Senators Continue to Express Dismay Over Norfolk Southern CEO’s Answers About Ohio Toxic Train Derailment

During a hearing on March 22, Norfolk Southern CEO Alan Shaw expressed his support for several provisions of a bipartisan Senate bill that aims to enhance rail safety regulations. However, he did not commit to backing the legislation’s passage, which drew criticism from Senators who accused Shaw of providing “vague” responses. The bill, known as the Railway Safety Act of 2023, was introduced on March 1 by Senators J.D. Vance (R-Ohio) and Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio) to prevent train derailments. It proposes improving safety protocols such as better safety procedures for trains carrying hazardous materials, requiring wayside defect detectors, imposing a two-person crew requirement, and increasing fines for wrongdoing committed by rail carriers.

The bill includes a proposal to increase the frequency of wayside bearing detectors, which detect overheating parts on railway tracks, as well as requiring mandatory notification requirements for first responders. Vance argued that the lack of sensors for overheated parts caused the disaster in East Palestine, Ohio, which occurred when a train carrying hazardous chemicals derailed in the village, causing a fire that burned for two days. Senators criticized Shaw, who did not address certain provisions in the act, including fines for safety violations and designating trains that transport flammable liquids as highly hazardous.

Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) asked Shaw if he would support the bill, to which he responded that “we are committed to getting better.” During a previous hearing, Shaw had told Sen. Ed Markey (D-Mass.) that Norfolk Southern has “invested over a billion dollars in safety,” adding that last year, their number of accidents was the lowest in the past decade. However, he drew criticism from Senators for appearing overconfident and lacking accountability for the East Palestine derailment, which he said was preventable.

Since the accident, state and federal agencies have said that testing shows the air and water are safe, but some residents in East Palestine and surrounding communities have reported headaches, nausea, and other ailments. A local resident, Misti Allison, appeared at the hearing and shared her family’s story about the impact of the disaster on their community.

Conclusion

The Railway Safety Act of 2023 seeks to prevent train derailments and enhance safety protocols. During a hearing on March 22, Norfolk Southern CEO Alan Shaw expressed support for some of the act’s provisions but did not commit to its passage, drawing criticism from Senators for vague responses. The act proposed increasing the frequency of wayside bearing detectors to detect overheating parts on railway tracks, as well as requiring mandatory notification requirements for first responders. The cause of the East Palestine accident was traced to a lack of sensors.