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Njengoba abaphenyi be-federal bevakashela indawo ye- omunye umzila wesitimela waseNorfolk Southern e-Ohio, inkampani yafunga izindlela ezintsha zokuphepha ekuphenduleni ukuphahlazeka kwesitimela esinobuthi lokho yacekela phansi idolobha laseMpumalanga Palestine.
I-Norfolk Southern izovuselela inethiwekhi yayo yomtshina oshisayo njengengxenye yohlelo olusha lokuphepha lwamaphuzu ayisithupha, inkampani. kumenyezelwe ngoMsombuluko.
“Izithombo ezishisayo” noma “ibhokisi elishisayo” sebenzisa izinzwa ze-infrared ukuze urekhode amazinga okushisa amabheringi kaloliwe njengoba izitimela zidlula. Uma zizwa i-aber eshisa ngokweqile, imitshina icupha i-alamu, etshela abasebenzi besitimela ukuthi kufanele bame futhi bahlole inqola yesitimela ukuthi ayisebenzi yini.
Ngemuva kokukhishwa emfuleni okunobuthi kwangomhla zi-3 e-East Palestine, abaphenyi bathola izinzwa ezithwala ukushisa zithole isondo elithwala ukushisa amamayela ngaphambi kokuthi ligcine lihlulekile – kodwa akazange abatshele abasebenzi besitimela kwaze kwaba yilapho isikhathi sesihambile, ngokombiko wokuqala wangomhla zingama-23 kuNhlolanja. Ibhodi Likazwelonke Lokuphepha Ezokuthutha.
Njengamanje, ibanga eliphakathi nendawo phakathi kwezitholi kunethiwekhi yaseNorfolk Southern ngamamayela ayi-13.9. NgoMsombuluko, inkampani imemezele ukuthi izohlola yonke indawo lapho ibanga phakathi kwezithonjana lingaphezu kwamamayela ayi-15 futhi izothuthukisa uhlelo sebenzisa imitshina eyengeziwe lapho kudingeka khona.
UNorfolk Southern uthe ezinye izindlela zokuphepha ezintsha zizofaka:
• Ukusebenzisana nabakhiqizi bezithonjana ezithwala ukushisa ezikwaziyo “ukuskena ingxenye enkulu yamabheringi namasondo enqola kaloliwe” ukuze kusheshiswe ukuthuthukiswa nokuhlola.
• Ukwengeza izitholi “ze-acoustic bear” eziyi-13 ezihlaziya isiginesha ye-acoustic yokudlidliza ngaphakathi kwe-ekseli futhi ezizokwazi ukuhlonza izinkinga ezingaba khona uhlolo olubonakalayo olungeke lukwazi. Lezi zitholi zizokwengezwa “emizileni enethrafikhi ephezulu” kunethiwekhi eyinhloko yaseNorfolk Southern.
• Ukusebenzisana ne-Georgia Tech ukuze kuthuthukiswe ubuchwepheshe bokuhlola ukuphepha kusetshenziswa “umbono womshini nama-algorithms anikwe amandla ubuhlakani bokwenziwa ukuhlonza amaphutha kanye nokulungiswa okudingekayo.”
• Ukusheshisa ukufakwa kobuchwepheshe obusha bokuhlola, okuhlanganisa ukusetshenziswa kwamakhamera anesinqumo esiphezulu amiswe ezindaweni ezinamasu e-Premier Corridor, okuwumzila wesitimela oxhuma iNyakatho-mpumalanga neMidwest West futhi unqamule eMpumalanga Palestine.
Cishe amakhilomitha angu-200 eningizimu-ntshonalanga ye-East Palestine, abaphenyi be-NTSB bafike ngoMsombuluko e-Springfield Ohio – lapho isitimela sesitimela saseNorfolk Southern siphume ngoMgqibelo.
