A Norfolk Southern train derailed Thursday in Calhoun County, Ala.
(Nathan Young / Geek Alabama)
Minyvonne Burke
Thu, March 9, 2023
A Norfolk Southern train derailed Thursday in Calhoun County, Alabama, hours before company CEO Alan Shaw faced lawmakers to answer questions about a Feb. 3 derailment that led to a toxic chemical spill in East Palestine, Ohio.
The train was traveling from Atlanta to Meridian, Mississippi, when it derailed at around 6:45 a.m. in the Quad Cities area of White Plains, officials said.
There were no reports of injuries and no reports of a hazardous leak after approximately 30 cars derailed, the Calhoun County Emergency Management Agency said in a news release.
"Norfolk Southern has responded and is working closely with us," an agency spokesperson said in a statement. "Norfolk Southern has their cleanup crew on site and there is no estimation on how long it will take."
It’s not clear what caused the derailment.
Connor Spielmaker, a spokesperson for Norfolk Southern, said the train was mostly mixed freight and that two of the cars had previously carried hazardous materials, most likely a solution used in water treatment. At the time of the derailment, those two cars were empty.
"There is no risk at all to the public," he said at a Thursday afternoon news conference.
This is the third derailment of the company’s trains since last month. When asked about the frequency of the accidents, Spielmaker told reporters that Norfolk Southern is looking into what happened and is "figuring out how we can become even safer."
"Derailments are a very loose term," he said. "Derailment could mean as little as one wheel off the track. So as far as an increase, decrease, I can’t really get into that."
Over the weekend, 28 cars derailed in Springfield, Ohio.
Officials said the 212-car train was headed to Birmingham, Alabama, from Bellevue, Ohio, when it derailed at around 5 p.m. Saturday. Kraig Barner, Norfolk Southern’s general manager of operations, said that none of the derailed cars were carrying hazardous material and there were no reports of injuries. He said the train was previously carrying diesel exhaust fluid and an additive commonly used in wastewater treatment.
One of the cars that derailed contained plastic pellets that spilled out onto the soil. Ohio Environmental Protection Agency Director Anne Vogel said the pellets are not hazardous.
The National Transportation Safety Board launched a special investigation of Norfolk Southern Railway’s organization and safety culture following a series of derailments and other "significant accidents."
The announcement came just hours after the railroad said a conductor had been fatally struck at an Ohio steel facility.
During last month's catastrophe in East Palestine, Ohio, a 9,300-foot train carrying dangerous chemicals derailed.
A report by the board said that a defect detector built into the railway transmitted an alarm message to the train’s crew after it recorded that the temperature of a wheel bearing on the 23rd car was 253 degrees hotter than the air temperature. Anything over 170 degrees requires the engineer to stop the train, according to the railroad company’s policies.
The engineer hit the brakes, but before the train came to a halt, the 23rd car derailed, taking other cars with it, and an automatic emergency brake kicked in.
Five toxic chemicals were identified around the site of the East Palestine crash: butyl acrylate; isobutylene; ethylene glycol and ethylhexyl acrylate; and vinyl chloride, a known carcinogen. Since the derailment, residents have been diagnosed with ailments associated with chemical exposure and rail workers at the site have fallen ill.
A number of lawsuits have been filed against the company.
Norfolk Southern CEO Alan Shaw testified Thursday in a hearing of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee. He said that he was "deeply sorry" for what happened in East Palestine and is "determined to make it right."
"We will clean the site safely, thoroughly and with urgency," he said. "You have my personal commitment."
This article was originally published on NBCNews.com
Minyvonne Burke
Thu, March 9, 2023
A Norfolk Southern train derailed Thursday in Calhoun County, Alabama, hours before company CEO Alan Shaw faced lawmakers to answer questions about a Feb. 3 derailment that led to a toxic chemical spill in East Palestine, Ohio.
The train was traveling from Atlanta to Meridian, Mississippi, when it derailed at around 6:45 a.m. in the Quad Cities area of White Plains, officials said.
There were no reports of injuries and no reports of a hazardous leak after approximately 30 cars derailed, the Calhoun County Emergency Management Agency said in a news release.
"Norfolk Southern has responded and is working closely with us," an agency spokesperson said in a statement. "Norfolk Southern has their cleanup crew on site and there is no estimation on how long it will take."
It’s not clear what caused the derailment.
Connor Spielmaker, a spokesperson for Norfolk Southern, said the train was mostly mixed freight and that two of the cars had previously carried hazardous materials, most likely a solution used in water treatment. At the time of the derailment, those two cars were empty.
