Elected officials joined environmental advocates Tuesday to demand an end to so-called “bomb trains,” as well as stricter regulations on railroad, oil and gas companies.
“Bomb trains” refer to any train car carrying potentially explosive materials, such as the Norfolk Southern train that derailed in East Palestine, Ohio, in February.
“We know that for too long CEOs and rail giants have put profits over people, of selfishness over safety and their own bonuses over reliable braking systems,” U.S. Rep. Summer Lee, D-Swissvale, said during a morning news conference in Larimer. “When these greedy corporations are allowed and encouraged to poison our communities for profit, we all suffer. It’s very clear to us that when left to their own devices, corporations will not do the right thing.”
She said she would co-sponsor the DERAIL Act proposed by U.S. Rep Chris Deluzio, D-Aspinwall. That bill would broaden the definition of high-hazard flammable trains. The Senate is also considering legislation by Ohio Sens. Sherrod Brown and J.D. Vance that would mandate two-person crews on each train and provide funding for updated rail cars.
In the weeks after the East Palestine derailment, Norfolk Southern CEO Alan Shaw pledged assistance to impacted communities, including a medical compensation fund and millions toward a Pennsylvania community relief fund, amid ongoing health and environmental fears on the Beaver County side of the Ohio border. Mr. Shaw’s pledge came days after Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost filed a federal lawsuit to hold the company accountable for the derailment and its aftermath.
Ms. Lee and others appeared Tuesday with environmental advocates at the Kingsley Association Community Center in Larimer, which sits about 500 feet from train tracks that were an extension of the same tracks where the Norfolk Southern train derailed in East Palestine.
“Had this derailment occurred in a few hours different time frame, it could have been in the center of Pittsburgh, impacting the heart of a community that has already been disproportionately bearing the brunt of environmental degradation and pollution for generations,” said Katie Blume, the political director for Conservation Voters of PA.
The calls for more regulation came just days after a train derailed in the Esplen neighborhood of Pittsburgh along West Carson Street. No one was injured and the train cars were empty, but the cause of the derailment remains unclear.
Another Norfolk Southern train derailed last year in Harmar, spilling almost 3,000 gallons of petroleum into Guys Run Creek, which feeds into the Allegheny River.
“What we’re seeing on the ground here is the railroads don’t have a culture of safety from top to bottom,” said state Sen. Lindsay Williams, D-West View. “The focus is on moving trains and not moving safely.”
In addition to pushing railroad safety rules, lawmakers also raised concerns about environmental impacts.
“Most of our riverfront is occupied by rail lines and their proximity to our drinking water source and homes pose a threat if we do not act at a federal level,” said state Rep. Sara Innamorato, D-Lawrenceville, who is running for county executive in the May 16 Democratic primary.
Those environmental concerns extend to oil and gas producers, too.
“The East Palestine disaster has focused the national spotlight not only on rail safety, but on the risks to unsuspecting communities at every step in the plastics and petrochemical supply chain,” said Vanessa Lynch, the state coordinator for Moms Clean Air Force, a national clean air advocacy group.
Shortly after the Ohio derailment, crews performed a controlled release of the toxic chemical vinyl chloride stored in some of the cars. Vinyl chloride is most often used to make PVC pipes, but inhalation of the gas can lead to an increased risk of medical problems.
“The rapid expansion of the petrochemical industry… means an increase in the risks to families being exposed to health harming air pollution,” Ms. Lynch said.
A recently released report using data from 2019 found that Allegheny County has the most polluted air in the state, a problem that could get worse without stricter regulations, lawmakers and advocates said Tuesday.
“It’s time for bold action that not only protects us against these bomb train crises,” Ms. Lee said, “but guarantees health, safety and clean air and clean water for all our communities.”
Hallie Lauer: hlauer@post-gazette.com
First Published: April 11, 2023, 7:11 p.m.
Updated: April 12, 2023, 4:23 p.m.