The Norfolk Southern 100-car train derailment and subsequent toxic chemical fallout in East Palestine, Ohio, caused nearly half of the U.S. government investigators to experience symptoms of illness while studying the health impacts, authorities said.
US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention told <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2023/03/31/health/ohio-train-derailment-cdc-team-symptoms/index.html">CNN</a> last week that seven of the 15-member crew, which included members of the Epidemic Intelligence Service, began feeling symptoms while surveying town residents&#8217; homes near the contaminated areas.
&#8220;Symptoms resolved for most team members later the same afternoon, and everyone resumed work on survey data collection within 24 hours,&#8221; a CDC spokesperson told the network. &#8220;Impacted team members have not reported ongoing health effects.&#8221;
Local and state authorities previously evacuated all residents within one mile of the February 3 derailment and started a controlled burn of substances on the vehicle. Five of those train cars emitted vinyl chloride, a human carcinogen used to manufacture PVC, and formed massive plumes of black smoke visible throughout eastern Ohio and western Pennsylvania. Residents have since raised the alarm over health symptoms they experienced after the controlled burn.
Before working from their hotels, some group members began experiencing sore throats, headaches, coughing, and nausea, which mirrored the symptoms reported by many of the town&#8217;s residents near the derailment site.
Federal officials did not disclose what caused investigators to experience such symptoms.
Two contractors from the Environmental Protection Agency out of 100 personnel working on the derailment also reported health symptoms after working in areas where the chemicals created strong odors.
The Ohio Department of Health published the results of <a href="https://content.govdelivery.com/accounts/OHIOGOVERNOR/bulletins/34c4146?reqfrom=share">surveys</a> conducted at its East Palestine Health Assessment Clinic, plus door-to-door visits by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, four weeks after the chemical catastrophe permeated the town&#8217;s atmosphere.
The results showed more than half of the 168 After Chemical Exposure (ACE) community surveys reported headaches, anxiety, coughing, fatigue, and irritated skin after the derailment. However, the surveys did not indicate if the residents were exposed to harmful levels of chemicals or what caused their symptoms.
EPA officials, along with the Justice Department, announced a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/doj-epa-unveil-lawsuit-against-norfolk-southern-over-east-palestine-train-crash">lawsuit</a> on Friday against Norfolk Southern, seeking &#8220;penalties and injunctive relief for the unlawful discharge of pollutants, oil, and hazardous substances&#8221; under the Clean Water Act, as well as &#8220;declaratory judgment on liability for past and future costs&#8221; related to the incident under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act.
The complaint from the EPA and Justice Department said materials released from the train cars, such as vinyl chloride, ethylene glycol monobutyl ether, Ethylhexyl acrylate, butyl acrylate, isobutylene, and benzene residue, have been &#8220;associated variously&#8221; with impaired fetal development, organ damage, cancers, and other health conditions with a sufficiently high degree of exposure. Yet, state and federal officials have repeatedly claimed that the air and water supplies in East Palestine are safe for residents.
Norfolk Southern CEO Alan Shaw testified before Congress earlier this month regarding the derailment but made no specific promises regarding the firm&#8217;s commitment to handling economic and health fallout into the future.
Ben Zeisloft contributed to this report.

US-TRANSPORT-ACCIDENT-FIRE

Half Of U.S. Investigators Fell Ill While Studying East Palestine Train Derailment: Report

Half Of U.S. Investigators Fell Ill Studying East Palestine Train Derailment: Report

Disasters

East Palestine

Norfolk Southern

Ohio Train Disaster

U.S.

