The National Transportation Safety Board has released a <a href="https://twitter.com/NTSB_Newsroom">timeline of events</a> leading to the cargo ship DALI slamming into the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore on Tuesday.
The NTSB gleaned the information from the DALI’s voyage data recorder (VDR), which provides six hours of data between 12:00 a.m. EDT and 06:00 a.m. EDT on March 26.
“The VDR data is comprised of audio from both the ship&#8217;s bridge as well as recordings of the ship&#8217;s VHF (very high frequency) radios,” the NTSB noted. The VDR also recorded ship speed, engine RPM, rudder angle, ship heading, and some alarm information.
The ship departed Seagirt Marine Terminal at approximately 12:39  a.m. By 1:07 a.m., it had entered the Fort McHenry Channel. By 1:24 a.m., the ship was underway on a true heading of approximately 141 degrees in the Fort McHenry Channel at an indicated speed over ground of approximately 8 knots/9 miles per hour.
Roughly one minute later “numerous aural alarms were recorded on the ship&#8217;s bridge audio,” the NTSB <a href="https://twitter.com/NTSB_Newsroom/status/1773156489609282029/photo/1" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a>, adding, “Around the same time, VDR ship system data ceased recording, however, the VDR audio continued to be recorded using the VDR&#8217;s redundant power source. Around 01:26:02, the VDR resumed recording ship system data. During this time, there were steering commands and rudder orders on the VDR audio.”
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“Around 01:26:39 the ship&#8217;s pilot made a general VHF radio call for tugs in the vicinity of the DALI. MDTA data from around this time indicated the pilot association dispatcher phoned the MDTA duty officer regarding the blackout. Around 1:27:04, the pilot commanded the DALI to drop the port anchor and issued additional steering commands,” the NTSB continued. “Around 1:27:25, the pilot issued a radio call over the VHF radio and reported the DALI had lost all power approaching the Key Bridge,” The NTSM stated, adding that at roughly 1:29 a.m. “the ship&#8217;s speed over ground was recorded as just under 7 knots/8 miles per hour. From this moment until approximately 1:29:33, VDR audio recorded sounds consistent with the collision with the Key bridge.”

Baltimore’s Francis Scott Key Bridge Collapses After Being Struck By Cargo Ship

NTSB Reports Timeline Of Baltimore Bridge Disaster

Baltimore

Francis Scott Key Bridge

National transportation Safety Board

Former Transportation Secretary Jim Burnley, who served in the Reagan administration, discussed how the investigation &#8220;should proceed&#8221; in the coming months after the partial <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/baltimore-bridge-collapses-resulting-in-mass-casualty-event-after-its-struck-by-cargo-ship" target="_blank" rel="noopener">bridge collapse</a> in Baltimore early Tuesday morning.
Fox News host Laura Ingraham spoke with Burnley after a container ship rammed into the Francis Scott Key Bridge, causing it to break apart. At least half a dozen people are <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/6-people-presumed-dead-after-cargo-ship-crash-levels-baltimore-bridge" target="_blank" rel="noopener">presumed dead</a>.
&#8220;You were the transportation secretary in like a golden age of that department in my view, and I&#8217;m not saying it in a biased fashion,&#8221; said Ingraham, who was a speechwriter in the Reagan administration.
&#8220;You were an expert on so many things but tell us what happens next, or what should happen next in this mess of a situation involving a critical port?&#8221; she asked.
&#8220;First let me mention the six apparent fatalities, apparently all highway maintenance workers. That’s one of the most dangerous and under-appreciated jobs in America,&#8221; Burnley said. &#8220;Usually, it’s motorists that threaten them and in this case, a bridge comes down.&#8221;
In the segment, which was <a href="https://dailycaller.com/2024/03/26/jim-burnley-predicts-next-steps-baltimore-bridge-collapse/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">highlighted by the Daily Caller</a>, Burnley went on to talk about the National Transportation Safety Board, an independent federal agency <a href="https://www.ntsb.gov/Pages/home.aspx" target="_blank" rel="noopener">tasked</a> with determining the probable causes of transportation accidents and issuing safety recommendations.
&#8220;The way this should proceed, and I expect it will proceed, is the investigation will be led by what I believe is the most credible agency in the United States government – that’s the National Transportation Safety Board,&#8221; he said.
&#8220;It is bipartisan. In fact its most recent appointee was chief of staff at DOT [Department of Transportation] during the Trump administration,&#8221; Burnley said. &#8220;It has a highly esteemed group of subject matter experts, it will call on the various federal agencies at DOT, at DHS [Department of Homeland Security] – the Army Corps of Engineers, in this case, will be involved.&#8221;
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Burnley surmised that it will &#8220;probably take quite a few months&#8221; before investigators reach their &#8220;bottom line conclusions&#8221; in looking into the Francis Scott Key Bridge incident.
&#8220;But that’s where we should all be focused, is on that agency and what it concludes,&#8221; he said. &#8220;It will make recommendations that I hope both the Executive Branch and Congress will take very seriously, whatever they are.&#8221;

