The examples I gave are things that I have seen random internet people saying online over the past days, not that are being reported on - they are not being reported on, IMO, because they are not true...they are online rumors. Rumors that get perpetuated and take away from the actual problems that are happening.Hadn't read anything about intentional railroad sabotage. What have you read about it? We have seen news coveerage and photos of dying livestock. Not about birds dying 6 hours away.
From what I've read so far, I don't like the changes made to length of trains with small crews, especially when hazardous loads are in the train consist.
As for the reporter who was arrested, it doesn't sound like he was trespassing or doing anything inappropriate. As for the Ohio National Guard, well, there was May 4. Sounds like their culture hasn't changed. JMO.
Animals: we've seen dead fish, we've seen a couple dead foxes that were located in the evacuation zone, we've seen a small flock of chickens in North Lima wiped out, we've read of 20+ families reporting health concerns with pets (per the Columbiana County Humane Society). While I'm sympathetic to anyone who has had any loss of animals, I do not consider a 10 hen backyard flock of chickens to be "livestock," but some might, I guess. If you have seen other credible instances of dying livestock, please do provide that source. What I'm saying, as a member of the ag community in Columbiana County, is that those reports are at the least, exaggerated, and at best, false. Word travels quickly; we would know.
Birds: there were photos circulating online earlier this week of dozens? More? dead starlings in a parking lot in...Kentucky somewhere, I believe. People were stretching really hard to make a connection between the dead birds and the chemical release. Six hours away. Upwind, upstream (or at least, a different water system). People who know something about bird behavior and health had plenty of plausible explanations for what could have happened to the birds, but sensationalism and salience are hard to many people to overcome.
Sabotage: I don't know, some people just need a little more tinfoil. It is eerie now, though, to sit at a railroad crossing and wait for a Norfolk Southern train to pass and just wonder what all is inside. The two I had to wait through today were mostly boxcars, but the train that derailed was seen sparking on camera just about 5 miles from our home. That's sobering.
Ohio National Guard: they claimed he was trespassing after not leaving when they had asked him to leave. The Ohio National Guard general was way out of line in being physical, but I don't think we can permanently judge an entire entity based on events from almost 53 years ago.
Sorry to vent, it's just been really frustrating to read such sensationalized reports about the area where we live, with often negative thoughts thrown at the people of EP (blaming them for voting majority Republican, for not just leaving - it's a low SES area, who can afford it?, etc.). This is all MOO.