<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/environmental-protection-agency-epa" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Environmental Protection Agency</a> and <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/department-of-justice" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Justice Department</a> officials announced a lawsuit on Friday against <a href="http://dailywire.com/topic/norfolk-southern" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Norfolk Southern</a>, the company at the center of the <a href="http://dailywire.com/topic/ohio-train-disaster" target="_blank" rel="noopener">train derailment</a> and subsequent <a href="http://dailywire.com/topic/chemicals" target="_blank" rel="noopener">chemical</a> fallout in East Palestine, Ohio.
Local and state authorities previously evacuated all residents within one mile of the February 3 derailment and <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/evacuation-ordered-ohio-governor-warns-major-explosion-could-send-shrapnel-a-mile-from-derailed-train" target="_blank" rel="noopener">started</a> a controlled burn of substances on the vehicle. Vinyl chloride, a human carcinogen used to manufacture PVC, was emitted from five train cars in the form of massive plumes of black smoke visible throughout eastern Ohio and western Pennsylvania. Residents have since raised the alarm over health symptoms they experienced after the controlled burn.
The two agencies filed a <a href="https://www.justice.gov/opa/press-release/file/1577411/download" target="_blank" rel="noopener">complaint</a> seeking “penalties and injunctive relief for the unlawful discharge of pollutants, oil, and hazardous substances” under the Clean Water Act, as well as “declaratory judgment on liability for past and future costs” related to the incident under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act.
“When a Norfolk Southern train derailed last month in East Palestine, Ohio, it released toxins into the air, soil, and water, endangering the health and safety of people in surrounding communities,” Attorney General Merrick Garland said in a <a href="https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/justice-department-and-epa-file-complaint-against-norfolk-southern-unlawful-discharge" target="_blank" rel="noopener">statement</a>. “With this complaint, the Justice Department and the EPA are acting to pursue justice for the residents of East Palestine and ensure that Norfolk Southern carries the financial burden for the harm it has caused and continues to inflict on the community.”
The complaint from the EPA and Justice Department said materials released from the train cars, such as vinyl chloride, ethylene glycol monobutyl ether, ethylhexyl acrylate, butyl acrylate, isobutylene, and benzene residue, have been “associated variously” with impaired fetal development, organ damage, cancers, and other health conditions with a sufficiently high degree of exposure. State and federal officials have repeatedly <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/this-is-disgusting-j-d-vance-scrapes-creek-bed-with-stick-after-train-crash-oily-substance-emerges-in-viral-video" target="_blank" rel="noopener">claimed</a> that the air and water supplies in East Palestine are safe for residents.
Researchers from Texas A&amp;M University and Carnegie Mellon University nevertheless found that nine chemicals present on the train have higher <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/east-palestine-residents-could-see-long-term-health-risks-from-highly-toxic-chemicals-analysis-says" target="_blank" rel="noopener">concentrations</a> than normal in the town’s air and water supplies, posing the risk of long-term health complications to residents. Texas A&amp;M researcher Ivan Rusyn previously told The Daily Wire that environmental officials have not <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/researcher-worries-government-is-wrongly-declaring-safety-near-ohio-train-crash" target="_blank" rel="noopener">provided</a> “the full context into which the actual data collected by them could be placed,” particularly with respect to the long-term health risks posed by exposure to the chemicals.
EPA Administrator Michael Regan said that the cleanup from the derailment will take three months. The state of Ohio has also filed a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/entirely-avoidable-ohio-sues-norfolk-southern-for-train-disaster" target="_blank" rel="noopener">lawsuit</a> against Norfolk Southern in federal court in an attempt to hold the firm financially liable for the disaster.
Norfolk Southern CEO Alan Shaw testified before Congress earlier this month regarding the derailment but made no specific promises regarding the firm’s commitment to handle economic and health fallout into the future. Another train <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/another-norfolk-southern-train-derails-as-ceo-testifies-to-congress" target="_blank" rel="noopener">controlled</a> by Norfolk Southern derailed in Alabama as Shaw delivered his testimony.
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Federal investigators have preliminarily <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/new-details-in-east-palestine-train-derailment-revealed-in-fresh-ntsb-report" target="_blank" rel="noopener">concluded</a> that the derailment was caused by a malfunctioning rail axle. “Surveillance video from a residence showed what appears to be a wheel bearing in the final stage of overheat failure moments before the derailment,” the National Transportation Safety Board said in a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/investigators-provide-more-details-on-what-caused-ohio-train-disaster" target="_blank" rel="noopener">press release</a>. “The wheelset from the suspected railcar has been collected as evidence for metallurgical examination.”

Merrick Garland

DOJ, EPA Unveil Lawsuit Against Norfolk Southern Over East Palestine Train Crash

Biden Administration Reveals Lawsuit Against Norfolk Southern Over Ohio Train Crash

Department of Justice

Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)