Jim Burnley and other former transportation secretaries

Former Transportation Secretary Gives Rundown On How Investigation Into Baltimore Bridge Collapse ‘Should Proceed’

Former Transportation Secretary Gives Rundown On How Investigation Into Baltimore Bridge Collapse 'Should Proceed'

Department of Transportation

Laura Ingraham

Maryland

Transportation

U.S.

Boeing CEO Dave Calhoun will leave the company by the end of the year as it changes leadership amid quality and safety concerns with <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/boeing" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Boeing</a> aircraft. 
Other top leaders are also leaving the company, with board chair Larry Kellner resigning from his position in May and Boeing Commercial Airplanes CEO Stan Deal retiring immediately. Boeing Chief Operation Officer Stephanie Pope will take over from Deal, while Steve Mollenkopf will become the company’s new board chair. 
The announcement comes after the company faced scrutiny after a Boeing plane&#8217;s door plug blew off midflight during an Alaska Airlines flight carrying more than 170 passengers in January, forcing the plane to make an emergency landing. 
“As you all know, the Alaska Airlines Flight 1282 accident was a watershed moment for Boeing,” Calhoun <a href="https://boeing.mediaroom.com/2024-03-25-CEO-Message-to-Employees" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> in a letter to staff. “We must continue to respond to this accident with humility and complete transparency. We also must inculcate a total commitment to safety and quality at every level of our company.&#8221;
“The eyes of the world are on us, and I know we will come through this moment a better company, building on all the learnings we accumulated as we worked together to rebuild Boeing over the last number of years,” he added. “We have been working together for the last five years to address some of the most significant challenges our company and industry have ever faced in our 108-year history. I am confident that the way we have confronted these challenges, and how we are responding to this specific moment, is establishing standards for future generations of employees and will be woven into the fabric of how we operate for decades to come.”
The Alaska Airlines incident prompted a series of federal and congressional investigations into Boeing&#8217;s safety and manufacturing practices. 
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Earlier this month, National Transportation Safety Board Chair Jennifer Homendy <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/boeing-refusing-to-hand-over-records-on-alaska-airlines-plane-that-lost-chunk-of-its-wall-mid-air-gov-official-says" target="_blank" rel="noopener">testified</a> before the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation that Boeing refused to tell investigators the names of people on a 25-member team that worked on a door plug that came off the Alaska Airlines plane.
“Boeing has not provided us with the documents and information that we have requested numerous times over the past few months, specifically with respect to opening, closing, and removal of the door,” Homendy told lawmakers. “Without that information, that raises concerns about quality assurance, quality management, [and] safety management systems.&#8221;
Other Boeing planes have experienced high-profile malfunctions this year, with a United Airlines Boeing 737 <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/united-airlines-boeing-737-loses-external-panel-mid-air" target="_blank" rel="noopener">losing</a> an external panel midflight this month and a Boeing 737-800 in Japan being <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/boeing-737-forced-to-turn-back-mid-flight-after-cockpit-window-cracks" target="_blank" rel="noopener">forced</a> to turn back in January because of a crack in the cockpit window. The incidents come as the Federal Aviation Authority<a href="https://apnews.com/article/boeing-safety-quality-faa-audit-fc3a23505363800e1c6d4debd98c4d74" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> found</a> that a Boeing plant in Renton, Washington, failed 33 of 88 production standards.