"There is no risk at all to the public," he said at a Thursday afternoon news conference.
This is the third derailment of the company’s trains since last month. When asked about the frequency of the accidents, Spielmaker told reporters that Norfolk Southern is looking into what happened and is "figuring out how we can become even safer."
"Derailments are a very loose term," he said. "Derailment could mean as little as one wheel off the track. So as far as an increase, decrease, I can’t really get into that."
Over the weekend, 28 cars derailed in Springfield, Ohio.
Officials said the 212-car train was headed to Birmingham, Alabama, from Bellevue, Ohio, when it derailed at around 5 p.m. Saturday. Kraig Barner, Norfolk Southern’s general manager of operations, said that none of the derailed cars were carrying hazardous material and there were no reports of injuries. He said the train was previously carrying diesel exhaust fluid and an additive commonly used in wastewater treatment.
One of the cars that derailed contained plastic pellets that spilled out onto the soil. Ohio Environmental Protection Agency Director Anne Vogel said the pellets are not hazardous.
The National Transportation Safety Board launched a special investigation of Norfolk Southern Railway’s organization and safety culture following a series of derailments and other "significant accidents."
The announcement came just hours after the railroad said a conductor had been fatally struck at an Ohio steel facility.
During last month's catastrophe in East Palestine, Ohio, a 9,300-foot train carrying dangerous chemicals derailed.
A report by the board said that a defect detector built into the railway transmitted an alarm message to the train’s crew after it recorded that the temperature of a wheel bearing on the 23rd car was 253 degrees hotter than the air temperature. Anything over 170 degrees requires the engineer to stop the train, according to the railroad company’s policies.
The engineer hit the brakes, but before the train came to a halt, the 23rd car derailed, taking other cars with it, and an automatic emergency brake kicked in.
Five toxic chemicals were identified around the site of the East Palestine crash: butyl acrylate; isobutylene; ethylene glycol and ethylhexyl acrylate; and vinyl chloride, a known carcinogen. Since the derailment, residents have been diagnosed with ailments associated with chemical exposure and rail workers at the site have fallen ill.
A number of lawsuits have been filed against the company.
Norfolk Southern CEO Alan Shaw testified Thursday in a hearing of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee. He said that he was "deeply sorry" for what happened in East Palestine and is "determined to make it right."
"We will clean the site safely, thoroughly and with urgency," he said. "You have my personal commitment."
This article was originally published on NBCNews.com
Full coverage: Senate hearing on toxic East Palestine train derailment
Norfolk Southern's CEO and a number of environmental officials were among those testifying
Christopher Wilson and Rebecca Corey
Thu, March 9, 2023
Norfolk Southern CEO Alan Shaw was among those who testified before the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works as it investigates last month’s train derailment and chemical release in East Palestine, Ohio. Along with the rail company chief, the other officials appearing on the panel were Debra Shore, a regional director for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency; Anne Vogel, director of the Ohio EPA; Richard Harrison, executive director and chief engineer for the Ohio River Valley Water Sanitation Commission; and Eric Brewer, the director and chief of hazardous materials response for Beaver County Pennsylvania Department of Emergency Services.
Norfolk Southern came under scrutiny after one of its trains derailed minutes from the Ohio-Pennsylvania border on the evening of Feb. 3, with the governors of both states issuing a joint evacuation order for a roughly 1-mile radius, since 11 of the cars contained hazardous materials. On Feb. 6, Norfolk Southern burned off five tankers full of vinyl chloride in what it said was an effort to avoid a catastrophic explosion, but it resulted in images of a giant toxic smoke plume that quickly circulated on social media. Two days later, residents were urged to return home, despite a lingering smell in the air and reports of symptoms such as dizziness, headaches and rashes.
Related: How dangerous train derailments affect communities like East Palestine >>>
Before Shaw and the environmental officials testified, Sens. Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, J.D. Vance, R-Ohio, and Bob Casey, D-Pa., also appeared before their Senate peers. Last week, Brown and Vance introduced legislation that would improve railroad safety in the wake of the derailment, a bill that is co-sponsored by Casey.
Our live coverage has concluded but you can see the highlights of the hearing below.
LIVE UPDATES
Rebecca Corey
'I didn't think we heard as many unequivocal answer "yeses" as I might like to have,' committee chairman concludes
(Photographer: Al Drago/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
In his closing remarks, Sen. Tom Carper, D-Del., chairman of the Committee on Environment and Public Works, lamented the lack of straight-shooting answers from Norfolk Southern CEO Alan Shaw during Thursday's hearing.