Yet another Norfolk Southern train derailed on Thursday just as the company&#8217;s CEO was testifying to Congress about the disastrous chemical train crash in Ohio.
The company said about 30 empty cars on a Norfolk Southern train derailed in Alabama as it was traveling from Atlanta to Mississippi.
“Norfolk Southern is responding to a derailment in Piedmont, Alabama,” the company <a href="https://thehill.com/policy/transportation/railroads/3892022-norfolk-southern-train-derails-in-alabama-as-ceo-testifies-in-congress/">said</a> in a statement. “There are no reports of injuries and no reports of a hazardous materials release. We are working in close coordination with local officials.”
Calhoun County Sheriff Matthew Wade <a href="https://www.wbrc.com/2023/03/09/train-derails-east-calhoun-county/">said</a> there have been no injuries or property damage. There is also no risk of hazardous material, he said.
The derailment occurred around the same time Norfolk Southern CEO Alan Shaw appeared before the Senate to discuss other recent derailments, including a train carrying noxious chemicals that derailed in East Palestine, Ohio last month.
Officials are still dealing with the fallout and cleanup around the accident site. They decided to do a controlled burn of the chemicals in the train cars, releasing them into the air. One of those chemicals was vinyl chloride, a highly flammable substance used to make PVC and known to cause cancer.
Residents of East Palestine were initially evacuated but later told they could return to their homes. However, many are concerned that the dangerous materials have impacted air and water quality, and some residents have reported negative health effects, including trouble breathing, headaches, and damage to their voices. Animals have also died in the wake of the crash, including thousands of fish.
Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-OR) peppered Shaw with questions about rail safety, pushing him to commit to lobbying for improved safety regulations, rather than against them.
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Sen. Merkley presses the CEO of Norfolk Southern on the company&#39;s safety regulations following the train derailment in East Palestine, Ohio. <a href="https://t.co/zRa2mfDdWg">https://t.co/zRa2mfDdWg</a> <a href="https://t.co/pjWx25Va1J">pic.twitter.com/pjWx25Va1J</a>
&mdash; The Associated Press (@AP) <a href="https://twitter.com/AP/status/1633902074713784325?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 9, 2023</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
“Will your team lobby for safety improvements rather than against them?” Merkley asked Shaw, who did not answer directly.
“I just really thought when you said ‘turn over a new leaf,’ I thought you were saying you were going to now support safety regulations,” Merkley said. “I’m sorry you can’t tell this crowd here today that would like to hear that, that that is the case.”
Sen. J.D. Vance (R-OH) testified as a witness and suggested the disaster received a slow response because there was little political reward in a swift one.
“I think that our leadership, our media, and our politicians were slow to respond to this crisis in part because a certain segment of our leadership feels like the people of East Palestine are a little out of style,” Vance said. “They have the wrong politics, they’re a little too rural. Maybe a little too white.”
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Must Watch
Senator <a href="https://twitter.com/JDVance1?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@JDVance1</a>&#39;s Full Testimony At Senate Hearing On The Norfolk Southern Derailment In East Palestine, Ohio 
Senator Vance Responding To People Claiming His Legislation Violates The &quot;Free Market&quot;:
&quot;This is an industry that enjoys special subsidies that almost no… <a href="https://t.co/qdNZ9SDZ6l">https://t.co/qdNZ9SDZ6l</a> <a href="https://t.co/vjIV9xi6n5">pic.twitter.com/vjIV9xi6n5</a>
&mdash; The Columbia Bugle 🇺🇸 (@ColumbiaBugle) <a href="https://twitter.com/ColumbiaBugle/status/1633870123957092380?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 9, 2023</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Earlier this week, a Norfolk Southern conductor was killed when a dump truck crashed into a train, raising more questions about the company’s safety climate.
In the aftermath of the accidents, the National Transportation Safety Board this week announced a special investigation into Norfolk Southern.

