Railway Safety Act Should Be Scrapped
It’s fair to expect a prudent response to the Norfolk Southern derailment in East Palestine. This bill isn’t it.
Let’s not make things worse.
Photographer: George Rose/Getty Images
No one knows precisely why a Norfolk Southern freight train derailed in East Palestine, Ohio, in February. A federal probe is still underway. That hasn’t stopped the Senate from advancing a bill in response that could fundamentally reshape the railroad industry — and not for the better.
It’s certainly fair to expect action. The damage caused by the crash was significant: Dozens of rail cars, many carrying hazardous materials, piled up in a smoldering ruin. To forestall a bigger crisis, authorities ordered a controlled burn that released toxins into the atmosphere and required a three-day evacuation of nearby neighborhoods. The National Transportation Safety Board is investigating.