"I'm not a big fan, Mr. Shaw, of 'yes' [or] 'no' answers. That's not usually my style. But I didn't think we heard as many unequivocal answer 'yeses' as I might like to have, and we might want to revisit that at another time," Carper said.
Earlier during the hearing, Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., accused Shaw of sounding "like a politician" when asked about addressing the health care needs of his workers.
Carper also spoke directly to Shaw about a string of recent safety incidences involving Norfolk Southern, including a derailment that occurred earlier Thursday morning.
"It's more than disconcerting. It's concerning. And it's a trend that's troubling to me and my guess is it's troubling to you as well," Carper said.
8 hours ago
Christopher Wilson
Norfolk Southern hammered for billions in stock buybacks
Numerous committee members, including Sen. Ed Markey, D-Mass., attacked Norfolk Southern for putting profits over safety, highlighting the billions they’ve spent on stock buybacks in recent years. The rail company spent $7.5 billion in 2021 and 2022 in buybacks and have announced plans to spend billions more. When CEO Alan Shaw said that they had invested in safety and it was improving, Markey cited the recent spate of derailments and said, "You are not having a good month."
Sen. Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, had criticized the company in testimony at the beginning of the hearing, saying, “If Norfolk Southern had paid a little more attention to safety and a little less attention to profits, had cared a little more about the Ohioans along its tracks and a little less about its executives and shareholders, these accidents would not have been as bad or maybe not happened at all."
'Everything is on the table' when it comes to residents' healthcare needs, Norfolk Southern CEO says
(Photo illustration: Yahoo News; photos: Brendan Smiakowski/AFP via Getty Images)
Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt. pressed Norfolk Southern CEO Alan Shaw about covering the healthcare needs of residents affected by the train derailment, saying, "You talked about covering the needs of the people of East Palestine. Does that include paying for their health care needs? All of their health care needs?"
"Everything is on the table, sir," Shaw said in response.
Sanders also grilled Shaw over the health care needs of his own employees, some of whom currently have zero paid sick days.
"All do respect, you sound like a politician here, Mr. Shaw," Sanders said. "Paid sick days is not a radical concept in the year 2023. I am not hearing you make that commitment to guarantee that to all of your workers."
"I'm committed to continuing to speak to our employees about quality of life issues that are important to them," Shaw replied, declining to explicitly endorse guaranteed sick days for his employees.
8 hours ago
Christopher Wilson
Another Norfolk Southern derailment noted during hearing
Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse, D-R.I., said during his questioning that another Norfolk Southern train had derailed on Thursday morning. According to an ABC affiliate in Birmingham, Ala., the train derailed just before 7 a.m. in Calhoun County. Per the outlet, local authorities said said there were no hazardous materials present and no injuries.
8 hours ago
Christopher Wilson
Graham calls on Biden to visit East Palestine
Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., said he felt that President Biden should visit East Palestine, Ohio, and ask Norfolk Southern CEO Alan Shaw and Debra Shore, the EPA regional administrator for the area, to join him. Biden was criticized by the East Palestine mayor for visiting Ukraine before he traveled to the site of the accident. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, EPA Administrator Michael Regan and former President Donald Trump are among those who've been to the area in the weeks since the derailment.
Sanders grills Norfolk Southern CEO
Under questioning from Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., Norfolk Southern CEO Alan Shaw declined to say he'd support the elimination of Precision Scheduled Railroading, a system instituted by freight rail companies over the last decade meant to increase efficiency and profits by using longer and heavier trains as well as smaller staffs. Shaw did say that since taking over as CEO, he's "charted a new course in the industry."
"I said we're going to move away from a near term focus solely on profits," Shaw testified. "And then we're going to take a longer term view that's founded on our engagement with our craft employees who are so critical to our success."
What chemicals spilled, and how could they affect residents?
Five toxic chemicals have been identified around the derailment site:
• Vinyl chloride, a colorless and flammable gas, is used to produce plastic for packaging materials and a range of electronic, medical and construction products. Symptoms of exposure include drowsiness, disorientation, numbness and tingling of the extremities and nausea, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
• Butyl acrylate, a colorless liquid with a strong, fruity odor, is often used to produce various plastics, polymers, coatings and resins. Exposure to the chemical can cause irritation to the eyes and skin, rashes and breathing difficulties, according to the CDC.
