Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg called on the rail industry and Congress to boost safety in the sector as the department proposed new regulations following the aftermath of the disastrous train derailment in Ohio earlier this month.
On Feb. 3, a 50-railcar Norfolk Southern freight train derailed in East Palestine, Ohio. Some cars were carrying hazardous materials, including vinyl chloride, which is known to be highly flammable.
The toxin was released into the air from five of the cars before the chemical was purposefully ignited to get rid of it in a controlled fashion. Residents in the region were evacuated due to health risks.
Some residents in East Palestine had reported negative health effects like vomiting, headaches, rashes, and so on. An EPA test near the site of derailment found “no exceedances for residential air quality standards,” as of Feb. 19.
In the release on Feb. 21, the Transportation Department asked Congress to raise the maximum fines the department can impose on rail companies violating safety regulations from the current $225,455, which it called a “rounding error” for such businesses.
Proposed Regulations
The USDOT has proposed new regulations to “further enhance” freight rail safety. It suggested advancing the train crew staffing rule, which will mandate that a minimum of two crew members be present for most railroad operations.“This rule is intended to keep workers and communities safe. Research indicates that an increase in physical tasks and cognitive demands for a one-person crew could potentially lead to task overload or a loss of situational awareness that could cause an accident,” the department said.
The Transportation Department intends to fund projects aimed at modernizing rail tracks, rail safety, and eliminating at-grade rail crossings. It also wants to initiate a “focused safety inspection program” on routes through which high volumes of hazardous materials are being transported.
Investigating the Accident, Questioning USDOT
In a Feb. 19th letter written to Alan Shaw, CEO of Norfolk Southern, Buttigieg stated that the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is investigating the cause of the derailment and that the USDOT’s Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) is conducting its own analysis into whether any safety violations had taken place.“The FRA will act with all of its legal authorities to hold Norfolk Southern responsible for any safety violations found to have contributed to this derailment.”
The EPA has contacted Norfolk Southern, asking the company to document the release of hazardous materials as well as outline the cleanup efforts it has implemented.
“Derailments have reportedly increased in recent years, as has the rate of total accidents or safety-related incidents per track mile. The trade-off for Class I rail companies, of course, has been reduced labor costs, having shed nearly one-third of their workforce.”
The letter asked Buttigieg to respond to certain questions within 30 days concerning the USDOT’s position on safety-related matters.
Buttigieg has faced criticism for his delay in addressing the derailment accident in Ohio. He also attempted to blame former president Donald Trump as the USDOT under his administration had nixed a regulation from the Obama-era on advanced train brake systems.