ECOCIDE

Cleanup, investigation continue after Norfolk Southern train derailment in Lower Saucon Township, Pennsylvania

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A train derailed in the area of Riverside Drive in Lower Saucon Township on Saturday morning, March 2, 2024, sending several cars into the Lehigh River. (Rich Rolen/Special to The Morning Call)

By LEIF GREISS | lgreiss@mcall.com | The Morning Call
March 4, 2024 

Investigation and cleanup continued Sunday following the Saturday morning collision and derailment involving three Norfolk Southern trains in Lower Saucon Township.

Members of the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board were still on site investigating early Sunday afternoon, according to the NTSB. The NTSB team will be on site for several more days, conducting interviews with crew members and obtaining other information that will assist in determining the cause of the accident.

However, it released the site to Norfolk Southern, which is responsible for the cleanup, late Sunday afternoon. Norfolk Southern has crews and contractors at the derailment site handling cleanup and working to restore the track, according to a statement from the company.

The three-train collision and derailment occurred around 7:15 a.m. Saturday along Riverside Drive.

NTSB’s preliminary investigation indicated an eastbound train hit a train stopped on the same track. The wreckage from the striking train spilled onto an adjacent track and was hit by a westbound train.

An unknown number of cars derailed and two of the trains fell into the Lehigh River. No injuries to train crews or anyone else were reported.

An unknown quantity of diesel fuel and a small quantity of polypropylene pellets also spilled into the Lehigh River. Containment booms were deployed, and according to Norfolk Southern, will remain in place until any residual sheen has been removed. Riverside Drive remains closed while work continues.

In an update late Sunday afternoon, NTSB said its investigation team began reviewing data from the locomotive event recorders and downloaded data from the wayside signals. Data has been sent to NTSB headquarters in Washington for further analysis.

According to an NTSB statement, the next update will not come until the board releases its preliminary report in three weeks. But it could be 12-24 months until NTSB publishes its final report, which will contain a probable cause and any contributing factors NTSB determines led to the crash.

Though no official cause has been established, investment and railway workers groups have spoken out about who and what they believe is responsible for the derailment — poor management by Norfolk Southern.

On Saturday, Ancora Holdings Group, an investors group in Ohio, called for the leadership of Norfolk Southern, specifically CEO Alan Shaw, to be terminated.

In a news release, Ancora said, though it is obligated to pursue optimal returns for its clients, nothing should be prioritized over the well-being of people and communities. But it is becoming increasingly common that Norfolk Southern trains are involved in derailments and tragic events, such as the train derailment in February 2023 in East Palestine, Ohio.

Ancora’s release also states Norfolk Southern has spread misinformation about the company’s safety commitments to regulators and the public.

“An incident like this, which is drawing national news coverage and resulting in more embarrassment for the railroad, should put an end to the board’s unsustainable efforts to save a tainted CEO with no long-term future,” the statement said.

Paul Pokrowka, the state legislative director of Sheet Metal Air Rail Transportation Union, which represents workers in the railroad industry, said Norfolk Southern and other rail companies have placed railway workers under crushing working conditions. By doing so, he said, they created unsafe conditions for workers and communities.

Pokrowka, a licensed engineer, has three decades of experience in the railroad industry.

He said there used to be five or six workers on a train, but now most trains are run by no more than two crew members, who he said are more likely than not worn out from being on call 24 hours a day, seven days a week. He said positive train controls, which are systems designed to prevent train-to-train collisions, over-speed derailments and accidents in work zones, are the justification for the staff cuts, but events like Saturday’s derailment are proof that these systems are not reliable.

At the same time, he said, workers who try to report safety concerns face retaliation.

“It’s a six-figure job that nobody wants. It only requires a high school diploma; think about that,” Pokrowka said.

Pokrowka called on Pennsylvania’s legislators to pass legislation stalled in the state House since June 2023 that would prohibit blocking crossings and place limits on the length of freight or work trains. It would also authorize collective bargaining representatives to monitor safety practices and operations for safe staffing levels for trains. Representatives would be able to impose penalties for violations.

Norfolk Southern did not respond to a request for comment Sunday.