More than a dozen conservative organizations are encouraging members of Congress to oppose a bipartisan railway safety bill prompted by the Feb. 3rd derailment of a Norfolk Southern train carrying hazardous materials in East Palestine, Ohio.
Led by conservative advocacy group FreedomWorks, the organizations charged in a Mar. 13th letter (pdf) that the new regulations embedded in the Railway Safety Act of 2023 would create “gross inefficiencies” for businesses and gift the Department of Transportation (USDOT) with “unimaginable authority.”
The bill—introduced by senators J.D. Vance (R-Ohio), Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio), John Fetterman (D-Penn.), Bob Casey (D-Penn.), Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), and Josh Hawley (R-Mo.)—implements new requirements for trains carrying hazardous materials, including two-person crews, enhanced inspection protocols, emergency response plans, train size and weight regulations, and provision of advanced notice to emergency response officials when trains carrying hazardous substances are traveling through their area….