Orders For U.S. Manufactured Goods Decline By Largest Margin In

Top Boeing Leadership To Leave Company After Alaska Airlines Flight Loses Door Plug Midflight

Air &amp; Space

airplanes

Boeing

Business

Federal Aviation Administration (FAA)

A federal official with the National Transportation Safety Board said that the controlled burning of toxic chemicals in <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/east-palestine" target="_blank" rel="noopener">East Palestine</a>, Ohio, after a massive train derailment last year was not justified. 
NTSB Chair Jennifer Homendy told lawmakers on Wednesday that there would have been alternatives to busting open the train cars and burning the vinyl chloride chemicals inside after a train operated by Norfolk Southern crashed in February of 2023. The burn released toxic fumes into the area and left residents with concerns about their health and safety. 
The company in charge of the chemicals, Oxy Vinyls, reportedly did not think a deadly explosion would occur, telling contractors with Norfolk Southern that “there was no justification to do a vent and burn,” according to Homendy. Instead, they could have waited and let the chemicals cool down. 
Homendy said that Governor Mike DeWine (R-OH) and other first responders did not know that this was a possibility. 
“So Oxy Vinyls was on scene providing information to Norfolk Southern’s contractor who was in the room when the decision was made, and when advice was given to the governor of Ohio, to the incident commander, they were not given full information because no one was told Oxy Vinyls was on scene,” Homendy said. “They were left out of the room. The incident commander didn’t even know they existed. Neither did the governor. So they were provided incomplete information to make a decision.”
The information came out as Homendy was <a href="https://www.vance.senate.gov/press-releases/ntsb-chair-homendy-chemical-explosion-in-east-palestine-didnt-need-to-happen-experts-were-ignored/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">questioned</a> by Sen. J.D. Vance (R-OH) about whether the controlled burn was necessary to avoid an explosion of the toxic chemicals. 
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🚨WATCH: NTSB Chair Homendy tells Senator <a href="https://twitter.com/JDVance1?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@JDVance1</a> the chemical explosion in East Palestine, OH did not have to happen
“They were provided incomplete information to make a decision&#8230;there was no justification to do a vent and burn.” <a href="https://t.co/5vR5sd8CDZ">pic.twitter.com/5vR5sd8CDZ</a>
&mdash; Senator Vance Press Office (@SenVancePress) <a href="https://twitter.com/SenVancePress/status/1765513323229900914?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 6, 2024</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
“To sort of recap for folks, the mushroom cloud, the chemical mushroom cloud that captured headlines across the country was the result of a controlled burn,” Vance said, before saying that the central question was whether the burn was justified or not. Vance pointed out that the measured temperature of the chemical tank cars had dropped and stabilized after the crash. 
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Homendy said that to justify the burn, temperatures in the chemical tank cars would have to be rapidly increasing and there would have to be an infusion of oxygen into the cars. Both of these factors were not in play, according to Homendy. 
Vance called the revelations “extraordinary” and suggested that the burn was done so that more traffic and freight could be moved through quickly. 
After the crash, many East Palestine residents were forced to evacuate their homes after the derailment as the toxic chemicals burned, releasing poisonous fumes into the air, ground, and water. Norfolk Southern was sued by East Palestine <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/breaking-class-action-lawsuit-filed-by-residents-against-norfolk-southern" target="_blank" rel="noopener">residents</a>, the state of <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/entirely-avoidable-ohio-sues-norfolk-southern-for-train-disaster" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Ohio</a>, and the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/doj-epa-unveil-lawsuit-against-norfolk-southern-over-east-palestine-train-crash" target="_blank" rel="noopener">federal government</a>.

Screen Shot 2024-03-08 at 11.08.43 AM

Controlled Burn Of Toxic Chemicals That Unleashed Mushroom Cloud Over East Palestine Wasn’t Necessary, Federal Official Says

