U. S. Senate to Check Rail Safety after Ohio Train Crash
2023.02.18 13:31
U. S. Senate to Check Rail Safety after Ohio Train Crash
By Tiffany Smith
Budrigannews.com – On Friday, the Biden administration defended its response to the Feb. 3 train derailment in East Palestine, Ohio, which resulted in a fire and a smoke cloud over the town by claiming that it was sending more federal resources.
The train’s derailment, which was caused by Norfolk Southern (NYSE:), forced thousands of residents to leave while railroad workers burned off chemicals and drained them. Although no fatalities or injuries were reported, residents have been requesting information regarding potential health risks.
At a briefing, White House spokesperson Karine Jean-Pierre stated, “We have mobilized a robust, multi-agency effort to support the people of East Palestine, Ohio.” The federal government is committed to providing the community with the resources it requires and will remain on the ground for as long as necessary.
Maria Cantwell, chair of the U.S. Senate Commerce Committee, announced late on Friday that she has initiated an investigation into railroad hazardous materials safety practices in response to the derailment and the safety concerns it raises.
“20 total hazardous materials cars transporting vinyl chloride, butyl acrylate, and isobutylene, of which 11 derailed,” Cantwell wrote in a letter to Norfolk Southern’s CEO and the CEOs of six other freight rail operators.
Cantwell wrote, “To better protect its employees, the environment, and American families, and to reaffirm safety as a top priority, every railroad must reexamine its hazardous materials safety practices.”
Additionally, the letter was sent to Berkshire Hathaway’s (NYSE:) CEOs. Canadian National, Burlington Northern Santa Fe (BNSF), Canadian Pacific (NYSE:), NASDAQ: CSX, NYSE: Kansas City Southern as well as Union Pacific (NYSE:
The Association of American Railroads stated, “The industry shares Senator Cantwell’s goal of ensuring the safety of our nation’s rail network and look forward to productive conversations with her and the committee upon the NTSB issuing its findings.”
On Friday, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Health and Human Services Department announced that they would send a team of toxicologists and medical professionals to carry out assessments and tests regarding public health. The Environmental Protection Agency is intensifying its testing, and the head of the Federal Railroad Administration, Amit Bose, will visit the location next week.
More than 1,100 families and businesses have received $1.7 million in direct financial assistance from Norfolk Southern, according to Chief Executive Alan Shaw, who stated that the railroad has established an initial community support fund to cover evacuation costs. In a letter, he assured residents that they would not be disappointed.
Friday, Ohio Governor Mike DeWine said that a cloud of pollution that was traveling down the Ohio River, which provides drinking water to 5 million people, had vanished. State testing did not show that any contaminated water entered any municipal drinking systems that were in its path, and he said that the cloud had vanished.
DeWine complained that states lack the authority to demand information about the kinds of hazardous goods that are passing through their borders and urged Congress to review railroad safety regulations.
In light of the hundreds of train derailments that occur annually, Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg stated on Thursday that additional efforts must be made to improve rail safety. He mentioned that there are about 1,000 train derailments each year.
DeWine stated that he hopes the accident is thoroughly investigated by a presidential commission or extensive congressional hearings to prevent future incidents.
The largest railroads, according to Cantwell, “have cut their workforce by nearly one third, shuttered railyards where railcars are traditionally inspected, and are running longer and heavier trains” over the past five years.
On Twitter, National Transportation Safety Board Chair Jennifer Homendy stated that the derailment would not have been prevented if a rule to require electronically controlled pneumatic brakes had been scrapped because that would only apply to flammable trains with a high risk of collision.