Senate Environment Committee Hearing On Norfolk Southern Train Derailment

Another Norfolk Southern Train Derails As CEO Testifies To Congress

JD Vance

Ohio

A train that derailed in Springfield, Ohio, over the weekend belongs to <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/norfolk-southern" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Norfolk Southern</a>, the same train company responsible for the toxic train derailment in East Palestine last month.
Local media <a href="https://www.wdtn.com/news/train-derails-in-springfield-roads-close/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a> that the company claimed that 20 cars out of the 212-car train derailed while traveling through the town. The company claimed that no one was hurt and that no toxic chemicals were involved.
“The Clark County Emergency Management Agency is asking residents within 1,000 feet of a train derailment at Ohio 41 near the Prime Ohio Business Park to shelter-in-place out of an abundance of caution,” Clark County said on social media. “We ask that all residents in need of travel to Ohio 41 find alternate routes. Local and state officials are on scene, including the Springfield Fire Rescue Division and the Springfield Police Department.”
&#8220;We&#8217;re also aware of power outages in the area due to downed power lines,&#8221; the statement added. &#8220;We’re working to gather more details and will provide more information as it becomes available.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
DEVELOPING: Video captures the moment 20 Norfolk Southern rail cars derail in Springfield, Ohio. 
⚠️ Reports of power outages in the area — shelter in place ordered. <a href="https://t.co/QLP1OV73bf">pic.twitter.com/QLP1OV73bf</a>
&mdash; Upward News (@UpwardNewsHQ) <a href="https://twitter.com/UpwardNewsHQ/status/1632175225629470721?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 5, 2023</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
The train derailment in Springfield comes one month after East Palestine, which is on the other side of the state, experienced a catastrophic train derailment that was caused by an overheated wheel bearing on the 23rd of 149 rail cars. Local officials subsequently evacuated all residents within one mile of the accident and <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/evacuation-ordered-ohio-governor-warns-major-explosion-could-send-shrapnel-a-mile-from-derailed-train" target="_blank" rel="noopener">started</a> a controlled burn of the vinyl chloride that the train was transporting in an effort to prevent a massive explosion from occurring.
Vinyl chloride, a known human carcinogen used to manufacture PVC, was emitted from five train cars in the form of massive plumes of black smoke visible throughout eastern Ohio and western Pennsylvania.
Researchers from Texas A&amp;M and Carnegie Mellon <a href="https://twitter.com/tamusuperfund/status/1629145826244149250" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> on Friday that nine of the approximately 50 chemicals that the EPA said were present on the derailed train have higher concentrations than normal in East Palestine. They were especially concerned with above-normal levels of acrolein, a substance with a pungent odor that is “highly toxic” when inhaled, according to a <a href="https://wwwn.cdc.gov/TSP/MMG/MMGDetails.aspx?mmgid=552&amp;toxid=102" target="_blank" rel="noopener">report</a> from the CDC.
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Other chemicals charted at abnormally high levels included benzene, naphthalene, and vinyl chloride. “If these levels continue, they may be of health concern,” the analysis said.
This is a breaking news story; refresh the page for updates.

Angled view of train tracks with oncoming freight train

Video Captures Another Norfolk Southern Train Derailment In Ohio, Report Says

General

Train

Republican lawmakers in <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/michigan" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Michigan</a> have sounded the alarm on a massive Ford battery plant proposal – backed by Democratic Gov. <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/gretchen-whitmer" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Gretchen Whitmer</a> – that would send $15 million to Norfolk Southern, the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/pa-governor-accuses-norfolk-southern-of-giving-the-middle-finger-to-residents-after-ohio-train-crash-makes-criminal-referral" target="_blank" rel="noopener">railway company</a> at the center of the train derailment and chemical burn in East Palestine, Ohio. 
The Lansing lawmakers are being asked to <a href="https://mibiz.com/sections/economic-development/michigan-wants-750-million-to-prep-site-for-ford-ev-battery-plant-on-top-of-1-billion-incentives-deal" target="_blank" rel="noopener">allot</a> an additional $750 million for a proposed Ford battery plant in the Great Lakes State, which has already received more than $1 billion in incentives and tax cuts. According to Republican state Rep. James DeSana, as much as $15 million of the new proposal “could be earmarked to help the troubled Norfolk Southern Railway Company expand its footprint in Michigan,” The Midwesterner <a href="https://www.themidwesterner.news/exclusive/rep-dems-could-send-15-million-to-embattled-norfolk-southern-for-ford-china-marshall-project" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a>. 
“It’s always a bad idea to expect taxpayers to foot the bill for corporate welfare projects – but this proposal is particularly egregious,” DeSana said in a <a href="http://www.gophouse.org/posts/rep-desana-whitmer-administration-proposes-handout-for-norfolk-southern-despite-dangerous-track-record" target="_blank" rel="noopener">statement</a>. “Norfolk Southern has had two dangerous train derailments in the Midwest this month – one in Michigan and another that leaked hazardous chemicals that are still causing serious concerns for families in Ohio. Yet Gov. Whitmer is asking us to ignore all that and hand over taxpayer dollars to help Norfolk Southern grow in Michigan.”
Whitmer pushed for the electric vehicle battery plant to come to her state to secure more jobs for Michiganders, but the proposal previously generated controversy since Ford is <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2023/02/13/ford-ev-battery-plant-china-catl.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">partnering</a> with a Chinese company on the plant. The request for an additional $750 million, including the $15 million earmark for Norfolk Southern, needs approval from the state’s Democrat-controlled legislature. 
The $15 million to Norfolk Southern would <a href="https://archive.ph/jULhO" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reportedly</a> go toward rail improvements. Whitmer’s office did not respond to a Daily Wire request for comment on the proposal, but the Democratic governor responded to questions about the issue on Thursday, claiming the $15 million isn&#8217;t &#8220;company specific.&#8221;
&#8220;We&#8217;ve got to build out the infrastructure around it, from roads to a rail hub to water infrastructure and utilities, and so that&#8217;s what these resources are for,&#8221; Whitmer said, <a href="https://www.gongwer.com/login/?relink=https://www.gongwer.com/news/index.cfm?a=620390103" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according</a> to Gongwer. &#8220;So it&#8217;s not company specific, it&#8217;s about building out a community that&#8217;s very excited about this big investment.&#8221;
Controversy has rocked the $51 billion Atlanta-based railway company in recent weeks. After the derailment in East Palestine, Norfolk Southern conducted a “controlled burn” of the volatile chemical vinyl chloride to decrease the risk of an explosion.
Soon after the controlled burn, residents of the eastern Ohio town <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/it-was-like-the-devil-was-dancing-and-having-a-party-east-palestine-resident-describes-witnessing-train-derailment-turned-chemical-catastrophe" target="_blank" rel="noopener">described</a> physical symptoms they believe resulted from the fire, including headaches, sore throats, and digestive issues — not to mention the lingering taste of chemicals, The Daily Wire <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/it-was-like-the-devil-was-dancing-and-having-a-party-east-palestine-resident-describes-witnessing-train-derailment-turned-chemical-catastrophe" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a>.
After the February 3 derailment in Ohio, another company train <a href="https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2023/02/16/train-derailment-in-michigan-near-detroit/11274008002/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">derailed</a> just outside of Detroit on February 16, although no hazardous materials were on board any of those cars.
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The railway company has taken full responsibility for the disaster, pledging to clean up the environmental mess in East Palestine and hiring experts to test the quality of the town’s water and air, but that’s not enough for some Michigan Republicans. 
“Until a full investigation of the Norfolk Southern derailments in Ohio and Michigan is complete, I can’t believe we’re even discussing appropriating $15,000,000 to expand their operations in Michigan,” state Rep. Andrew Fink (R) told The Midwesterner.
Brandon Drey contributed to this report.
This story has been updated to include a comment from Gov. Whitmer.

