Transportation Secretary Buttigieg slams lobby against stricter rail regulations
WASHINGTON - It's a first step, but more needs to be done says U.S. Transportation Director Pete Buttigieg, commenting on Norfolk Southern six-point safety plan unveiled on Monday in the aftermath of the railroad's derailment, fire, and chemical spill in East Palestine on February 3.
Appearing Tuesday on MSNBC's "Morning Joe", Buttigieg recalled other railroad accidents, including the death of a Norfolk Southern employee during the collision of a train and a dump truck in Cleveland early Tuesday.
"Often what happens is that there will be a set of crashes or incidents, a public uproar, a lot of regulation, and then over time, the regulation gets watered down," said the Secretary.
Buttigieg recalled that following a 2013 fiery rail car explosion in Quebec where 47 people died, there were more railroad regulations and legislation
"In the years after that when things got a little quieter, the railroad lobby was able to flex some muscle, got provisions into the transportation bill of 2015 that slowed down the adoption of these fortified tank cars, got provisions in there that made it more difficult for my department to maintain certain rules related to braking," said Buttigieg. "So in many ways unfortunately, this is partly a story about the political dynamics here in Washington. But those dynamics have to change. We have to cut through the politics, get real reform done.
According to Buttigieg, the freight railroad industry has been seeking permission to have just one crew member on trains that are three, or more miles long. "I think that defies common sense," said Buttigieg who claims that many of the proposed changes are driven by economics.
"If you look at the freight railroad industry, especially since it got increasingly taken over in terms of ownership by private equity, with a real focus on the bottom line... What you have seen over the years is a model that strips away the human element," according to Buttigieg. "Many of these firms, more than a third or more of the workforce is gone compared to where we were a decade of two ago."
Buttigieg claims that easing of regulations have made rail companies more efficient in terms of profitability, but has not made them more efficient in terms of delivering freight around the country.
"Yes, these companies are incredibly profitable, but to me that's just evidence that they can be held to a higher standard and still be successful as businesses," said Buttigieg.
