(Matt Drzik/Beaver County Radio)

With the anniversary of the globally infamous train derailment that occurred in East Palestine, Ohio, local residents and U.S. Citizens alike are wondering what is happening and what is going to happen.

In an exclusive press conference yesterday with news reporters and other government department heads, Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg spoke about the answers to those questions.

“We’ve done our part with the DOT,” Buttigieg stated. “We are pressing industry to do their part. Congress needs to act as well, and any Congressional leader of any party who is serious about railroad safety, should support funding for railroad safety inspections and inspectors, and should support the Railway Safety Act that can help make railroading safe across America.”

Buttigieg said that the passing of the Railway Safety Act of 2023–which was introduced last March–“would increase the authority of my department to assess tough penalties against railroads for safety violations, it would require better detectors, it would expand the list of hazardous materials that qualify for certain safety precautions…and more.”

Despite what Buttigieg states are measures that would not only help East Palestine, but all areas where trains are present, the Railway Safety Act has yet to be passed.

“It should not be the case that, one year after that derailment, we are still waiting for Congress to act.”

Secretary Buttigieg made no mention of when his boss, President Joe Biden, will be making his official stop in East Palestine that was announced by the White House on Wednesday.