Preparing for Train Derailment Disasters: Insights from Triangle First Responders.

The recent derailment of a Norfolk Southern train carrying toxic chemicals in Ohio has raised concerns about railroad disasters in communities along tracks nationwide. Hazardous materials like that ride the rails through central North Carolina. Several agencies in central North Carolina have plans for what they would do if a serious derailment happened. However, the state and railroad companies deny the public access to information about the types of hazardous materials the freight trains carry, citing security reasons.