US Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg voiced regret Thursday over his muted response to a toxic train derailment and pushed for safety reforms as he addressed resident’s fears over possible contamination of their air and water.
The Democratic official’s visit came as federal investigators released preliminary findings on the February 3 accident in East Palestine, Ohio that a wheel bearing had overheated moments earlier.
The White House has come under fire from Republicans over the pace of the administration’s response, with former president Donald Trump accusing his successor Joe Biden of abandoning the village’s 4,700 residents.
“I felt strongly about this and could have expressed that sooner,” Buttigieg said as he took questions on the government’s response at the crash site near the Pennsylvania border.
“I was taking pains to respect the role that I have and the role that I don’t have. But that should not have stopped me from weighing in about how I felt about what was happening to this community.”
Residents in East Palestine reported a strong chemical odor and haze in the days after the derailment as operator Norfolk Southern conducted a “controlled release” of toxic vinyl chloride from several still-smoldering tanker cars.
Buttigieg called on Congress to require tougher cargo containers for hazardous material and to reintroduce and broaden Obama-era proposals, scrapped by Trump, requiring faster brakes on trains with highly flammable cargo.
But he urged rail operators “not to wait” on federal legislation and to begin shoring up safety measures immediately.
Weakened safety standards
The National Transportation Safety Board did not reach conclusions about the cause of the accident but confirmed the discovery first reported last week of “what appeared to be a wheel bearing in the final stage of overheat failure.”
The report said 38 of the 150 cars derailed, 11 of which carried hazardous materials, with five containing vinyl chloride.
Buttigieg was briefed on the probe and met response experts and members of the community, many of whom were forced to evacuate during the controlled release.
Trump criticized Biden over the derailment Wednesday as he visited East Palestine, which is deep in his heartland in one of the most Republican corners of conservative Ohio.
His criticism was part of the broader Republican case that the administration is ignoring the struggles of blue-collar America while prioritizing foreign projects such as supporting Ukraine in its war with Russia.
Trump, who in November announced his bid to return to the White House, has faced his own criticism for weakening rail safety standards and downsizing the Environmental Protection Agency.
“One thing he could do is express support for reversing the deregulation that happened on his watch,” Buttigieg said when asked about Trump’s criticism.
“I heard him say he had nothing to do with it, even though it’s in his administration.”
Norfolk Southern says it is monitoring air and water quality as it removes rail cars and contaminated materials.
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