Disasters

East Palestine

JD Vance

Mike DeWine

Norfolk Southern

Ohio

Ohio Train Disaster

Train

North Dakota Republican state Senator Doug Larsen, his wife, and their two young children died in a plane crash in Utah on Sunday night, officials said.
&#8220;I&#8217;m not sure where the bereavement starts with such a tragedy, but I think it starts with prayers for the grandparents, surviving stepchild of Senator Larsen, and extended family of Doug and Amy,&#8221; North Dakota Republican Senate Majority Leader David Hogue <a href="https://apnews.com/article/utah-plane-crash-moab-killed-a7064a4f3a883be6f920fb647d10c6ca" target="_blank" rel="noopener">wrote</a> in the email to senate colleagues obtained by the Associated Press on Monday. &#8220;Hold your family close today.&#8221;
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Rest in Peace ND State Senator Doug Larsen and family, him and his family died in a plane crash on Sunday north of Moab Utah <a href="https://t.co/WhQCECbOPp">pic.twitter.com/WhQCECbOPp</a>
&mdash; Harrison Krank (@HarrisonKrank) <a href="https://twitter.com/HarrisonKrank/status/1708921572021412111?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 2, 2023</a></blockquote>
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Hogue said the crash occurred after the Larsen family stopped to refuel the aircraft in Utah after visiting family in Scottsdale, Arizona.
Grand County Sheriff&#8217;s Department <a href="https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=624695623187102&amp;set=a.205247185131950" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> on Facebook that the plane crashed shortly after taking off from Canyonlands Airfield about 15 miles north of Moab — a tourist city of approximately 5,300 people known for its gateway to massive red rock formations in Arches National Park — and confirmed that all four people on board the plane did not survive.
Authorities reportedly said they dispatched emergency responders after receiving a call from a witness who witnessed &#8220;a plane going into the ground shortly after taking off from the Canyonlands Airfield north of Moab,&#8221; <a href="https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-12584327/Four-people-killed-small-plane-crashed-taking-Canyonlands-Field-Airport-Utah.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according</a> to The Daily Mail.
National Transportation Safety Board officials reported that the crash of the single-engine Piper was being investigated.
A spokesperson from the safety board said that an investigator was on the scene Monday &#8220;to begin to document the scene, examine the aircraft, request any air traffic communications, radar data, weather reports and try to contact any witnesses&#8221; and would &#8220;request maintenance records of the aircraft, and medical records and flight history of the pilot.&#8221;
It&#8217;s unclear who was piloting the aircraft at the time of the crash. The Associated Press reported a Facebook post from Larsen in December 2020 showed a picture of a small, orange plane that noted his wife, Amy, had &#8220;her first flight as a pilot.&#8221;
Larsen became a North Dakota state senator in 2020, where he represented approximately 14,000 people in District 34 and chaired the state&#8217;s Senate&#8217;s Industry and Business Committee, according to reports.
&#8220;As a legislator, he was a tenacious advocate for individual rights and the freedoms he defended through his military service. We extend our deepest sympathies and prayers to his family and friends,&#8221; North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum, also a Republican presidential candidate, said in a <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/darreonnadavis/2023/10/02/north-dakota-state-senator-and-family-killed-in-plane-crash/?sh=787197645fa3" target="_blank" rel="noopener">statement</a> shared with Forbes.
Larsen served 29 years in the North Dakota Army National Guard, where he mobilized twice, to Iraq from 2009-10 and to Washington, D.C., from 2013-14, and received several honors, including Meritorious Service Medal, Bronze Service Star, and Army Aviator Badge, according to Burgum&#8217;s office.
North Dakota National Guard Maj. Gen. Alan Dohrmann reportedly said, &#8220;I cannot think of a more tragic loss for one family, and the North Dakota National Guard sends our condolences to all of [the Larsens&#8217;] friends and family.
&#8220;Doug was a true patriot who dedicated his life, both in and out of uniform, to serving others. I had the distinct pleasure to call him a Brother in Arms,&#8221; Dohrmann said.
Larsen and his wife also co-owned a local homebuilding company called Apex Builders and were majority owners of a local hotel.
A Facebook post from his 2020 campaign reportedly displayed him and Amy at a construction site with the caption, &#8220;My wife Amy &amp; I are a team. Together, we run a business, and together, we build things.&#8221;
&#8220;The most important thing anyone can build is a strong family,&#8221; the post reads.

The North Dakota state flag waving along with the national flag of the United States of America

North Dakota State Senator Doug Larsen Killed In Plane Crash With Wife, Two Young Children

