One year ago, a Norfolk Southern freight train derailed in East Palestine, Ohio, a town of fewer than 5000 people on the Ohio-Pennsylvania border. The train was carrying vinyl chloride and other industrial chemicals used to make plastics, paint, solvents, and other products. Some railcars caught fire and burned for more than two days, and emergency crews then conducted a controlled explosion and burn of several more cars, releasing hazardous chemicals into the air and water.
The Environmental Protection Agency allowed Norfolk Southern to ignite the chemical cargo and take charge of the clean-up. Thousands of East Palestine residents and emergency responders are now suffering illnesses.
Chris Albright, a pipeline worker with Laborers’ International Union of North America (LIUNA) 1058 lived within half a mile of the explosion. As a result of the contamination, he now has serious heart problems and requires medication costing thousands of dollars every month. Since he was too ill to work, he lost his health insurance in January. Now he is fighting for healthcare to save his life and is calling on President Biden to invoke the Stafford Act and declare East Palestine a mass casualty incident site, allowing all residents and all workers involved to get healthcare. He spoke to Pacifica’s Steve Zeltzer.
Journalist Maximillian Alvarez is the Editor-in-Chief of the Real News Network. He has covered the struggle of East Palestine residents and workers to protect their healthcare, community, and jobs. He spoke at a panel on the one-year anniversary of the February 3, 2023 disaster.
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Pacifica reporter Thomas O’Rourke has a follow up on COVID 19 vaccine injuries. This supplements an earlier interview of Dr. Peter McCullough from the January 22nd 2024 episode of Capitalism, Race, & Democracy.
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The international Labor Education Project on the AFL-CIO recently held a panel on the AFL-CIO, Zionism, Imperialism and South Africa. Durban trade union organizer and labor researcher David Hemson talked about the Histadrut, Israel’s national trade union center, which represents the majority of Israel’s trade unionists.
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And that concludes today’s edition of Capitalism, Race & Democracy. We thank all of Pacifica’s sister stations and affiliates who contribute to the production of this show. Today’s program was produced by the Capitalism, Race & Democracy collective, with contributions from Steve Zeltzer, Thomas O’Rourke, Ann Garrison, and Polina Vasiliev.
Thanks for listening!
Music:
Conor Ryan Henessy, “East Palestine Ohio”
La Bilirrubina by Juan Luis Guerra
