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      This aerial photo shows the aftermath of a fiery BNSF train derailment that occurred near Raymond, Minnesota on March 30, 2023.

      Derailment Spree Proves Railway Regulations Urgently Needed, Say Union Members

      "These companies siphon billions into share buybacks, dividends, and bonuses rather than into the vital maintenance and infrastructure growth we need to build a safe, modern, and thriving rail industry," said one worker.

      Kenny Stancil
      Apr 03, 2023

      After at least six major freight train derailments occurred across the United States over the past week, the need for stronger rail safety rules couldn't be clearer, an interunion alliance of rail workers said Monday.

      "The recent uptick in derailments across the U.S. highlights the dire need for stricter regulations on the length and weight of trains, as well as a focus on preventing unsafe operational practices such as precision scheduled railroading (PSR) which prioritizes short-term financial gains for Wall Street over the safety of communities and railroad workers," Jason Doering, a locomotive engineer and general secretary of Railroad Workers United (RWU), said in a statement.

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      U.S. Sen. John Fetterman shakes hands with fellow Pennsylvania Democrat Sen. Bob Casey at Belmont Water Treatment Center in Philadelphia on February 3, 2023. ​

      In Fiery Shadow of New Train Disaster, Fetterman Leads Railway Accountability Act

      "This bill will implement commonsense safety reforms, hold the big railway companies accountable, protect the workers who make these trains run, and help prevent future catastrophes," said the Pennsylvania Democrat.

      Jessica Corbett
      Mar 30, 2023

      As a train derailment and fire forced evacuations in Minnesota on Thursday, a trio of Democratic U.S. senators introduced another piece of legislation inspired by the ongoing public health and environmental disaster in and around East Palestine, Ohio.

      The Railway Accountability Act—led by Sens. John Fetterman (D-Pa.), Bob Casey (D-Pa.), and Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio)—would build on the bipartisan Railway Safety Act introduced at the beginning of March by Brown and Sen. J.D. Vance (R-Ohio) after a Norfolk Southern train carrying hazardous materials including vinyl chloride derailed in the small Ohio community on February 3.

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      Three crosses stand on a hillside overlooking a farm on the state line of Ohio and Pennsylvania following a train derailment on February 17, 2023.

      Senate Dems Elevate Farmers' Calls for Relief From Toxic Train Derailment

      "The farmer shouldn't be penalized for this unfortunate and unique situation," said John Stock of the Ohio Ecological Food and Farm Association. "It's going to have an impact on these farms, and it's a reality that impacts all of us."

      Jessica Corbett
      Mar 08, 2023

      Just over a month after a Norfolk Southern train derailed in near the Ohio-Pennsylvania border, a trio of U.S. senators on Wednesday wrote to a pair of Biden administration leaders that "we are hearing from farmers and agricultural producers who are concerned about the impacts of the derailment and associated release of hazardous materials on their livelihoods."

      After train cars derailed and caught fire in East Palestine, Ohio on February 3, the rail giant conducted a controlled release of vinyl chloride to prevent an explosion. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency on February 21 ordered Norfolk Southern to identify and clean up contaminated soil and water; facing local pressure, the EPA on Friday told the company to test for dioxins, while maintaining the position that based on agency testing, it is unlikely those toxic chemical compounds were released.

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