Weeks after a massive train derailment in Ohio resulted in a fiery wreck and the release of hazardous chemicals, fingers are being pointed to and from the Department of Transportation.
At issue is whether work and safety standards are up to snuff, and whether cost-cutting measures could be to blame for the derailment in East Palestine, Ohio, and others that have also taken place this year.
“Profit and expediency must never outweigh the safety of the American people,” Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said in a statement issued Tuesday morning. “We at USDOT are doing everything in our power to improve rail safety, and we insist that the rail industry do the same – while inviting Congress to work with us to raise the bar.”
Buttigieg’s statement accompanied an announcement from the DOT calling for “a three-pronged push to hold the freight rail industry accountable and improve safety.” This includes adopting the use of safer tank cars, new inspection technologies, protection for workers who report unsafe conditions, and congressional action to impose stiffer penalties for violations.
B.C. Begley 