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“The preliminary report found that the Norfolk Southern crew was operating the train below the speed limit and in an approved manner, yet it is clear the safety mechanisms in place were not enough,” Mr. Shaw said.
Federal investigators found that a wheel bearing on one of the train’s cars had been heating up as the train passed through Ohio, but that an alarm did not sound to alert the crew until it passed a sensor not far from where it derailed. Safety experts say the crew could have averted the disaster if there were more sensors closer together on the route that the train took.
The National Transportation Safety Board said on Tuesday that it had opened a special investigation into the safety practices at Norfolk Southern, which had suffered five significant accidents since December 2021. Another of the company’s freight trains derailed near Springfield, Ohio, on Saturday. Hours before the hearing, another Norfolk Southern train had derailed in Alabama. According to Katelyn Byrd, a company spokeswoman, there were no reports of injuries and released hazardous materials. Norfolk Southern’s accident rate has increased over the past four years, according to a recent company presentation.
On Capitol Hill on Thursday, Debra Shore, a regional administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, and Anne Vogel, the director of the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency, assured lawmakers that the air and water quality surrounding the community was safe and that the agencies were continuing to conduct testing.
“If the company fails to complete any of the E.P.A.-ordered actions, the agency will immediately step in, conduct the necessary work and force Norfolk Southern to pay triple the cost,” Ms. Shore said.
Senator Bernie Sanders, independent of Vermont, questioned Mr. Shaw about whether precision scheduled railroading, which involves cutting back on rail yard workers, inspectors and equipment to adhere to stricter train schedules, has had a detrimental effect on safety.
“I have been told by workers who work for your company, and other rail companies, that they are now being asked to do more work with fewer workers, and that includes safety inspections,” Mr. Sanders said. “So well before this disaster in East Palestine, we have been told about the potential safety hazards.”
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