A Norfolk Southern train derailed in Alabama just hours before the firm’s CEO was forced to apologize to Congress about last month’s toxic waste disaster in East Palestine – its third derailment in little over a month.
Alan Shaw, the chief executive of the embattled railroad, told senators Thursday that he is ‘deeply sorry’ for last month’s incident, and that he is ‘personally committed’ to addressing the disaster.
The executive, however, did not speak on the more recent derailment in Alabama, despite seeing his testimony interrupted by one rep with news of the 30-car derailment, which occurred in an unpopulated wooded area roughly 70 miles east of Birmingham just before 7:00 am.
Officials said the train reportedly came off the rails near Iron City Motor Way and Angel Road, and that crews are currently on the ground assessing the wreck.
Fire officials at the scene have since confirmed that, unlike the ordeal in Ohio, the more than two dozen overturned cars pose no danger to the public. The Alabama derailment was Norfolk’s third in a matter of weeks, and comes as the company is facing two simultaneous federal investigations over its safety practices.
A Norfolk Southern train derailed in Alabama hours before the company’s CEO was forced to give an apology to Congress over last month’s incident in East Palestine.
The chief executive of Norfolk Southern, Alan Shaw, told Senators Thursday that he is ‘deeply sorry’ for the toxic train derailment that occurred last month in East Palestine, Ohio
Citing donations already made to the Ohio town as well as bordering communities in Pennsylvania roughly 1,000 feet from the crash site (seen here the day after the crash), Shaw said in his opening statement that is embattled company is ‘determined’ to make things right
Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse of Rhode Island interrupted Shaw’s testimony to share news of the derailment.
‘I certainly hope that all of your team and the anybody in the vicinity is safe and well,’ Whitehouse said. ‘You may need to look into that.’
Based on his reaction, Shaw did not appear to know the crash had occurred.
Earlier in the hearing, Shaw began his testimony with an apology to the communities hurt his railroad’s February 3 derailment. He vowed to accomplish this task by funding recovery measures for ‘as long as it takes.’
The highly anticipated Capitol Hill appearance was the exec’s first since the initial Ohio derailment, and saw him repeatedly apologize for the high-profile incident.
Still underway, the hearing came mere hours after Norfolk experience its third derailment in a matter of weeks, and after it was revealed the company is now facing another federal investigation for a previously unreported lapse in protocol that transpired last month in North Carolina.
The executive, however, did not speak on the more recent derailment in Alabama, which occurred in an unpopulated wooded area roughly 70 miles east of Birmingham around 7:00am
Electing not to address those events, Shaw told lawmakers he is ‘sorry’ for the impact the initial derailment has had on the people of East Palestine, and those in nearby towns just across the Ohio-Pennsylvania border.
‘I want to begin today by expressing how deeply sorry I am for the impact this derailment had on the residents of East Palestine and the surrounding communities,’ he said. ‘I am determined to make this right.’
‘Norfolk Southern will clean the site safely, thoroughly and with urgency. You have my personal commitment. Norfolk Southern will get the job done and help East Palestine thrive.’
The derailment last month grabbed headlines as several residents of the small Ohio community reported experiencing unusual symptoms synonymous with chemical poisoning – such as rashes and burning sensations when they breathe – after the leak of toxic chemicals such as vinyl chloride, butyl acrylate and isobutylene.
Local residents were briefly ordered to evacuate – but were quickly cleared to return to the site just days later.
Officials said the train reportedly came off the rails near Iron City Motor Way and Angel Road, and that crews are currently on the ground assessing the wreck
Fire officials at the scene have since confirmed that, unlike the ordeal in Ohio, the more than two dozen overturned cars pose no danger to the public, with no hazardous materials leaked
The Alabama derailment was Norfolk’s third in a matter of weeks, and comes as the company is facing two simultaneous federal investigations over its safety practices
Although no individuals were injured or killed in the accident, the derailment and its aftermath continues to be felt across the small Ohio village, where roughly half of its more than 4,700 residents were forced to leave their homes.
Hazardous chemicals rapidly invaded the air, ground, and water comprising the area, though EPA and other federal officials have since declared the site safe for occupation.
More than a month later, the clean-up continues, with Norfolk workers aiding in the effort since reporting falling ill with symptoms that include migraines and nausea.
Citing donations already made to the Ohio town as well as bordering communities in Pennsylvania roughly 1,000 feet from the crash site, Shaw said in his opening statement that the company is ‘determined’ to make things right.
Shaw detailed the pledges the company has already made to help the continued cleanup effort in East Palestine, to the tune of $21 million, as well as an additional $7.5 million for neighboring communities in Pennsylvania.
The freighter derailed near the state line between the two states, though residents across the border, unlike those in East Palestine, were not made to evacuate, one panelist tasked with grilling Shaw for the incident – as well as two others involving Norfolk freighters in recent weeks – revealed during the hearing.
