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Mike DeWine, Governor, Ohio, East Palestine
It’s a miracle! East Palestine, OH, is safe for humans and the trains are running on time. Photo credit: DonkeyHotey / WhoWhatWhy (CC BY-SA 2.0) See complete attribution below.

So far the official word out of Ohio is that efforts to prevent harm to citizens are all successful and people can return home, but many residents remain concerned.

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So far the official word out of Ohio is that efforts to prevent harm to citizens are all successful and people can return home. Was the decision to burn off the carcinogenic chemical spill taken to open the rail lines or was it the best measure to avoid a dangerous explosion?

Norfolk Southern Railway and other carriers have been investing in stock buybacks while skimping on labor and maintenance. Norfolk Southern allegedly lobbied against safety regulations before the derailment that could have resulted in better braking systems. The rail industry’s adoption of “precision scheduled railroading” to reduce labor costs may have contributed to less maintenance and human monitoring. 

While you’re here enjoying DonkeyHotey’s latest cartoon, please take a moment to read these articles on related topics: 


The cartoon above was created by DonkeyHotey for WhoWhatWhy from these images: Mike DeWine caricature (DonkeyHotey / Flickr – CC BY 2.0), body (Neal Herbert / Flickr), East Palestine, Ohio (Eric Friedebach / Flickr – CC BY 2.0), smoke (U.S. Department of Defense Current Photos / Flickr), air monitor (EPA), birds (Gary Leavens / Flickr  – CC BY-SA 2.0), and Dumpster (Ser Amantio di Nicolao / Wikimedia – CC BY-SA 4.0).


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