North Dakota

Plane Crash

Senate

Two pilots ejected from a MiG-23 jet during an air show in Michigan on Sunday, shortly before an explosion occurred in mid-air that sent the aircraft crashing into several unoccupied parked vehicles in a nearby apartment complex.
Wayne County Airport Authority told local media the pilots crashed a MiG-23 demonstration plane into the parking lot at the Waverly on the Lake Apartments in the city of Belleville around 4:00 p.m. while performing at the Yankee Air Museum&#8217;s Thunder Over Michigan air show.
&#8220;The pilot and backseater successfully ejected from the aircraft before the crash,&#8221; Wayne County Airport Authority <a href="https://www.fox2detroit.com/news/jet-crashes-during-thunder-over-michigan-air-show-at-willow-run-airport" target="_blank" rel="noopener">told</a> Fox 2 Detroit. &#8220;While it did not appear they sustained any significant injuries, first responders transported the pair to a nearby hospital as a precaution.&#8221;
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NOW &#8211; MiG-23 aircraft crashes during an air show in Michigan.<a href="https://t.co/UVPGNh0viZ">pic.twitter.com/UVPGNh0viZ</a>
&mdash; Disclose.tv (@disclosetv) <a href="https://twitter.com/disclosetv/status/1690839038519869440?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 13, 2023</a></blockquote>
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Authorities reported the aircraft struck unoccupied vehicles in the apartment complex&#8217;s parking lot, and no one at the apartment complex nor the air show sustained any significant injuries.
Emergency crews rescued the pilots from Belleville Lake and transported them to a nearby hospital, according to <a href="https://www.detroitnews.com/story/news/local/michigan/2023/08/13/plane-crashes-during-airshow-finale-at-willow-run/70563452007/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Detroit News.</a>
Kevin McNamara, Van Buren Township supervisor, <a href="https://www.wtol.com/article/news/local/mig-23-jet-crashes-at-air-show-outside-of-detroit/512-f405d122-ed42-4730-b1b0-841b42bba8c1" target="_blank" rel="noopener">told</a> WTOL11 one pilot ejected into the lake while the other landed in a tree, hurting the two &#8220;pretty bad,&#8221; but both &#8220;will be okay.&#8221;
McNamara said the jet slid about 100 yards near an apartment building after it initially crashed on an abandoned golf course.
&#8220;We&#8217;re a subdivision community,&#8221; he said. &#8220;It landed next to a lake. There are not very many empty properties next to lakes. This happens to be one of the rare properties there are. It&#8217;s a miracle.&#8221;
Although the cause remains unknown, the Federal Aviation Administration and National Transportation Safety Board have reportedly stated both agencies would investigate and provide updates when available.
Thunder Over Michigan started roughly an hour before the incident occurred. Around 4:30 p.m., officials directed attendants to leave the airfield in a post on the event&#8217;s <a href="https://www.facebook.com/ThunderOverMichigan/posts/pfbid0kRhPDUNoTKvTz8kDgZacvKXFWuS393yzZ9svSFGFdNjiXU7Q8drLX5RD8ZZdvzHYl" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Facebook page</a>.
&#8220;Ladies and Gentlemen, we have a situation that requires us to stop the show,&#8221; the post reads. &#8220;Please make your way into your vehicles and calmly make your way out of the airfield.&#8221;
Before it began, president and CEO of the Yankee Air Museum, Kevin Walsh, reportedly said the event showcases 55 modern and vintage military planes from around the world.
Walsh, who has been coordinating the event for the last 25 years, said he hopes the show inspires people.
&#8220;Everyone that flies one of these planes went to an airshow as a kid, and it&#8217;s sensational,&#8221; he said. &#8220;How they feel, how they fly, how they smell and how they sound, it&#8217;s all about the experience.&#8221;
Mark McCulloch, 49, from Saline, told local media he witnessed the jet malfunctioning after another airshow attendant pointed toward the plane and said, &#8220;Oh my God.&#8221;
&#8220;I had my Nikon D-800 with a 600 mm lens — that&#8217;s what I saw,&#8221; McCulloch said. &#8220;I hope no one got hurt at the crash site. There was no loud noises or indication that I witnessed. Two engines blew out, you could see that, but I couldn&#8217;t hear it because the guy on the PA was talking next to us.&#8221;

SYRIA-CONFLICT

WATCH: Pilots Eject From MiG-23 In Mid-Air, Jet Explodes During Michigan Air Show

