Rep. Mike Turner (R-OH) says the residents of Springfield, Ohio, narrowly avoided an environmental disaster after another Norfolk Southern train derailed, but said the incident highlights the growing need for tougher rail safety measures.
“Luckily, it seems we may have missed a bullet in this one,” Turner said. “This train may have been empty, and it looked like the hazardous materials is not going to be a threat to the community. We’ll have to see.”
OHIO TRAIN DERAILMENT: DEM SENATOR SAYS RESIDENTS ‘RIGHT TO BE SKEPTICAL’ ABOUT SAFETY
Turner’s comment comes one month after a large Norfolk Southern train derailment occurred in East Palestine, Ohio, releasing chemical toxins into the environment. Residents have expressed concern over long-term health effects, as some have reported experiencing nausea, headaches, rashes, and more.
On Saturday evening, 20 cars of the 212-car train derailed, causing officials to install a shelter-in-place for residents within 1,000 feet of the crash site. Close to 1,500 residents lost power.
Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg, who vowed to hold the rail company accountable after the first derailment, tweeted on Saturday that he was monitoring the situation and was in touch with state officials.
“I have been briefed by FRA leadership and spoke with Gov. DeWine to offer our support after the derailment today in Clark County, Ohio,” he wrote. “No hazardous material release has been reported, but we will continue to monitor closely, and FRA personnel are en route.”
However, Turner has joined several members of Congress in blasting both President Joe Biden and Buttigieg’s lackluster response to the derailments and lax rail safety laws for risking the lives of residents.
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“It truly is outrageous,” Turner said. “You know, Ohio really is the crossroads of America, both on the road and in rail, and an unbelievable amount of goods travel through Ohio, some hazardous. What we’ve seen, with the risks to communities, is unacceptable.”
Turner continued, “The fact that we’re having derailment after derailment shows really the lack of investment, that disinvestment in our infrastructure, and that needs to change.”
