WASHINGTON, D.C. —Transportation and Infrastructure Committee member Congressman Chris Deluzio (PA-17) released the following statement after the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) held a board meeting to approve the final report on the Norfolk Southern train derailment in East Palestine last year. The executive summary of the report will be published by the NTSB after the conclusion of Tuesday’s meeting.
Congressman Deluzio represents constituents in Beaver County, PA, the community just on the other side of the state line from the Ohio derailment—dozens of whom were within the evacuation zone in the wake of the derailment. He is the lead sponsor of the Railway Safety Act, a comprehensive measure to address issues that contributed to the derailment and has been pushing for action on the bipartisan legislation for over a year. Last year, he wrote to Speaker Mike Johnson calling for a vote on the measure, and he hosted President Joe Biden in Darlington Township to speak with first responders who responded to the derailment.
“Today’s NTSB meeting makes clear: it is long past time for Congress to act to make freight rail safer.
“Since the Norfolk Southern derailment in East Palestine unleashed a toxic fireball into the sky near the homes, schools, businesses, and farms of my Beaver County constituents, I’ve been pushing for accountability for this disaster and for strong rail safety reform.
“We cannot trust the railroads to regulate themselves—and Congress must take action to protect communities like mine.
“We are tired of the delays, and with the final NTSB findings public, opponents of common-sense safety reforms are out of excuses.
“The American people want to see Congress make rail safer. It’s time to pass my bipartisan bill, the Railway Safety Act.”
