Two Republican senators are calling on Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg to account for “oversight” of the freight train system in the wake of the derailment in Ohio on Feb. 3.
A 50-railcar Norfolk Southern freight train derailment in East Palestine, Ohio, made headlines because of the 20 cars carrying vinyl chloride and other potentially toxic chemicals caused a hazardous chemical spill.
Sens. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) and J.D. Vance (R-Ohio) asserted in their Feb. 15 letter that in addition to the vinyl chloride, which is classified as a human carcinogen, the other chemicals are leaching into the surrounding air and water.
“While railroad crews drained and burned chemicals to prevent a major explosion, concerns have grown in the weeks since of significant damage to the health of the surrounding environment and communities in the region,” the letter stated….