Abaphenyi bazobe “bebheka isimo sesitimela, isimo semishini yesitimela, ukusebenza, ukuma kwezimoto esitimeleni, nokulawula amasignali kanye nesitimela phakathi kwezinye izinto,” kusho i-NTSB esitatimendeni. “Bazophinde baqoqe imininingwane yokuqopha imicimbi, amarekhodi ezithombe ezisebhodini, futhi bazokwenza izingxoxo nabasebenzi nabanye ofakazi.”
Abaphenyi bale nhlangano kulindeleke ukuthi bakhiphe umbiko wokuqala emasontweni amabili kuya kwamathathu.
Isitimela sezimoto ezingama-212 besibheke eningizimu sidlula e-Clark County sisendleleni eya e-Birmingham, e-Alabama, lapho izimoto zaso ezingu-28 ziphuma emzileni – zehlisa izintambo zikagesi ezinkulu, zakhipha ugesi futhi zacela okwesikhashana uku-oda indawo yokukhosela ezindlini eziphakathi kwamamitha angu-1,000.
Abasebenzi kamuva unqume ukuthi akukho okuchithekile ezimotweni ezidukile, futhi iziphathimandla zathi akukho monakalo emvelweni.
“Akuzange kukhishwe noma yimaphi amakhemikhali noma iyiphi into eyingozi emhlabathini, emoyeni, emanzini,” kusho uMqondisi we-Ohio Environmental Protection Agency u-Anne Vogel ngeSonto.
Imbangela yokuphuma komzila isaphenywa, kusho uNorfolk Southern.
Izimoto ezine zamathangi eziphihlikile bezikade zithwele uketshezi oluphuma ngodizili kanye nesithako esivame ukusetshenziswa lapho kuhlanzwa amanzi angcolile, kodwa bezingenalutho ngesikhathi ziphuma emzileni, kusho iMenenja Jikelele yakwaNorfolk Southern Southern General of Operations Kraig Barner.
“Kuhlala kusala isamba esincane emathangini,” kusho uSmith etshela i-CNN. “Izimoto zamathangi ezilahlekile aziyona ingozi.”
Lawo mathangi angenalutho ayephethe umkhiqizo osele “ngamanani amancane kakhulu” “okoma ngokushesha,” kusho isikhulu seSpringfield Fire Assistant uMat Smith. Uthe ithimba lakhe lihlole indawo yengozi laqinisekisa ukuthi akukho okuchithekile phansi.
Kodwa enye imoto ibithwele ama-pellets e-PVC athinte inhlabathi endaweni yengozi, kusho uVogel. Uthe i-EPA “izobe isendaweni iqinisekisa ukuthi njengoba izimoto zisuswa yiNorfolk Southern ukuthi inhlabathi ayithinteki ngaphansi komhlaba.”
Ngemuva kokususwa komzila, iziphathimandla zafuna ukuqinisekisa umphakathi waseClark County ukuthi umoya wawo, amanzi nomhlabathi kuphephile.
“Njengoba kungazange kube khona okukhishwayo, sibheka umoya ohlanzekile, inhlabathi ehlanzekile namanzi ahlanzekile kubahlali bethu,” kusho uKhomishana Wezempilo waseClark County uCharles Patterson. “Ochwepheshe bazoqhubeka nokuba khona esizeni ukuze baqinisekise ukuthi akukho ukungcoliswa okugejiwe.”
Ngenkathi izitimela ezimbili zakamuva zesitimela e-Ohio zenze izindaba zikazwelonke, idatha evela ku- I-Federal Railroad Administration Office of Safety Analysis ibonisa ukuthi kuye kwaba nezimo okungenani eziyi-1,000 e-United States unyaka ngamunye phakathi neminyaka eyishumi edlule.
Inqubo yokususa inhlabathi ngaphansi kwemizila endaweni egudluzwa yi-East Palestine iqale ngoMgqibelo, kusho i-Federal Environmental Protection Agency. I-ejensi yayinakho iyaliwe Norfolk Southern ukulungisa isayithi, kuhlanganise nokumbiwa kwenhlabathi engase ibe amagciwane.
