Take action to prevent future derailment disasters!
John,
It’s been over a year since a Norfolk Southern train carrying thousands of gallons of toxic chemicals derailed in East Palestine, Ohio.
Tankers of formaldehyde and vinyl chloride burned for hours, causing a toxic plume that forced residents within a two-mile radius to evacuate. This derailment was caused by a brake failure that ignited a fire, which burned for over twenty miles before the cars careened off the tracks.
Clearly, tighter railway regulations are needed. The Railway Safety Act (S.576) would establish common-sense safety regulations, secure protections for railway workers, and provide funding for research and development to improve railway safety.
In 2023 alone, there were over 4,000 train accidents. Some of these accidents released the same hazardous materials as the East Palestine derailment.
Despite these ongoing accidents, billionaire-backed Koch Industries is leading efforts to stall the Railway Safety Act.
Meanwhile, railroad corporations have trimmed inspection times, lengthened trains, reduced crew sizes, and cut their workforce by thousands in the past few decades. All so that shareholders can maximize their profits at the expense of safety.
The Railway Safety Act would ensure the Department of Transportation (DOT) issues safety regulations for trains carrying hazardous materials by requiring that rail carriers:
Provide state emergency response commissioners with advanced notice and information about hazardous materials.
Reduce blocked rail crossings.
Have a minimum two-person crew for certain freight trains.
Comply with certain train length and weight specifications requirements, track standards, speed restrictions, and response plans.
People living near railways should not fear for their lives as hazardous materials are being transported. It’s long past time for Congress to mandate new safety regulations that could prevent future derailment disasters.
Food & Water Watch and its affiliated organization, Food & Water Action, are advocacy groups with a common mission to protect our food, water and climate.
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