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Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY) at a Monday morning press conference in downtown Syracuse announced his support for a new bipartisan law to increase regulations on the railroad industry to improve train safety following the February derailment of a train carrying hazardous materials in East Palestine, Ohio.

At the Armory Square press conference, Schumer presented a letter asking for preventative action and Senate support for the Railway Safety Act of 2023, which aims to increase railroad safety and transparency between railroad companies and communities according to a Monday news release sent in an email. Schumer spoke alongside Onondaga County Executive Ryan McMahon, New York State Sen. Rachel May, Syracuse Mayor Ben Walsh and firefighters from the City of Syracuse Fire Department.

The act, which has been co-sponsored by six other U.S. senators, would strengthen federal oversight through the U.S. Department of Transportation, the Federal Railroad Administration and the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration.

In light of the Feb. 3 train derailment in East Palestine, Ohio, the act would expand safety protocols for trains carrying hazardous materials by requiring two-person crews instead of one-person crews, establishing funding for first responders and expanding financial penalties for rail companies that are found liable for train derailments.

“The horrifying train derailment in Ohio has people in Syracuse and across upstate rightfully concerned about the safety of trains carrying hazardous materials that regularly run through Syracuse’s downtown and nearby communities,” Schumer said. “We must stop preventable accidents and get first responders the support they need to keep our communities safe.”

Twenty of the 150 total cars on the train in East Palestine, which was operated by the Norfolk Southern Rail Line, were carrying hazardous materials, according to a Feb. 10 letter from the Environmental Protection Agency to the company. Authorities carried out a controlled release of toxic fumes to reduce the fire at the train derailment and avoid a potential explosion, according to The New York Times.

The Feb. 3 derailment sparked an evacuation of around half of East Palestine’s 5,000 residents while residents continue to face health and environmental concerns since the derailment. On Saturday, a second Norfolk Southern train traveling from Bellevue, Ohio to Birmingham, Alabama derailed.

During his speech in Armory Square, Schumer revealed a letter to executives of seven major railroad companies including Norfolk Southern, calling for them to outline specific steps to improve rail safety. In the letter, Schumer listed 10 questions asking for how companies can improve communication and transparency with authorities, address safety protocols for trains and protect local communities.

Mayor Walsh said he supported the senator’s efforts to push for greater transparency between major railroad companies and local communities. Walsh emphasized the importance of a proactive response, and said local governments shouldn’t be forced to wait for a train derailment, especially when located near neighborhoods and businesses.

“Now is the time to take steps that make the system safer and ensure the Syracuse Fire Department and other first responders have all the information they need to be fully prepared for any occurrence,” Walsh said.

In November 2011, a 20-car train bound to Binghamton from Syracuse derailed, forcing residents to evacuate and causing the I-81 highway to briefly shut down.

Syracuse is a stop of the North Division of the New York, Susquehanna and Western Railway, a 400-mile train operation that stretches across New York, Pennsylvania and New Jersey. Onondaga County currently has operational railroad tracks that go through downtown Syracuse, Destiny USA and NBT Stadium, McMahon said at the press conference.

“A core responsibility of government is to keep people safe, but when rail companies refuse to disclose what they are shipping and when through our community, that responsibility becomes infinitely and unnecessarily more difficult,” McMahon said.

In a Monday news release, Norfolk Southern announced a new six-point plan to enhance safety of its operations, including added precautions for overheating detection. Investigators said the sensors detected a part of the train that derailed in East Palestine overheating, but the crew wasn’t promptly alerted, according to a Feb. 23 report by the National Transportation Safety Board.

Alan Shaw, Norfolk Southern’s CEO, is set to testify Thursday to the U.S. Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works after Schumer demanded that Shaw address the derailment.

Schumer said he’ll continue efforts to hold railroad companies accountable while pushing for expanded rail safety reform and better funding for communities like Syracuse to respond.
“We must stop preventable accidents and get first responders the support they need to keep our communities safe,” Schumer said.

Published on March 7, 2023 at 1:45 am

Contact Dominic: dcchiapp@syr.edu | @DominicChiappo2