Maine will need weeks to determine impacts of Ohio train derailment on air quality
bangordailynews.comSubmitted by STDMachine t3_112w7em in Maine
Submitted by STDMachine t3_112w7em in Maine
Notable mention from article about why this could easily reach us:
That downwind location is why Maine is often referred to as “the tailpipe of the nation,” according to Jeff Crawford, director of the Maine Bureau of Air Quality.
“Maine, because of its geographic location, is at the downwind terminus of the northeast corridor,” Crawford said. “It is especially impacted by transported emissions from states and regions to our south.”
“If we monitored elevated levels of vinyl chloride last week, these levels would most certainly be detected by our analytical lab,” Crawford said. “With respect to specific health concerns or impacts from vinyl chloride, the [Maine Department of Environmental Protection] always defers to the Maine Center for Disease Control.”
> If we monitored elevated levels of vinyl chloride last week
Weird that we don't dig into why this is an 'if' and not a 'because we monitored, we saw' here.
They did collect samples. They do that every 6 days year round per the article. But the samples take a few weeks to analyze.
So the quote is saying that if levels were elevated then it will show up in the monitoring samples from last week, but they won’t get the analysis results of those samples back until March.
weird it takes weeks when there's probably tens of millions of dollars worth of spectroscopy equipment here between all the labs and pharma co's
It’s a little more complicated than just pressing a button on a random GCMS at Idexx.
Source: science education
I've been out of the lab for a decade now - I just know words that can get me into trouble ;)
Lol. Don’t tell me you were basing the decision of Maine’s armed response to Ohio on an unvalidated test method.
more just suggesting we have a ton of equipment around to support running spectroscopy assays if it turned out that spectrophotometers and personnel were driving up the result times is all
But not within 24 to 48 hours which is when we would have expected to see results from Ohio contamination.
Probably because vinyl chloride isn't a constant issue to be on the lookout for.
I think it's just processing lag. Probably take sample but process lags, as that is not something that is usually looked for.
And frankly the amount of burned chemical is miniscule compared to the atmospheric dilution. I'm going with this event outside the immediate area is environmentally irrelevant.
Oh, thank god you've determined that. Ok. Nothing to see here! This guy says it's irrelevant
A rail car tank holds maybe 6,000 cubic feet. Vaporize that in a single cubic mile of air and you are already diluted to 1 part per 25 million.
Welp, here is what the burn looked like from a passing airliner: https://www.reddit.com/r/pics/comments/112ptb9/passenger_photo_while_plane_flew_near_east/
Wow, looks like cancer...
Dramatic? Sure, but that’s not a science based response.
>that’s not a science based response.
wut?
That's baseless speculation. Nothing in your response addresses the fate and transport of this specific pollutant or the as yet publicly unknown chemicals that were also onboard.
What you've just said is one of the most insanely idiotic things I have ever heard. At no point in your rambling, incoherent response were you even close to anything that could be considered a rational thought. Everyone in this room is now dumber for having listened to it. I award you no points, and may God have mercy on your soul.
Mmm sure. Except its simple math. Air mixes rapidly. The volume of the rail cars is known. Water quality hazard in the area and downstream? Definitely. Local air quality hazard sure. 1000 miles away after atmospheric mixing? Parts per billion. Or less.
Has anyone ever actually heard Maine referred to as "the tailpipe of the nation"?
Surprisingly yes, but it was more in the context of coal emissions from the Midwest/Appalachia and Maine having the third highest rate of asthma in the country behind Hawaii and Massachusetts (surprising based on how rural we are comparatively)
All those summer time ozone warnings... plus, for those of us familiar with Mt. Washington, everything atmospheric swings on by up there.
Yes. I was happy when Kodak closed shop. https://www.wbfo.org/2002-04-26/environmentalists-are-critical-of-kodak-pollution
Yes- especially in the 80s with acid rain worries.
Yes, the Hathaway Man used to say that.
Hathaway. Man, I sure do miss those fine quality shirts.
Never. Sounds like a pejorative term just like certain municipalities have been dubbed “the asshole of New England”.
Yes
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Not fear mongering lmao, I selected that one block of text because it explained why/how this could potentially reach us and that the event is actually relevant to us.
Because my initial thought when reading about this event over a week ago was "luckily that can't reach us it's so far away" (and I bet a lot of people had that same thought).
But looks like I was wrong and it is definitely possible to reach us and that block explains how it can reach us.
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