| Norfolk Southern's bill Aiken County government is sending Norfolk Southern Corp. a $431,000 bill for costs related to the Jan. 6 train collision and chlorine spill in Graniteville that killed nine people, forced hundreds to seek medical attention and drove an estimated 4,500 people from their homes. If that was all Norfolk Southern had to pay for the tragedy, it would be getting off light indeed. But that bill only covers costs for extra wages paid to sheriff's deputies, public works employees and hazardous materials teams, among others; and for miscellaneous expenses such as emergency equipment, automated calling systems to alert residents to evacuate, food, extra power bills and the like. The largest expense for the railroad company, which could run into millions of dollars, will come from all the lawsuits - personal and class action - being filed by the train wreck's victims and their families. But the heaviest toll, no matter how much the financial costs, won't fall on Norfolk Southern. It will fall on the health of Graniteville area residents, though it's impossible to tell for now how many will be affected or how seriously because so little is known about the long-term effects of serious chlorine spills. The only incident to compare with Graniteville happened in Alberton, Mont., nine years ago, when a derailment released 65 tons of chlorine, killing one person and injuring 350. Most of the Alberton victims recovered from their injuries, but about 20 percent are still suffering from aftereffects, including respiratory, vision and skin problems; migraines; numbness in hands and feet; short-term memory loss; and depression. Other studies, including World War I chlorine-gas survivors, indicate the chemical can cause permanent brain damage. The South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control is planning to study the long-term health impact of the chlorine spill on Graniteville residents. Let's hope the studies lead to medical treatment and therapies that will ameliorate, if not cure, the harshest long-term injuries. The DHEC will be hitting up state and federal taxpayers to help with the study, but why not just send the bill to Norfolk Southern? If the railroad firm is responsible for the accident, then it ought to pay for all the costly ramifications, not just some of them.
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