WASHINGTON, DC— Today, Ranking Member of the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure Rick Larsen (D-WA), Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on Railroads, Pipelines and Hazardous Materials Frederica Wilson (D-FL), and Representatives Emilia Sykes (D-OH) and Chris Deluzio (D-PA), whose districts were impacted by the derailment, released the following statements in response to the NTSB’s final report on the Norfolk Southern derailment in East Palestine, OH, in February 2023.
"Today’s NTSB report confirms what we already know: Congress must pass common sense reforms that improve rail safety for the sake of rail workers, to protect communities all over the country, and to hold operators accountable for the safe transportation of people and goods by rail,” Ranking Member Larsen said. “It’s time for the T&I Committee to move forward on rail safety legislation in a bipartisan way, and I look forward to doing just that.”
“Today’s report underscores the urgent need to remain laser focused on rail safety and protecting the health of our communities,” Ranking Member Wilson said. “The train derailment in East Palestine was a tragic incident that was entirely preventable and incidents like this should not occur anywhere in our country. Additionally, the contamination that the derailment caused is unacceptable. We must redouble our efforts to ensure that our rail system upholds the highest standards of safety. It is my hope that bipartisan action will arise from this report, and I will always fight for the safety and wellbeing of our communities.”
“I’m grateful to the NTSB for their efforts over the past year and a half to determine the cause of this derailment and provide vital answers to a community that is still healing and rebuilding from this tragedy,” Representative Sykes said. “With this information in hand, there is absolutely no excuse for Congress not to act on policy that will improve rail safety, ensure hazardous materials are transported safely, and hold Norfolk Southern accountable for the trauma they have inflicted on the residents of East Palestine. My bipartisan RAIL Act directly addresses many of the concerns outlined in this report, including strengthening regulations to prevent wheel bearing failures. Now, the House Majority must immediately pass the RAIL Act to protect Americans and prevent a similar derailment from happening again.”
"Today’s NTSB meeting makes clear: it is long past time for Congress to act to make freight rail safer,” Representative Deluzio said. “Since the Norfolk Southern derailment in East Palestine unleashed a toxic fireball into the sky near the homes, schools, businesses, and farms of my Beaver County constituents, I have been pushing for accountability for this disaster and for strong rail safety reform. We cannot trust the railroads to regulate themselves—and Congress must take action to protect communities like mine. We are tired of the delays, and with the final NTSB findings public, opponents of common-sense safety reforms are out of excuses. The American people want to see Congress make rail safer. It’s time to pass my bipartisan bill, the Railway Safety Act.”
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