Senators are introducing new legislation designed to decrease the risk of train derailment disasters following the recent derailment in East Palestine, Ohio.
According to a news release, Sens. JD Vance and Sherrod Brown are proposing bipartisan legislation – the Railway Safety Act of 2023 – to prevent train derailment disasters. The act aims to enhance safety procedures for trains carrying hazardous materials.
"Last week, I laid out actions Congress could take to hold the freight rail industry accountable and improve safety. I applaud the swift bipartisan action now underway in the Senate to advance common-sense regulations that can prevent future disasters," U.S. Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg said in a March 1 Twitter post.
Some of the proposed measures include providing advance notification to state emergency response officials about the materials being transported, creating new requirements to prevent obstructed railroad crossings, mitigating derailment risk with rules for train weight and size and strengthening inspection requirements for rail cars carrying hazardous materials, the release reported.
The act also requires well-trained, two-person crews aboard every train and imposes heightened fines for safety violations, according to the release. Furthermore, it supports communities affected by rail disasters by expanding HAZMAT training grants for local law enforcement and first responders and investing in future safety improvements through research and development grants.
"Through this legislation, Congress has a real opportunity to ensure that what happened in East Palestine will never happen again. We owe every American the peace of mind that their community is protected from a catastrophe of this kind," Vance said in the release.
The U.S. Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works announced a hearing will be held March 9 to address Protecting Public Health and the Environment in the Wake of the Norfolk Southern Train Derailment and Chemical Release in East Palestine, Ohio. Sen. Bob Casey, of Pennsylvania, will be accompanied by Vance and Brown. Alan Shaw, president and CEO of Norfolk Southern Corporation, along with members from the Ohio EPA, Ohio River Valley Water Sanitation Commission and Beaver County Department of Emergency Services, have agreed to testify at the hearing.
"Since the Norfolk Southern derailment upended the lives of East Palestine residents, there have been bipartisan calls to do more. It's time for this momentum to lead to real reforms for freight rail safety and accountability," Buttigieg posted on Twitter March 1.
