WASHINGTON — Norfolk Southern’s CEO told Congress Wednesday that his company would establish programs to provide long-term financial assistance to residents of eastern Palestine, Ohio, where one of its hazardous materials trains went off the rails seven weeks ago. and ignited. a fire.
Alan H. Shaw, its general manager, told the Senate Commerce Committee that the company planned to create a medical compensation fund to address long-term post-accident health risks and a property value insurance program. Good. The pledges, made at a hearing to examine the derailment and regulatory changes that could prevent similar accidents in the future, came as Norfolk Southern was under intense pressure from lawmakers in both parties to do more to protect the community of East support Palestine.
When asked by members of the panel, Mr. Shaw also said he supported aspects of a bipartisan bill introduced after the derailment that would tighten rail regulations, including stricter reporting and inspection requirements for trains carrying dangerous goods and higher fines for safety violations by rail operators.
“We support legislative efforts that use science and data to improve the safety of the freight rail industry,” said Mr Shaw.
However, not every witness shared Mr Shaw’s support for the stricter rules.
Ian Jefferies, the CEO of the Association of American Railroads, argued in written testimony that the industry had prioritized investments in rail safety and that the legislation would place “excessive and unnecessary operational burdens” on the industry.
The train derailment in Ohio
When a Norfolk Southern train derailed in East Palestine, Ohio on Feb. 3, it prompted evacuation orders, a fear of toxic chemicals, and a federal investigation.
Senator JD Vance of Ohio, the leading Republican behind the bill, called on the railroad industry to oppose it.
“To the rail industry: don’t lie about my bill. Do not slander the staff who drafted it,” said Mr. Vance.
Senator Edward J. Markey, Democrat of Massachusetts, said he was “tired of industry experts talking about supporting regulatory principles while lobbying behind the scenes against common sense rules like this,” in response to unsatisfactory responses from mr. Shaw on the extent of his support for the legislation.
While three Senate Republicans co-sponsored the bill when it was first introduced, it remains unclear whether it has enough support to pass in the narrowly divided Senate, where most major legislation needs 60 votes to move forward, or whether the measure could gain support in the Republican-led House.
“One of the things I’ve heard in response to our legislation is that it actually has nothing to do with what happened in eastern Palestine,” said Mr. Vance. Tell the firefighters who went into a chemical fire without proper hazmat protection because they didn’t know what was on the train. This legislation solves that problem, as it should.”
But Mr Shaw said his company supported the proposed changes, which include stricter freight car safety standards, better real-time information for medical workers about the contents of trains passing through their communities, and demands to phase out older tankers. to change gear. models and the development of better technologies for early warning sensors and advanced tanker design.
According to a National Transportation Safety Board report, a wheel bearing one of the cars had become hot on the train that derailed in eastern Palestine, but no alarm sounded to warn the crew until it passed a sensor not far from where it derailed. Security experts believe the derailment could have been avoided if Norfolk Southern had placed the detectors closer together on the route the train was taking.
The NTSB opened asspecial investigation in the company’s safety practices this month. As of December 2021, Norfolk Southern has had five serious accidents, and another derailment occurred hours before a Senate Environment and Public Works Committee hearing this month.
Texas Senator Ted Cruz questioned why Norfolk Southern didn’t stop the train immediately after a sensor showed the wheel was overheating.
Mr Shaw replied that the temperature measured by an intermediate sensor was not high enough by the company’s standards to stop the train. He said the company has since lowered the benchmark from 200 degrees above ambient to 170 degrees.
On Capitol Hill on Wednesday, Clyde Whitaker, Ohio State Legislative Director for the transportation union SMART Transportation Division, said he filed a complaint with the Federal Railroad Administration in July about an unsafe practice in Norfolk Southern.
According to Mr Whitaker, the company has instructed crews to ignore failures from track detectors, which monitor the temperature of train car parts.
“This meant that the trains were not inspected as intended, and the crews were unable to establish the integrity of their trains,” said Mr Whitaker.
He also criticized the company’s practice precision planned railwaysmeaning cuts in yard staff, inspectors and equipment to adhere to stricter train schedules to maximize profits.