Ohio State Senators from both major political parties have introduced legislation in the Senate to address rail safety following the fiery train derailment in East Palestine two years ago.
Democratic Senator Casey Weinstein, as well as Republican Senator Al Cutrona introduced the Reducing Accidents in Locomotives (RAIL) Act in the Ohio Senate.
This bipartisan legislation was previously introduced in the House by Democratic Congresswoman Emilia Sykes and Republican Congressman Mike Rulli and seeks to address critical safety issues in the United States' rail system.
Senator Weinstein is quoted in a press release saying the East Palestine derailment made it "painfully clear" that stronger safeguards in the nation's rail system are needed to protect communities in the Mahoning Valley and beyond.
"By requiring better inspections, two-person crews and stronger safety measures, we are prioritizing the well-being of the public and people who live near these railways. This bipartisan legislation is a step in the right direction to restore the public's trust in our railroads and make sure these kinds of disasters never happen again," Weinstein said.
In addition to increased inspections and two-person crews, the legislation also calls for stronger safety placard requirements to assist first responders in identifying hazardous materials and higher penalties for safety violations.
Additionally, the legislation directs the Secretary of Transportation to implement safety rules based on findings from the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), specifically targeting issues that contributed to the East Palestine derailment like wheel bearing failures.
"Ohioans are used to seeing trains every day and being stopped at a crossing is routine, but what isn't common is realizing the danger that is running on those rails. The residents of East Palestine deserve to have better safeguards in place to ensure that these tragedies never happen again," Cutrona said.
21 News has an in-depth interview with Congresswoman Sykes about the RAIL Act. You can watch that and read more about what she had to say in our related coverage below.
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