Umsebenzi ungathatha izinyanga ezimbili, kuye ngezimo zezulu nokunye ukubambezeleka okungalindelekile, i kusho inhlangano. I-EPA ithe izakhamizi eziseduze zingase zibone iphunga elengeziwe ngaleso sikhathi.
Ngenkathi umsebenzi wenhlabathi usaqhubeka, iNorfolk Southern ivumile ukuhlinzeka ngosizo lwezezimali ezakhamuzini ezihlukahlukene izidingo, okuhlanganisa indawo yokuhlala yesikhashana, ukuhamba, ukudla nezimpahla zokugqoka, kusho i-EPA.
Imithelela yokonakala kwe-East Palestine izwakale nakweminye imiphakathi eseduze ePennsylvania, lapho iNorfolk Southern yenze “isivumelwano sokuqala” sokukhokhela izigidi zamademeshe lapho, kusho izikhulu ngoMsombuluko.
Ujantshi wesitimela uzosungula isikhwama sokusiza umphakathi esingu-$1 million ukuze sisekele amabhizinisi endawo kanye nezakhamuzi ezithintwe ukuphahlazeka kwezifunda zase-Beaver naseLawrence, kusho umbiko wezindaba ovela ehhovisi likaHulumeni uJosh Shapiro.
I-Norfolk Southern iphinde yavuma ukukhokha amaRandi ayizigidi ezingu-5 ukuze kubuyiselwe iminyango yezomlilo yasePennsylvania okufanele ithathe indawo yemishini eyonakele noma engcolile ngemva kokuphendula ukonakala, kusho ukukhululwa. Isivumelwano sihlanganisa nemali yokukhokhela ezinye izindleko zokusebenza nezimpendulo zeminyango yokuvikela imvelo yasePennsylvania, ezempilo kanye nokuphathwa kwezimo eziphuthumayo.
Lezi zinkokhelo zizohluka kwezinye “izibopho zomthetho ezisebenzayo” ezingase zibekwe, kusho ukukhululwa.
I-Norfolk Southern ithole irekhodi lama-dollar ayizigidi eziyizinkulungwane ezingu-3.3 ngonyaka odlule, okuphindwe izikhathi ezingaphezu kuka-400 kunezigidi ezingu-7.4 zamaRandi uShapiro athi inkampani yavuma ukuyikhokhela emiphakathini yasePennsylvania.
Le nkampani isebenzise amaRandi ayizigidi eziyizinkulungwane ezingu-4.2 ekuthengeni kabusha amasheya kanye nezabelo kubanikazi bamasheya futhi inezinhlelo zokuthenga kabusha amanye amasheya angama-dollar ayizigidi eziyizinkulungwane ezingu-7.5 ukuya phambili, noma izikhathi ezingaphezu kuka-1,000 XNUMX inani lokuqala elithembise iPennsylvania.
Ukonakala kwe-East Palestine kwabhebhethekisa ukukhala phakathi kwezakhamizi ezike zabika ikhanda, ukukhwehlela nezinye izifo ngemva kokuphahlazeka komlilo.
Isitimela sasidonsa la makhemikhali ayingozi i-vinyl chloride kanye namanye amakhemikhali okusatshwa ukuthi aputshukele endaweni ezungezile.
Abanye abasebenzi abaphendule endaweni yengozi yase-East Palestine abazange banikezwe imishini yokuzivikela efanele futhi baye babhekana nemigraines nesicanucanu, i-American Rail System Federation – inyunyana yabasebenzi bakwaloliwe – kusho incwadi evikini eledlule.
I-Norfolk Southern ithe ibingakayitholi imibiko yokulimala noma yokugula kubasebenzi abathintekayo ekuphenduleni kokuqala.
“I-Norfolk Southern yayisendaweni ngokushesha ngemuva kokudilika futhi yaxhumanisa impendulo yethu nochwepheshe bezinto eziyingozi,” kusho isitatimende sikaloliwe.
Le nkampani iphinde yathi “kusetshenziswe i-PPE edingekayo, konke ngaphezu kokuqapha emoyeni okwasungulwa kungakapheli ihora.”
