Agriculture in Palestine, OH
With your Southeast Regional Ag News, I’m. Haylie Shipp. This is the Ag Information Network.
A disaster in East Palestine, Ohio. It’s been playing out in national news feed since an early February train derailment along the Ohio-Pennsylvania border. Focus has been on humanitarian efforts, but what about agriculture?
Doug Mollenkopf raises beef cattle for seedstock and freezer beef with his young family on the outskirts of town. The area was evacuated shortly after the derailment…
“My wife and our little boy, they did leave for a day or so. Unfortunately cows still need to eat, so I was here for that and got to see all of it.”
The immediate cloud from the fire is gone, but questions now turn to the long-term effects of the released chemicals on the area and watershed.
“I had some issues and I’ve went and got checked out and went for another update yesterday and I’m doing fine. Cattle, we did have a little bit of an issue with young babies. Overall the general health of the entire cattle herd is good now.
He did lose one calf to smoke inhalation and says he’s awaiting test results from the Ohio Department of Agriculture.
Initially, soil and liquid waste removed from the site was being transported to locations around the country. Public outcry has halted that, causing officials to rethink their cleanup plan this week.