• Isobutylene, a colorless gas, is used to produce plastics, packaging materials and resins. Exposure can cause symptoms such as dizziness and headache, but a cargo manifest provided to the Environmental Protection Agency indicates that Norfolk Southern saw “no signs of breach” with the car carrying this chemical
• Ethylhexyl acrylate, a colorless liquid that is commonly used to produce plastics and polymers, and ethylene glycol, a synthetic compound used in inks, paint, hydraulic brake fluids and antifreeze, can both cause irritation of the skin and eyes, as well as sore throat and nausea with exposure at high concentrations.
Shaw declines to support Railway Safety Act
(Photo by Al Drago/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
Norfolk Southern CEO Alan Shaw declined to explicitly support the bipartisan Railway Safety Act when asked, saying, "We are committed to the legislative intent to make rail safer." Shaw said he supported tighter standards for tanker cars and more funding for first responders.
Previously, the company had “opposed additional speed limitations and requiring ECP brakes” in a 2015 lobbying disclosure. Norfolk Southern has seen an increase in both profits and accidents in recent years, because it runs longer, heavier trains while cutting the workforce.
Norfolk Southern promises long-term support
Under questioning from Senate Chairman Tom Carper, D-Del., Norfolk Southern CEO Alan Shaw committed to his company staying as long as it takes to make the communities affected by the accident whole, including paying for long-term medical care and environmental testing.
Norfolk Southern's CEO and a number of environmental officials were among those testifying
Christopher Wilson and Rebecca Corey
Thu, March 9, 2023
Norfolk Southern CEO Alan Shaw was among those who testified before the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works as it investigates last month’s train derailment and chemical release in East Palestine, Ohio. Along with the rail company chief, the other officials appearing on the panel were Debra Shore, a regional director for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency; Anne Vogel, director of the Ohio EPA; Richard Harrison, executive director and chief engineer for the Ohio River Valley Water Sanitation Commission; and Eric Brewer, the director and chief of hazardous materials response for Beaver County Pennsylvania Department of Emergency Services.
Norfolk Southern came under scrutiny after one of its trains derailed minutes from the Ohio-Pennsylvania border on the evening of Feb. 3, with the governors of both states issuing a joint evacuation order for a roughly 1-mile radius, since 11 of the cars contained hazardous materials. On Feb. 6, Norfolk Southern burned off five tankers full of vinyl chloride in what it said was an effort to avoid a catastrophic explosion, but it resulted in images of a giant toxic smoke plume that quickly circulated on social media. Two days later, residents were urged to return home, despite a lingering smell in the air and reports of symptoms such as dizziness, headaches and rashes.
Related: How dangerous train derailments affect communities like East Palestine >>>
Before Shaw and the environmental officials testified, Sens. Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, J.D. Vance, R-Ohio, and Bob Casey, D-Pa., also appeared before their Senate peers. Last week, Brown and Vance introduced legislation that would improve railroad safety in the wake of the derailment, a bill that is co-sponsored by Casey.
Our live coverage has concluded but you can see the highlights of the hearing below.
LIVE UPDATES
Rebecca Corey
'I didn't think we heard as many unequivocal answer "yeses" as I might like to have,' committee chairman concludes
(Photographer: Al Drago/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
In his closing remarks, Sen. Tom Carper, D-Del., chairman of the Committee on Environment and Public Works, lamented the lack of straight-shooting answers from Norfolk Southern CEO Alan Shaw during Thursday's hearing.
"I'm not a big fan, Mr. Shaw, of 'yes' [or] 'no' answers. That's not usually my style. But I didn't think we heard as many unequivocal answer 'yeses' as I might like to have, and we might want to revisit that at another time," Carper said.
Earlier during the hearing, Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., accused Shaw of sounding "like a politician" when asked about addressing the health care needs of his workers.
Carper also spoke directly to Shaw about a string of recent safety incidences involving Norfolk Southern, including a derailment that occurred earlier Thursday morning.
"It's more than disconcerting. It's concerning. And it's a trend that's troubling to me and my guess is it's troubling to you as well," Carper said.
8 hours ago
Christopher Wilson
Norfolk Southern hammered for billions in stock buybacks
Numerous committee members, including Sen. Ed Markey, D-Mass., attacked Norfolk Southern for putting profits over safety, highlighting the billions they’ve spent on stock buybacks in recent years. The rail company spent $7.5 billion in 2021 and 2022 in buybacks and have announced plans to spend billions more. When CEO Alan Shaw said that they had invested in safety and it was improving, Markey cited the recent spate of derailments and said, "You are not having a good month."
Sen. Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, had criticized the company in testimony at the beginning of the hearing, saying, “If Norfolk Southern had paid a little more attention to safety and a little less attention to profits, had cared a little more about the Ohioans along its tracks and a little less about its executives and shareholders, these accidents would not have been as bad or maybe not happened at all."