Jets

Michigan

The <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/national-transportation-safety-board" target="_blank" rel="noopener">National Transportation Safety Board</a> has opened an investigation into the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/pennsylvania-officials-give-conflicting-updates-on-chocolate-factory-explosion-that-left-at-least-two-dead" target="_blank" rel="noopener">explosion last week</a> at a Pennsylvania chocolate factory that left several people dead.
The explosion, which occurred on March 24 at the R.M. Palmer Company chocolate factory in West Reading, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/pennsylvania" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Pennsylvania</a>, led to the deaths of seven individuals and the hospitalization of 10 others.
Keith Holloway, a spokesman for the NTSB, <a href="https://apnews.com/article/pennsylvania-chocolate-factory-explosion-cc56391fbd868008de9abf103d8c50ca" target="_blank" rel="noopener">told</a> the Associated Press that the agency is looking at “what caused, how and why the explosion occurred.” Government officials believe a natural gas pipeline nearby is linked to the explosion.
UGI Utilities, a gas and electric provider, is <a href="https://www.wfmz.com/news/area/berks/ugi-issues-statement-on-explosion-at-rm-palmer/article_b4a00572-cd8f-11ed-82b9-bf0ad5164680.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">working</a> with the state and federal authorities in their probe. 
“UGI expresses its heartfelt condolences to the victims and all those impacted by the tragic event at R.M. Palmer Company in West Reading on March 24, 2023. As a public utility, UGI is committed to the well-being of Berks County and all the communities we serve,” the company said in a statement Tuesday. 
“UGI Utilities knows that it is the Company’s responsibility to safely and reliably serve our customers. We take our responsibility seriously, and we are working with local authorities and state and federal agencies to determine the cause of the incident on March 24, 2023,” the statement continued. 
The company also announced it would donate $100,000 to the West Reading Disaster Recovery Fund. 
Two victims have been named while the Berks County coroner’s office <a href="https://www.wgal.com/article/pennsylvania-west-reading-factory-explosion-disaster-declaration/43437404" target="_blank" rel="noopener">continues</a> identifying the others killed in the blast. Amy Sandoe, 49, and Domingo Cruz, 60, died during Friday’s explosion. 
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“The seven who we lost will always be in our prayers, and to those who were injured we wish a speedy recovery. Over the many years that we have worked together many became personal friends and all valued members of the Palmer team. Their loss will be felt forever,” the owners of the chocolate factory <a href="https://www.readingeagle.com/2023/03/29/west-reading-chocolate-factory-explosion-company-owners-issue-statement/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> in a statement. 
As a result of the explosion, the area around the factory will be closed to the public while police investigate and public safety officials evaluate the damage. 
“It will involve the removal of debris, clearing the area and making sure that buildings are safe to occupy,&#8221; Police Chief Wayne Holben said. &#8220;We are closely working with emergency response teams, environmental experts, and construction professionals to ensure that the cleanup is done safely, efficiently, and with minimal impact on the surrounding community.&#8221;

Photo by Tim Leedy 12/14/07R.M. Palmer Company in West Reading.

Feds Open Investigation Into Chocolate Factory Explosion That Left 7 Dead

chocolate

Explosion

Pennsylvania

The federal government ordered Norfolk Southern to stop removing hazardous materials from <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/biden-defends-decision-to-not-visit-east-palestine-and-to-not-speak-with-mayor-after-toxic-train-accident/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">East Palestine, Ohio</a>, where one of its trains derailed earlier this month causing an environmental disaster.
Since the Feb. 3 train wreck, the railroad company has been responsible for the removal of soil and water tainted by <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/east-palestine-residents-could-see-long-term-health-risks-from-highly-toxic-chemicals-analysis-says/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">highly dangerous chemicals</a> such as vinyl chloride, ethylene glycol monobutyl ether, ethylhexyl acrylate, and isobutylene. The Environmental Protection Agency on Saturday ordered the company to stop so it can approve all aspects of removal.
“Moving forward, waste disposal plans including disposal location and transportation routes for contaminated waste will be subject to federal EPA review and approval,&#8221; Debra Shore, U.S. EPA&#8217;s administrator for Region 5, said at a news conference.
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Contaminated soil continues to be removed from the site of the train derailment in East Palestine and hauled to a hazardous waste disposal facility in Michigan. 
Today&#39;s updates: <a href="https://t.co/S3hkyD0QXc">https://t.co/S3hkyD0QXc</a> All updates: <a href="https://t.co/QePrDyqhXH">https://t.co/QePrDyqhXH</a> <a href="https://t.co/GQhn4L6ggG">pic.twitter.com/GQhn4L6ggG</a>
&mdash; Governor Mike DeWine (@GovMikeDeWine) <a href="https://twitter.com/GovMikeDeWine/status/1629237591617798146?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 24, 2023</a></blockquote>
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Officials in Texas and Michigan have said tainted soil and water from the scene, including millions of gallons of water used to douse fires at the site, have been brought into their states without full disclosure. About two million gallons of firefighting water from the train derailment site were to be disposed of in Harris County, according to the county’s chief executive.
A company called Texas Molecular <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2023/02/25/us/ohio-train-derailment-east-palestine-saturday/index.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">told CNN</a> it has been receiving about 30 truckloads of tainted water per day.
“It’s a very real problem, we were told yesterday the materials were coming only to learn today they’ve been here for a week,” Judge Lina Hidalgo told reporters last week.
Ohio officials said 20 truckloads of contaminated soil had been hauled away from the site. Some 15 truckloads were taken to a licensed hazardous waste treatment and disposal facility in Belleville, Michigan, but five were sent back to East Palestine.
Shore said she believes the company’s methods of disposal have so far been in compliance with federal regulations.
&#8220;But we did hear from residents who were concerned and others and a number of states,&#8221; Shore said. &#8220;We&#8217;re reviewing the transport of some of this waste over long distances and finding the appropriate and permanent certified sites to take waste, as we do with other contaminated sites.&#8221;
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Ohio Republican Gov. Mike DeWine&#8217;s office said about 102,000 gallons of liquid waste and 4,500 cubic yards of solid waste are being stored at the site of the derailment.
Residents of East Palestine and the surrounding area have complained of headaches, dizziness, and difficulty breathing since state and railroad officials opted to ignite tanker cars carrying the volatile chemicals. The so-called “controlled burn” sent a huge plume of black smoke skyward and raised concerns about long-term environmental damage. Residents have reported dead pets, and tens of thousands of dead fish have turned up in area waterways.

