NEW YORK — U.S. Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg has called out the rail operator at the center of a hazardous train derailment in Ohio.
In a sharply worded, three-page letter sent Sunday to Norfolk Southern Railway president and CEO Alan Shaw, Buttigieg accused the Atlanta-based company of repeatedly prioritizing profit over safety -- a problematic ethos within the larger transportation industry that the secretary said has contributed to a number of derailments over the years.
"Similar patterns appear across your entire industry," he said."In this context, Norfolk Southern and your industry must demonstrate that you will not seek to supercharge profits by resisting higher standards that could benefit the safety of workers and the safety of American communities, like East Palestine."
Buttigieg's scathing missive to Norfolk Southern came as he weathers harsh criticism, especially from Republicans, for the federal government's response to the Feb. 3 derailment in East Palestine. Former President Donald Trump is expected to visit the northeastern Ohio village later this week. Shaw, the president and CEO of Norfolk Southern, visited East Palestine on Saturday for a second time since the derailment occurred, amid the criticism from residents and political leaders about the company's response. In a statement released after his visit, Shaw said he spoke with affected residents and held a"series of meetings" with East Palestine Mayor Trent Conaway as well as"several community leaders," U.S.
On the night of Feb. 3, about 50 cars of a freight train operated by Norfolk Southern derailed in a fiery crash on the outskirts of East Palestine, which is nestled near the state line with Pennsylvania. Eleven of the derailed cars were transporting hazardous materials, five of which contained vinyl chloride, a highly volatile colorless gas produced for commercial uses. There were no injuries reported from the accident, officials said.
The Ohio Department of Health -- in partnership with the Columbiana County General Health District and with support from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services -- will open a health assessment clinic on Tuesday afternoon for any residents in the East Palestine area who have medical questions or concerns related to the derailment.
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