'Everything is on the table' when it comes to residents' healthcare needs, Norfolk Southern CEO says
(Photo illustration: Yahoo News; photos: Brendan Smiakowski/AFP via Getty Images)
Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt. pressed Norfolk Southern CEO Alan Shaw about covering the healthcare needs of residents affected by the train derailment, saying, "You talked about covering the needs of the people of East Palestine. Does that include paying for their health care needs? All of their health care needs?"
"Everything is on the table, sir," Shaw said in response.
Sanders also grilled Shaw over the health care needs of his own employees, some of whom currently have zero paid sick days.
"All do respect, you sound like a politician here, Mr. Shaw," Sanders said. "Paid sick days is not a radical concept in the year 2023. I am not hearing you make that commitment to guarantee that to all of your workers."
"I'm committed to continuing to speak to our employees about quality of life issues that are important to them," Shaw replied, declining to explicitly endorse guaranteed sick days for his employees.
8 hours ago
Christopher Wilson
Another Norfolk Southern derailment noted during hearing
Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse, D-R.I., said during his questioning that another Norfolk Southern train had derailed on Thursday morning. According to an ABC affiliate in Birmingham, Ala., the train derailed just before 7 a.m. in Calhoun County. Per the outlet, local authorities said said there were no hazardous materials present and no injuries.
8 hours ago
Christopher Wilson
Graham calls on Biden to visit East Palestine
Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., said he felt that President Biden should visit East Palestine, Ohio, and ask Norfolk Southern CEO Alan Shaw and Debra Shore, the EPA regional administrator for the area, to join him. Biden was criticized by the East Palestine mayor for visiting Ukraine before he traveled to the site of the accident. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, EPA Administrator Michael Regan and former President Donald Trump are among those who've been to the area in the weeks since the derailment.
Sanders grills Norfolk Southern CEO
Under questioning from Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., Norfolk Southern CEO Alan Shaw declined to say he'd support the elimination of Precision Scheduled Railroading, a system instituted by freight rail companies over the last decade meant to increase efficiency and profits by using longer and heavier trains as well as smaller staffs. Shaw did say that since taking over as CEO, he's "charted a new course in the industry."
"I said we're going to move away from a near term focus solely on profits," Shaw testified. "And then we're going to take a longer term view that's founded on our engagement with our craft employees who are so critical to our success."
What chemicals spilled, and how could they affect residents?
Five toxic chemicals have been identified around the derailment site:
• Vinyl chloride, a colorless and flammable gas, is used to produce plastic for packaging materials and a range of electronic, medical and construction products. Symptoms of exposure include drowsiness, disorientation, numbness and tingling of the extremities and nausea, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
• Butyl acrylate, a colorless liquid with a strong, fruity odor, is often used to produce various plastics, polymers, coatings and resins. Exposure to the chemical can cause irritation to the eyes and skin, rashes and breathing difficulties, according to the CDC.
• Isobutylene, a colorless gas, is used to produce plastics, packaging materials and resins. Exposure can cause symptoms such as dizziness and headache, but a cargo manifest provided to the Environmental Protection Agency indicates that Norfolk Southern saw “no signs of breach” with the car carrying this chemical
• Ethylhexyl acrylate, a colorless liquid that is commonly used to produce plastics and polymers, and ethylene glycol, a synthetic compound used in inks, paint, hydraulic brake fluids and antifreeze, can both cause irritation of the skin and eyes, as well as sore throat and nausea with exposure at high concentrations.
Shaw declines to support Railway Safety Act
(Photo by Al Drago/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
Norfolk Southern CEO Alan Shaw declined to explicitly support the bipartisan Railway Safety Act when asked, saying, "We are committed to the legislative intent to make rail safer." Shaw said he supported tighter standards for tanker cars and more funding for first responders.
Previously, the company had “opposed additional speed limitations and requiring ECP brakes” in a 2015 lobbying disclosure. Norfolk Southern has seen an increase in both profits and accidents in recent years, because it runs longer, heavier trains while cutting the workforce.
Norfolk Southern promises long-term support
Under questioning from Senate Chairman Tom Carper, D-Del., Norfolk Southern CEO Alan Shaw committed to his company staying as long as it takes to make the communities affected by the accident whole, including paying for long-term medical care and environmental testing.
(Photo illustration: Kelli R. Grant/Yahoo News; photos: Eric Baradat/AFP via Getty Images, Gene J. Puskar/AP)
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