Hauling waste from East Palestine

EPA Orders Railroad Company At Center Of East Palestine Disaster To Halt Waste Removal

Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)

Senior officials in the <a href="http://dailywire.com/topic/biden-administration" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Biden administration</a> have tried to pin the blame for the <a href="http://dailywire.com/topic/ohio-train-disaster" target="_blank" rel="noopener">train derailment</a> and subsequent chemical fallout in East Palestine, Ohio, on deregulation efforts from former President <a href="http://dailywire.com/topic/donald-trump" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Donald Trump</a>, but the head of the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has called those efforts “misinformation.”
Local and state authorities previously evacuated all residents within one mile of the February 3 derailment and <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/evacuation-ordered-ohio-governor-warns-major-explosion-could-send-shrapnel-a-mile-from-derailed-train" target="_blank" rel="noopener">started</a> a controlled burn of industrial chemicals on the vehicle to decrease the risk of an explosion, which could have sent shrapnel throughout the small town. Vinyl chloride, a known human carcinogen used to manufacture PVC, was emitted from five train cars in the form of massive plumes of black smoke visible throughout eastern Ohio and western Pennsylvania.
Deputy White House Press Secretary Andrew Bates said in a <a href="https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/3869675-white-house-gop-trump-officials-laid-the-groundwork-for-loose-railway-regulations/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">statement</a> provided to The Hill that the disaster was caused by Republican lawmakers and the Trump administration. He claimed that they “owe East Palestine an apology for selling them out to rail industry lobbyists” and contended that Republican members of Congress “laid the groundwork for the Trump administration to tear up requirements for more effective train brakes.”
Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, who visited the Ohio community impacted by the train derailment one day after the former commander-in-chief, likewise <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/buttigieg-touts-funding-to-improve-rail-safety-in-wake-of-ohio-train-crash-doesnt-mention-what-hes-doing-right-now-to-help" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> the Biden administration has been “constrained” on rail safety as a result of a “braking rule withdrawn by the Trump administration in 2018 because of a law passed by Congress in 2015.”
Both officials appear to have been referencing a rule that would have required some trains to upgrade their braking systems to electronically controlled pneumatic brakes, also known as ECP brakes. NTSB Chair Jennifer Homendy, who leads the independent federal agency charged with <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/new-details-in-east-palestine-train-derailment-revealed-in-fresh-ntsb-report" target="_blank" rel="noopener">investigating</a> the train disaster, exhorted all who claim that the braking rule would have prevented the derailment to “stop spreading misinformation.”
Homendy <a href="https://twitter.com/JenniferHomendy/status/1626379359375265792" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> on social media that the rule only would have applied to “high hazard flammable trains,” while the vehicle which derailed in East Palestine was classified as a “mixed freight train” with too few hazardous cars to meet the threshold for the regulation. She added that the train would not have had ECP brakes “even if the rule had gone into effect.”
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The ECP braking rule would’ve applied ONLY to HIGH HAZARD FLAMMABLE TRAINS. The train that derailed in East Palestine was a MIXED FREIGHT TRAIN containing only 3 placarded Class 3 flammable liquids cars. <a href="https://t.co/ReAFDSdsn7">pic.twitter.com/ReAFDSdsn7</a>
— Jennifer Homendy (@JenniferHomendy) <a href="https://twitter.com/JenniferHomendy/status/1626379362189672451?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 17, 2023</a></blockquote>
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Members of the Biden administration themselves have likewise hesitated to implement braking rules. Federal officials said the new standards would produce costs that significantly outweigh any accrued benefits, according to a <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/transportation/2023/02/18/norfolk-southern-derailment-ohio-train-safety/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">report</a> from The Washington Post.
Even beyond the issue of establishing new braking system requirements, the number of train derailments has remained relatively unchanged from approximately 1,300 annual incidents over the past decade and even declined to 1,100 annual incidents in 2020 and 2021, two and three years after the braking regulations were nixed, according to <a href="https://www.bts.gov/content/train-fatalities-injuries-and-accidents-type-accidenta" target="_blank" rel="noopener">data</a> from the Bureau of Transportation Statistics.
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Democratic officials shift culpability over the train derailment to Republicans as criticism <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/pete-buttigieg-provides-answer-on-why-he-did-not-visit-east-palestine-sooner" target="_blank" rel="noopener">mounts</a> against the Biden administration for a perceived lack of attention to the crisis. Buttigieg did not publicly acknowledge the incident until February 13, more than one week after the derailment occurred, and visited the site on February 23. President Joe Biden himself has not yet visited East Palestine but took a clandestine trip to Ukraine on Monday to express solidarity with the nation’s war effort against Russia.

