled them to notify Ohio officials of the train’s contents. On Tuesday, DeWine urged Congress to consider changes to hazardous cargo notification requirements.

That’s a thing? There’s a “minority of cars” escape clause? How stupid is that? Or rather, how corrupt is that? Please advise.