Norfolk Southern plans safety measures
Norfolk Southern Corp. plans to add hundreds of trackside heat detectors in an effort to improve safety after a train derailment that spilled toxic chemicals last month in Ohio.
The move is part of a sixpoint plan announced Monday that also includes exploring newer types of sensors, accelerating the use of digital train inspections and considering acoustic detectors that may help uncover axle problems. The initiative is based on the preliminary findings in the National Transportation Safety Board’s investigation of the Feb. 3 crash, Norfolk Southern said in a statement.
The railroad is under pressure from regulators, politicians and the broader public to bolster its operations after the crash, which released chemicals and prompted an evacuation of the rural community. The incident has become a talking point on Capitol Hill, with Chief Executive Officer Alan Shaw set to be questioned this week by a U.S. Senate committee. President Joe Biden has also said he would visit the site in East Palestine.
The scrutiny will likely increase after Norfolk Southern had another derailment over the weekend in Ohio. The incident, which happened about 180 miles west of East Palestine, didn’t involve hazardous materials and resulted in no reported injuries, but it has sparked a larger debate over train safety and criticism across the political spectrum, from Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer to former President Donald Trump, who visited the site last month.
While U.S. train derailments are down from two decades ago, there were still 1,093 last year, or about three per day.
Sen. Sherrod Brown, an Ohio Democrat, called the latest incidents “unacceptable” and accused the company of putting profit before safety. Brown and J.D. Vance, Ohio’s Republican senator, are sponsors of a rail-safety bill that would require more disclosure of hazardous materials traversing states, inspections of wheel bearings and mandate minimum crew sizes.
Democrats on the House Oversight Committee on Monday separately asked the railroad to produce documents related to its sensors as well as scheduling practices, workforce reductions and executive communications with federal officials after the early February crash, among other issues.
Trackside heat sensors have come under scrutiny from some critics who point out that they were unable to prevent scores of component failures in recent years. The devices were functioning properly before Norfolk Southern’s derailment last month, but because of the distance between the sensors, an alarm didn’t sound until a wheel bearing had spiked to 253 degrees above the ambient temperature, investigators found.
RESPONSE AND RECOVERY
Norfolk Southern has pledged several million dollars to cover the cost of the response and recovery in Pennsylvania after last month’s derailment just across the border in Ohio, Gov. Josh Shapiro said Monday.
Shapiro’s office said he met with Shaw on Thursday and secured an initial commitment for financial aid as the cleanup from the Feb. 3 derailment continues.
Norfolk Southern has made similar pledges to Ohio, and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has ordered the company to cover the costs of cleanup from the derailment that toppled 38 rail cars.
No one was hurt, but concerns that the chemicals could explode led state and local officials to approve releasing and burning toxic vinyl chloride from five tanker cars and to evacuate half of East Palestine and the surrounding area near the Pennsylvania border. Shapiro said Norfolk Southern will pay $5 million to reimburse fire departments for equipment that was contaminated or damaged and $1 million to Beaver and Lawrence counties to help business owners and residents whose livelihoods were damaged.
Another nearly $1.4 million will go to state agencies that responded, including for setting up a health clinic for residents, Shapiro said.
Shapiro’s office said he will push Norfolk Southern to cover any additional costs that accumulate.