https://www.wlbt.com/2024/02/02/rail-safety-legislation-still-stalled-one-year-after-east-palestine-disaster/ Skip to content Promote Your Business Careers * News * Watch Live * 3 On Your Side Investigates * First Alert Weather * Traffic * Jackson Water * Studio 3 * Elections * Sports * What's On TV * About Us * Home + Watch Live + WLBT Apps + Submit Your Pics * First Alert Weather + Get a Weather Radio + SkyCams + Closings + Request a First Alert Weather School Visit * News + Hinds County + Madison County + Rankin County + Education + Crime + 3 On Your Side Investigates + Mississippi Strong + National * Crime + Metro Crime + Jackson Homicides + Jackson Crime + Mississippi Crime * Traffic + Gas Prices * Studio 3 + Adopt a Pet + Birthday Club + Cowboy's Kitchen + Healthier Mississippi + Luxury Living + Made in Mississippi + Mississippi History + Mississippi Strong + Mississippi Weekend + Shop Local + Taste Mississippi + Thank You For Your Service * Sports + Mississippi State + Ole Miss + Southern Miss + Jackson State + SWAC + Saints + The End Zone + HS Football Scores + Stats & Predictions + How to Watch * Health + Power of Pink * Community + Mississippi Strong * About Us + Careers + Contact Us + Meet the Team * Programming + LawCall + Programming Schedule * Gray DC Bureau * Circle Country * Zeam - News Streams * InvestigateTV * PowerNation * Promote Your Business 8 weather alerts in effect Dismiss Weather Alerts Alerts Bar Rail safety legislation still stalled one year after East Palestine disaster Members of Congress blast industry for putting profits over safety A major train derailment in East Palestine, Ohio spurred calls for changes in railroad safety. By Joce Sterman Published: Feb. 2, 2024 at 10:41 AM CST (InvestigateTV) -- It's been one year since a train derailment in Ohio thrust the issue of rail safety back into the national spotlight. Congressional lawmakers immediately introduced legislation designed to protect Americans and hold rail companies accountable. But the longest-serving woman in Congressional history says little has changed since the disaster. U.S. Representative Marcy Kaptur, D-Ohio, talked with InvestigateTV on Capitol Hill in advance of the February 3rd anniversary of the crisis in East Palestine, saying of the rail industry, "It's like they're a power unto themselves. And they're very, very - in my opinion - destructive to the country in the way they're behaving." Kaptur, who's held Congressional office since 1983, pulled no punches as she talked about the ripple effects of the massive incident that forced the evacuation of more than 1,000 people last February. The evacuation came after a Norfolk Southern train carrying hazardous materials derailed in eastern Ohio near the Pennsylvania border, with toxic chemicals contaminating the air, water, and soil all around the area. A photo from the NTSB investigative file shows the aftermath of a massive 2023 train... A photo from the NTSB investigative file shows the aftermath of a massive 2023 train derailment in East Palestine, Ohio(NTSB) Within weeks congressional lawmakers proposed bipartisan bills in the Senate and House designed to improve rail safety. Those bills included language mandating two-person crews for certain freight trains, updating inspection regulations and bumping up fines for companies that break safety laws. The Senate version of the legislation initially made progress, moving through committee with provisions added. But one year after East Palestine, both bills are at a standstill, with no changes made since May. Asked why the proposed legislation hasn't moved forward, Kaptur blamed the rail industry. "I think because they have a whole lot of power," Kaptur said. "They have a lot of political power. And in the committees that are responsible, they do enough to block it." Congresswoman Marcy Kaptur, D-Ohio, talks about rail safety in her office on Capitol Hill Congresswoman Marcy Kaptur, D-Ohio, talks about rail safety in her office on Capitol Hill(Scotty Smith, InvestigateTV) That sentiment, was echoed by U.S. Senator Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, who sponsored the Rail Safety Act in the Senate and held a virtual press conference this week to talk about the stalled legislation. Both Brown and Kaptur said lobbying groups and major rail companies continue to oppose the legislation, with the industry putting profits over public safety. The Association of American Railroads, the lobbying group representing the nation's major rail companies, told InvestigateTV in a written statement, "Railroads and policymakers share the same goal of making the rail network even safer. The industry is dedicated to advancing safety through our own initiatives and in collaboration with policymakers. Despite some allegations, railroads have never been opposed to the Railway Safety Act (RSA) and have had open, productive conversations with policymakers including Rep. Kaptur's staff." Although the railroad lobby has repeatedly been unavailable for on-camera interviews with InvestigateTV, the organization has been clear in materials on its website that it sees challenges in the legislation, specifically with the proposed crew staffing mandates and inspection requirements. "They don't think that they need anybody but themselves," Kaptur said. "And look at the country. They're not meeting the mark." Other major rail issues also remain unsolved despite national attention Congresswoman Kaptur said the industry is also failing when it comes to fixing another major rail problem brought into sharp focus last year: blocked crossings. The issue, highlighted in an InvestigateTV/ProPublica series, found stopped trains delaying first responders, cutting off communities and forcing children in Hammond, Indiana to do the unthinkable: crawl over and under trains just to get to school. An InvestigateTV/ProPublica investigation into blocked crossings affects changes. Video captured in Hammond, Indiana sheds light on a larger issue in the U.S. Last May the congresswoman officially logged the series into the Congressional Record, saying "Railroads of America, wake up." "I was trying to get it out to other Americans so that they can speak up from their parts of the country," Kaptur said. "All of these places have had accidents. Frankly, I've had deaths in my district and the behavior of the companies is that you may as well make them kings." During the interview, and in Kaptur's time on the House floor, the congresswoman urged President Biden and Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg to get rail stakeholders together to work to fix systematic rail problems that exist from coast to coast, saying the billions allocated in infrastructure funding provide a pivotal moment for action. "We need visionary planning. They don't give it to us. I would like those CEOs - I'll invite them, I'll buy pizza, we'll spend the whole weekend - let them roll up their sleeves. I want to see how good they are. They shouldn't feel so good about the legacy they're leaving to their children and grandchildren because it's non-functional. It's not going to be able to meet the needs of the country going forward. Shame on them," she said. The Association of American Railroads said in a press release it has and will continue to "engage in conversations about how legislation can improve safety, encourage innovation and keep the supply chain moving". The organization also pointed to a number of steps it says the rail industry has independently taken to improve safety in the wake of the East Palestine disaster, including training thousands of first responders in communities across the country and doubling the number of people who can access a specialized system that gives real-time information about what rail cars are carrying. Copyright 2024 Gray Media Group, Inc. All rights reserved. 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