The NTSB investigation turned up a series of failures before the wreck and during the response.
Freight giant Norfolk Southern withheld information from local fire officials as they scrambled to respond to last year’s derailment in East Palestine, Ohio, federal investigators said Tuesday — saying the lack of disclosure “compromised the integrity” of the controversial decision to burn off toxic vinyl chloride from the tank cars.
During a board meeting in East Palestine on Tuesday to determine what likely caused the accident, the independent National Transportation Safety Board said the maker of the vinyl chloride, OxyVinyls, had told Norfolk Southern that there was no risk of explosion, because the chemical was being transported in modern tank cars designed to better withstand crashes. In addition, the vinyl chloride had been stabilized to prevent a runaway chemical reaction.
In a statement responding to the hearing, Norfolk Southern said the NTSB had mischaracterized the “vent and burn” decision-making process. The railroad said the local fire chief knew OxyVinyls’ staff was at the scene and could have spoken to them. Norfolk Southern disputed the idea that it had “withheld” information and said “there was no obstacle to them making their views known to the ultimate decision-makers.
East Palestine Fire Chief Keith Drabek testified last year that he and Republican Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine were toldThe NTSB investigation turned up a series of failures before the wreck and during the response, though the most acute failure involved an overheating wheel that wasn’t detected in time. Surveillance video showed sparks and fire coming from an axle on one of the train’s 149 cars for 26 miles before the train derailed.
The derailment happened as the crew was trying to stop the train. The fire most likely started when an older model tank car, known as a DOT-111, derailed and burst, spilling a load of butyl acrylate.
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Norfolk Southern said ahead of the NTSB hearing that railroads will examine vent and burn decisionsDays before the National Transportation Safety Board is set to explain why first responders were wrong to blow open five tank cars and burn the toxic chemical inside after the East Palestine derailment, Norfolk Southern said Friday it plans to lead an industrywide effort to improve the way those decisions are made.
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Norfolk Southern said ahead of the NTSB hearing that railroads will examine vent and burn decisionsDays before the National Transportation Safety Board is set to explain why first responders were wrong to blow open five tank cars and burn the toxic chemical inside after the East Palestine derailment, Norfolk Southern said Friday it plans to lead an industrywide effort to improve the way those decisions are made.
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