Lawmakers Propose Legislation to Tighten Rail Safety Regulations

WASHINGTON — Two House Democrats plan on Tuesday to introduce a bill to tighten federal regulation of trains carrying hazardous materials, the first legislative proposal to emerge in Congress since the derailment of a freight train carrying toxic substances that has devastated a small community in Ohio.

Representatives Chris Deluzio of Pennsylvania, whose district lies along the Ohio-Pennsylvania border near where the derailment occurred, and Ro Khanna of California are sponsoring the legislation, which would broaden the definition of what is considered a “high-hazard flammable train,” subject to stricter federal safety regulations. The train that derailed this month was exempt from such requirements because it was carrying less hazardous material than the threshold set by the Transportation Department.

The prospects for the measure are uncertain in a divided Congress, where the derailment has touched off a highly partisan debate over rail safety, federal regulation and who, if anyone, in Washington is looking out for the plight of rural communities like East Palestine, Ohio. This month, 38 Norfolk Southern rail cars, 11 of which carried hazardous materials, careened off the tracks there and ignited a huge fire.

Officials decided to release and burn toxic materials from the train days later, sending a large plume of toxic smoke into the sky. Residents in the farm town of East Palestine have continued to suffer from the ecological damage.

Article source: https://www.nytimes.com/2023/02/28/us/politics/congress-east-palestine-legislation.html