WASHINGTON (Reuters) – U.S. Senate Democratic Chief Chuck Schumer on Monday known as for Norfolk Southern Railway Chief Government Alan Shaw to testify to Congress on “what went improper” within the Feb. 3 train derailment in East Palestine in northeastern Ohio, that resulted within the spill of harmful chemical compounds.
The accident ignited a fireplace and spewed a cloud of smoke over the city, forcing 1000’s of residents to evacuate whereas railroad crews drained and burned off chemical compounds. No fatalities or accidents have been reported, however residents have demanded solutions about potential well being dangers.
“The fault for this catastrophe lies at the beginning with Norfolk Southern,” Schumer mentioned in a Senate speech, including that Shaw “wants to return earlier than the Senate, reply questions beneath oath, and clarify to the American folks precisely what went improper and the way they are going to stop accidents like this from taking place.”
Schumer attacked Norfolk Southern, one of many prime 5 U.S. railways, with utilizing sturdy income to prioritize inventory purchase backs “as a substitute of placing that cash to security.”
He additionally mentioned that former President Donald Trump has “blamed everybody however himself” for the catastrophe, saying the Trump administration labored to loosen security laws.
Senate Republican Chief Mitch McConnell, in the meantime, criticized Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, whom he mentioned has seen a “catalog of crises on his watch,” together with this and different train derailments however has did not attend to “fundamental parts of his day job.”
(Reporting by Richard Cowan; writing by Paul Grant; Modifying by Marguerita Choy)