Consisting of senators from both states and both parties, as well as members from both the US and Ohio Environmental Protection agencies, panelists for nearly three hours bombarded the exec with questions concerning the disaster, which in recent days has drawn increased federal scrutiny after a string of similar incidents.
The first panel consisted of three senators from the affected states – Democrat Sherrod Brown and Republican J.D. Vance of Ohio, as well as Senator Bob Casey of Pennsylvania.
Others to attend the highly anticipated meeting included Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders, who was among those to criticize Shaw for a business acumen he said was centered around profits as opposed to safety.
Just two days before, the National Transportation Safety Board announced it had opened a special investigation into the safety practices at Norfolk Southern. Another of the company’s freight trains derailed near Springfield, Ohio, on Saturday.
It comes as Norfolk is facing yet another probe into its handling of a separate incident that transpired just weeks after the East Palestine derailment.
The previously unreported lapse in protocol allegedly took place 24 days after the accident in Ohio, and involved a similar Norfolk freighter passing through the small town of Stoneville in North Carolina.
Carrying combustible chemical compounds such as ethanol and propane, the train reportedly encountered a malfunction where one of the cars on the nearly-two mile was ‘trending hot’, but not hot enough to trigger an actual alarm.
Noticing the overheating car, a conductor, wary of a potential explosion, radioed a dispatcher to suggest the train stop and be inspected. The crew reportedly supported this assessment, but dispatch ultimately decided to overrule the crew and continue forward.
Staffers later filed a complaint with the Federal Railroad Administration, saying they were ‘shocked’ they were allowed to continue some 40 miles south to heavily populated Winston-Salem, despite warnings the hazardous materials could pose a threat not only to the crew, but to adjacent communities.
The revelation comes as Norfolk CEO Alan Shaw is grilled by senators over a series of derailments, where he is expected to apologize.
Ultimately, the train completed its trip without incident – though the Federal Railroad Administration is probing the event as part of a broader ‘safety assessment’ the embattled transport company, which has seen two derailments in the span of a month, and a Tuesday crash that left a conductor dead.
Those monumental mishaps are currently the subject of an investigation being carried out by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), which is looking into the safety practices of the eastern US railroad.
As for the new Federal Railroad probe, unveiled Thursday in a complaint obtained by ABC News, the agency confirmed this week its assessment would scrutinize ‘operational control center procedures and dispatcher training,’ as well as other aspects of Norfolk’s safety practices.
Norfolk and its CEO – seen here in East Palestine late last month – has faced backlash for the string of incidents, which are now the subject of two separate federal investigations centered on the company’s safety practices
The additional assessment comes as the company continues to face backlash for the string of incidents – the first of which saw residents of the community East Palestine exposed to an estimated 30,000 truckloads of toxic waste wrought by the wreck.
Norfolk and its CEO, Alan Shaw, has since promised to clean up the waste, while vowing to invest in East Palestine ‘for the long-term.’
Amid this backlash, Shaw this week was called before the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, where touted t a new six-point safety plan designed to prevent similar derailments.
Less than a day after Shaw was summoned, a 44-year-old Norfolk train conductor was reported dead after the train he was manning collided with a dump truck in Cleveland.
The fatal crash took place less than 90 miles from the site of the East Palestine derailment, and itself transpired days after another Norfolk freighter derailment in Springfield, about 200 miles southwest of East Palestine, where officials are still struggling to clean waste left by the first accident.
Norfolk Southern is facing yet another probe into its handling of a separate incident that transpired just weeks after the toxic train derailment in East Palestine . The previously unreported lapse in protocol allegedly took place on February 27, and involved a freighter that passed through this rail station in Stoneville, North Carolina
Days before, another Norfolk train derailed in Springfield, about 200 miles southwest of East Palestine, where officials are still cleaning truckloads of toxic waste. The derailment was the second involving a Norfolk train in barely a month, drawing attention to its safety practices
That revelation came last week in the form of a letter from labor leaders to the White House and Ohio’s governor on Wednesday, that claimed Norfolk knowingly exposed 40 of its workers to harmful chemicals in their haste to address the situation.
Within hours, the letter spurred a meeting between rail union heads and Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg in Washington, where the February 3 derailment – and Norfolk’s still surfacing safety practices – were discussed.
Since then, with Shaw’s appearance before the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee still looming, the second derailment in Springfield would occur, as well as the fatal crash in Cleveland that killed conductor Norfolk conductor Louis Shuster.
Less than a day after Shaw was summoned, a 44-year-old Norfolk train conductor was reported dead after the train he was manning collided with a dump truck in Cleveland. The incident marked the third accident in just over a month involving Norfolk freighters
Now, amid growing calls for renewed rail safety regulations – and for Norfolk to be held accountable for the wrecks – yet another incident has come to light, just hours before Shaw’s planned testimony.
Taking place in the small North Carolina town of Stoneville, the incident’s implications have yet to be seen – though it is likely Shaw will address the incident during Thursday’s senate meeting, which is currently underway.