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Biden Admin Blames Trump For Ohio Train Derailment. Even The NTSB Chair Calls That ‘Misinformation.’

White House Falsely Blames Trump For Ohio Train Derailment

Biden Administration

Donald Trump

Misinformation

The catastrophic February 3 train derailment in East Palestine, Ohio, was caused by an overheated wheel bearing on the 23rd of 149 rail cars, according to a preliminary <a href="https://www.ntsb.gov/investigations/Pages/RRD23MR005.aspx" target="_blank" rel="noopener">report</a> issued Thursday by the National Transportation Safety Board.
The Norfolk Southern Railway train derailment led to a decision to burn more than a hundred thousand gallons of highly toxic chemicals, leading to concerns the air and water in and around the town of 4,700 could be badly contaminated. While it was already believed the wreck was caused by a malfunctioning wheel, the NTSB report revealed new details.
“Surveillance video from a local residence showed what appeared to be a wheel bearing in the final stage of overheat failure moments before the derailment,” the report stated.
Video footage <a href="https://www.post-gazette.com/news/transportation/2023/02/10/east-palestine-train-derailment-video-fire-axle-alert/stories/202302100070" target="_blank" rel="noopener">obtained</a> by the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette showed that the train had traveled more than 20 miles with the malfunctioning rail car axle, which appeared to have been on fire or shooting sparks.
The tracks are equipped with &#8220;hot bearing detectors&#8221; that assess the temperature conditions of wheel bearings on passing trains, alerting crews if wheel bearings exceed 200 degrees Fahrenheit. The train that derailed passed three sensors before it derailed, with the doomed wheel bearing first registering 38 degrees above ambient temperatures, then 103 degrees, and finally 253 degrees above ambient temperatures, the report stated.
The sensor system transmitted a critical audible alarm message directing the crew to slow and stop the train. The engineer did so, but ​once the train stopped the crew saw fire and smoke from derailed cars and notified the Cleveland East dispatcher of a possible derailment.
By February 5, chemical fires sparked by the tanker cars colliding during the derailment were under control, according to the report. But with five cars carrying 115,580 gallons of highly volatile vinyl chloride on the derailed train, and the temperature rising in at least one of them, the decision was made to execute a &#8220;controlled burn&#8221; of the chemicals, sending a black, toxic plume into the skies above East Palestine.
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“This increase in temperature suggested that the vinyl chloride was undergoing a polymerization reaction, which could pose an explosion hazard,&#8221; the report stated. &#8220;Responders scheduled a controlled venting of the five vinyl chloride tank cars to release and burn the vinyl chloride.”

US-TRANSPORT-ACCIDENT-FIRE

New Details In East Palestine Train Derailment Revealed In Fresh NTSB Report

New Details In East Palestine Train Derailment Revealed in Fresh NTSB Report

Environment

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