General Information
Disasters happen when businesses put profits above people
(Source: Iowa Capital Dispatch, March 11, 2023) Businesses, left to their own devices, will pursue their own self-interests, denying the evidence of detrimental impacts and fighting against regulations requiring pneumatic brakes or adding stronger tank cars on trains carrying hazardous chemicals. It’s why we need child labor laws and worker’s compensation insurance. The power of…
Read More“We don’t feel safe anymore.” Trauma, health concerns remain after Ohio derailment
(Source: Associated Press, March 11, 2023) Heather Bable speaks rapidly, recalling the terror of the night when a train loaded with hazardous chemicals derailed less than a half-mile from her home in East Palestine, Ohio. She heard an earthshaking boom and, from her bathroom window, “all you saw was the flames.” Full story: www.pbs.org
Read MoreNS discovers loose wheel on certain rail cars; AAR issues safety advisory
(Source: Progressive Railroading 03/10/2023) Norfolk Southern Railway yesterday announced it determined an urgent safety issue related to a specific model of rail cars involved in the train derailment last week in Springfield, Ohio. During its cleanup of the site, the Class I determined that a model and series of rail cars had loose wheels, which could…
Read MoreAnother NS train derails in Alabama hours before CEO testifies before Senate
(Source: NBC News, March 9, 2023) A Norfolk Southern train derailed Thursday in Calhoun County, Alabama, hours before company CEO Alan Shaw faced lawmakers to answer questions about a Feb. 3 derailment that led to a toxic chemical spill in East Palestine, Ohio. Full story: NBC News
Read MoreFRA proposes rule that would require emergency breathing gear in locomotive cabs
(Source: trains.com 03/08/2023) The rule aims to protect train crews from inhalation hazards in the event of a hazardous materials spill following a derailment WASHINGTON — The Federal Railroad Administration today proposed a rule that would require railroads to provide emergency breathing apparatus for locomotive crews who are operating trains carrying hazardous materials that would…
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