OPINION:
On February 3rd, the small village of East Palestine, Ohio, changed forever when a train carrying hazardous materials derailed ultimately causing a plume of toxic chemicals to be released into the air and piles of toxic waste to accumulate at the crash site and surrounding area.
Understandably, residents immediately feared for their health and questioned the safety of the air, water, and soil that surrounded them.
After seeing how that tragic train derailment in East Palestine, which I represent in Congress, affected the people of that small Appalachian village I saw a need to take action to improve the way our nation’s freight rail systems operate.
Trains carrying hazardous materials run through small towns all across America every day. And Americans from every corner of the nation are understandably concerned about the safety and accountability of our nation’s rail system.
Safety is crucial, and there are several steps Congress can take right now to keep our communities safe and better prevent a disaster like this from occurring in another community. One of them is by passing the bipartisan RAIL Act, which I introduced in March with my Ohio Democratic colleague, Emilia Sykes. In fact, 12 members of the Ohio Congressional delegation Republicans and Democrats are sponsors of this bill. It’s rare to find many big issues in Washington these days where so many from opposite parties will come together and agree on. But this is one of those issues.
The RAIL Act makes important and pragmatic changes to the way our nation’s rail industry operates, ensuring that our families, friends, and neighbors are kept safe.
My legislation directs the Federal Rail Administrator, in conjunction with the findings of the National Transportation Safety Board’s (NTSB) investigation of the East Palestine train derailment, to recommend new safety requirements and procedures for all trains carrying hazardous materials.
It’s critically important that we get all the facts and information from the investigation. The recommendations from the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) and NTSB will look at everything from train length and weight to route analysis, speed restrictions, and track maintenance. Most importantly, it will also push more funds to first responders, paid for entirely by the railroads.
The first responders on the scene in East Palestine did a tremendous job identifying the chemicals and containing the fire, coordinating evacuations, and managing the crash site. Without their heroism, a very bad situation would have been much, much worse.
Our legislation increases training and funding for our nation’s first responders, ensuring communities across America are kept as safe as possible in the event of another derailment disaster without spending a dime of taxpayer dollars.
Finally, the RAIL Act holds the rail industry accountable by increasing penalties and fines for rail safety violations.
East Palestine, like many other towns and villages across Ohio and the United States, is in close proximity to an active and busy rail line. The fact is freight trains are vitally important to our economy — they transport to market many of the raw materials and goods that make modern life possible. However, locomotive derailments and accidents are far too common - averaging approximately three per day - putting our communities at risk.
It’s time to improve our nation’s rail safety standards, and the RAIL Act does that.
I encourage Congress to come together, just like our Ohio delegation has, and work together to pass this important legislation.
• U.S. Representative Bill Johnson, Ohio Republican, chairs the Environment, Manufacturing & Critical Materials Subcommittee on the House Energy & Commerce Committee. Representing the state’s 6th Congressional District, he fights to create jobs in rural Ohio, improve services to veterans, and to make our federal government more effective, efficient, and accountable to the American people. Prior to Congress, he served 26 years in the U.S. Air Force and received the Air Force Meritorious Service Medal, the Air Force Commendation Medal, and the National Defense Service Medal. He retired as a Lieutenant Colonel and co-founded Johnson-Schley Management Group, Inc., an information technology (IT) consulting company.
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