Gramlich speaks to WABI about impact of Ohio train derailment on snow
WABI-TV (Channel 5 in Bangor) interviewed William Gramlich, associate professor in the University of Maine Department of Chemistry, about the potential impact of the derailment and explosion of a train carrying toxic chemicals in Eastern Ohio on snow in Maine. Gramlich said Mainers should be able to interact with incoming snow without fear that it’s contaminated from the explosion. “The plastic, we have in our houses, but it doesn’t actually have that chemical at the time. It’s gone, it’s been transformed at that point. … [Rails carrying hazardous chemicals are] probably more common than people think. Rails, from my understanding, are a pretty common way to ship chemicals. It tends to be safer than trucks. One would hope they’ve developed a safe way to transport through that,” Gramlich said. WBRC-TV (Channel 6 in Birmingham, Alabama) and WLOX-TV (Channel 13 in Biloxi, Mississippi) shared the WABI report.