(Source: The State, January 6, 2025)
The wreck released about 60 tons of chlorine, which formed a toxic cloud that moved over Graniteville, killing nine people who breathed in the hazardous fumes. In addition to the nine deaths, more than 500 people went to the hospital for treatment, some of whom today are still suffering the after effects.
BLET First Vice President Mark Wallace told The State: “Railroad companies calculate whether it’s less expensive to pay off a lawsuit than make safety improvements,” he said. “When they base this stuff on cost, it’s cheaper for them to pay for one big wreck every decade than it is to put money into the infrastructure and update their tracks.”
Full story: The State