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GASSED: The True Story of a Toxic Train Derailment
On April 11, 1996, a train derailed outside Alberton, Montana, in the dead of night, releasing a massive cloud of chlorine gas. GASSED: The True Story of a Toxic Train Derailment is a two-book series about the derailment and the life-changing aftermath for many Montanan residents. BOOK 2 - The Long Haul chronicles the struggles of chlorine exposure survivors, as many suffer from chronic illness that they were told they shouldn’t have. For those who seek justice in the courtroom, the evidence raises a disturbing question: was this devastating derailment an unavoidable accident or the result of negligence? Scholl’s riveting case study illuminates the physical, psychological and financial devastation of a toxic mass exposure that could happen anywhere, anytime. Readers with an interest in Montana history, emergency response to toxic spills, chronic health effects from mass chlorine exposure, and environmental justice issues will find this book a rich resource.
615 pages, Kindle Edition
Published December 21, 2022
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
May 22, 2023
Volume one of Gassed was all about the train wreck and the initial response to the toxic chemical spill. Volume two covers the legal wrangling and long-term health complications of the victims. It had a feel like Erin Brockovich or A Civil Action.
Man. The final outcomes rankled me. Such an unfair ending. The Big Corporate Entity won in court and the Everyday Citizens were left hanging.
As with volume one, I think the writing was only okay...but the story told in this book will stick with me. I've told so many people about it already. It really does seem to be forgotten MT history. Clearly, this book needed to be written. ...I just wish it was a little more concise. (750+ pages between the two volumes is a lot of toxic train reading.) I don't think I can really "recommend it to a friend," say.
Man. The final outcomes rankled me. Such an unfair ending. The Big Corporate Entity won in court and the Everyday Citizens were left hanging.
As with volume one, I think the writing was only okay...but the story told in this book will stick with me. I've told so many people about it already. It really does seem to be forgotten MT history. Clearly, this book needed to be written. ...I just wish it was a little more concise. (750+ pages between the two volumes is a lot of toxic train reading.) I don't think I can really "recommend it to a friend," say.
July 6, 2024
Scholl’s incredibly detailed account of the 1996 derailment of a Montana Rail Link train in April 1996 is a mix of horror, human suffering, and dogged persistence of local responders and public health specialists.
The complexities created by poisonous gas mixtures of chlorine and cresylate, the weeks-long evacuation of nearly 800 square miles of rural Montana, and the closure of Interstate highway 90 that backed up truck traffic to Cincinnati and choked food delivery to Seattle remain unprecedented.
If you have ever been affected by the industrial release of poisonous gas or if you live near the danger zone of an industry or railroad, this is a must read.
The complexities created by poisonous gas mixtures of chlorine and cresylate, the weeks-long evacuation of nearly 800 square miles of rural Montana, and the closure of Interstate highway 90 that backed up truck traffic to Cincinnati and choked food delivery to Seattle remain unprecedented.
If you have ever been affected by the industrial release of poisonous gas or if you live near the danger zone of an industry or railroad, this is a must read.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews