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WASHINGTON – This month, the National Transportation Safety Board will approve its investigation findings regarding a derailment of a freight train last year in East Palestine (Ohio).
The findings of the independent agency will be revealed at a board meeting held on June 25th at East Palestine High School. It is expected that the report will include details about the probable cause and safety recommendations.
A Norfolk Southern Train Derailedin East Palestine, Feb. 3, 2023
Jennifer Homendy, Chairwoman of the NTSB, has informed Congress about the report and the agency’s commitment towards integrity and the investigation process.
MEDIA ADVISORY: NTSB to meet and approve final report on Norfolk Southern train derailment investigation in East Palestine, Ohio: https://t.co/SCtl8dQKym — NTSB Newsroom (@NTSB_Newsroom) June 13, 2024
“We cannot rush an inquiry. Homendy told Senators earlier this year that the NTSB was meticulous and that the public and Congress could count on us to find the best solutions to improve safety.
A Senate committee voted to advance the bipartisan Railway Safety Act shortly after the derailment. The bill, which is awaiting a floor vote to be passed, would update the policies of the Federal Railroad Administration and Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration.
Senior Democratic congressional members have sought support for comprehensive rail safety legislation.
Cantwell
“Following East Palestine’s derailment, we found that between 2017 and 2021, investments in Class I [freight] rail infrastructure were cut by 25%, employees were reduced by 22%, while accidents increased by 14%,” Commerce Committee chairwoman Maria Cantwell, D-Wash., the bill’s primary sponsor, stated in April. “I’m concerned about how to ensure safety for the future. As a state with an economy that is largely Pacific-focused, we have a lot of Midwest products. This is just throughput in our state. We want the rail system to be resilient and effective.
House Republican leaders have also not considered their legislative versions on the floor. Democrats, led by Rep. Emilia Sykes of Ohio (D), a member on the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee are pushing for hearings and discussions about freight rail safety policy. Sykes, the sponsor of Reducing accidents in Locomotives Act has taken issue with the committee GOP leaders inaction on her legislation.
“In the more than a year since a train derailment destroyed the community of East Palestine, and its way-of-life,” she said at a recent hearing. “The majority on this [committee] have not shown the same urgency and have yet to notice an hearing to discuss the current state of rail safety” in Ohio. What about the people in Ohio and East Palestine, who have begged us to do something about rail safety?
Secretary Pete Buttigieg, a member of the Obama administration, is also a proponent of rail safety improvements. Under his leadership, the Federal Railroad Administration has pushed forward with new industry guidelines. He has recently called on Congress to pass rail legislation.
Today marks the one-year anniversary of the Norfolk Southern train wreck in East Palestine, Ohio.
We are using all the tools available to us to improve rail safety, and protect Americans who live near rail lines. We’ve made progress, but our work continues. U.S. Department of Transportation February 3, 2020
“Just over a month ago, in response to the East Palestine tragedy, the bipartisan Railway Safety Act, which was supported by our administration, was introduced in Congress. The railroad industry lobby, along with its congressional allies, has been blocking the law ever since,” the Transportation Secretary argued in a published editorial in April.
Buttigieg said that the legislation was long overdue. “It would require defect detectors, increase the list of hazardous substances that qualify for more stringent safety precautions, and much more.”
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Association of American Railroads, a key industry player in the focus on efficiency, has a strong commitment to safety.
“Freight rails are committed to protecting the communities they serve, the employees they employ and the products they transport.” According to AAR, private investors invest $23 billion annually in safety technologies, employee education, infrastructure and equipment maintenance, and improvements.
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