Columns: No Limits, No Kidding!

ANIMALS DYING FROM TRAIN DISASTER

The deadly impact of the chemical spill in East Palestine is incalculable as it feeds into the Ohio River which serves 30 million people and countless animals.

March 1, 2023

Stella Starr, Pet Perspectives

Over 3,500 fish have already died and seeing that, livestock owners whose animals graze the lands along the Ohio river are going all-out to move them out of state or at least to safer pasture if such can be found.

Aviva Vincent, Ph.D., professor at Syracuse University’s Falk College said “As these toxic chemicals have seeped into the soil, air, and water, it will take years to fully understand the long-term impact.” Dr. Vincent observed that the chemicals are “an agriculture and inter-species issue” affecting not only the people but also pets, farming, livestock and the “equine industry and the use of green spaces, such as dog parks.”

Property values have plummeted. My friend who owns a show and boarding kennel told me he “can’t give this place away, much less sell it.” He is 28 miles away from East Palestine but said that is “Too close for comfort.” I asked about his dogs and he said a couple of them “had some digestive issues” but he thinks that was from “all the excitement, big trucks and reporters.” There was a pause and then he mused “So much for selling and retiring to Florida.”

A close friend who has never mastered the crystal ball I recommend called me this morning about how long the chemicals would last. I didn’t know but asked her if she had any premonition about the train disaster. She was silent for a long minute. I knew she was debating something.

Finally, she said that her neighbor on the other side, a retired railroad engineer, had just “trained back from New York City” with his wife who had said she hoped the tracks were in better shape than the seats. My friend said it took him a minute to compose himself after saying that and then he waived her off and headed back to his house.

I didn’t want to discuss anything about my “crystal ball” she is always razzing me about and in any case, I had no premonition of this disaster.

It is the aftermath that matters. Yesterday I got an email from a friend who lives there. She said the stream that goes through their pasture branches off the Ohio river and that her veterinarian said “be careful…” She said they couldn’t haul enough water for their stock and wondered if, since I had written about bleach as a disinfectant, could I tell her how much for big water troughs?

Not knowing how much water that would be, I used my cell to look it up and told her according to two different sites it looked to be about 2 DROPS of Clorox to a gallon of water. Bleach is sort of like liquid oxygen so it should be fairly safe. Another site said “two cups bleach to 100 gallons of water” so that might work for her livestock’s water troughs.

Speaking for all of the NetPlaces Network staff and writers, we hope you and your animals are nowhere near this train disaster and that you never need any of what I’ve covered here but if you google www.TheDogPlace.org for “Clorox bleach” you will it interesting. I had no idea it works for burns because it is like oxygen but I did know Clorox kills germs.

Everyone I talk to hopes that this railway disaster and the people of East Palestine aren’t forgotten. I tried to get facts on how much help they are getting from the railroad but so far (March 1) I found nothing specific. I know people are donating goods, food, clothes, and money. Do what you can because their suffering will last a lot longer than the news coverage.

TheDogPress.com EST 2002 © Mar 2023 https://www.thedogpress.com/Columns/Animals-Dying-Train-Disaster-st23ST031.asp

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