Norfolk Southern:Gretchen Whitmer

Whitmer Admin’s Proposed Battery Plant Handout Would Send Millions To Railway Company At Center Of Ohio Derailment Disaster

Gretchen Whitmer

Michigan

Politics

Before the 50-car Norfolk Southern train derailment in East Palestine, Ohio, on February 3, the train had experienced a mechanical failure on the route, according to train employees.
The 151-car, 18,000-ton train, which began its journey in Madison, Illinois, reportedly broke down on the evening of February 1, according to train employees. This breakdown occurred just two days before the crash in East Palestine.
“We shouldn&#8217;t be running trains that are 150 car lengths long,” an employee told <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/news/ohio-train-derailment-east-palestine-norfolk-southern-excess-size/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">CBS News</a>. “There should be some limitations to the weight and the length of the trains. In this case, had the train not been 18,000 tons, it&#8217;s very likely the effects of the derailment would have been mitigated.”
But a Norfolk Southern spokesperson told CBS News that “the weight distribution of this train was uniform throughout” with a mid-train locomotive “which helps manage the dynamic forces of the train” and reduces mechanical issues.
“Assigning a ‘reputation’ to a train that fluctuates by thousands of tons on a regular basis is inaccurate,” the spokesperson continued, saying a “longer and heavier train” used to take the same route as the derailed train.
&#8220;There&#8217;s a good chance the car that derailed had not been properly inspected for some time,&#8221; said SMART Transportation Division Alt. National Legislative Director Director Jared Cassity, whose union represents many railroad workers. &#8220;You combine that with the added length and tonnage, plus the fact that it had all this hazardous material, and this was predictable. If nothing changes, it will happen again.”
“Two years ago SMART President Jeremy Ferguson warned your publication and anyone that would listen that something like this was going to happen,” a Norfolk Southern employee told <a href="https://www.vice.com/en/article/88qze4/32-nasty-rail-workers-say-they-knew-the-train-that-derailed-in-east-palestine-was-dangerous?utm_source=motherboard_twitter" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Motherboard</a>. “They’re going to keep happening if regulators continue to allow this business model to ravage our nation’s freight rail system in the pursuit of profit. My fear is that these corporations have so much money and political influence that nothing is going to change.”
Another employee added to Motherboard that the derailed train had been nicknamed “32 Nasty.”
“When I was FRA administrator, I was not happy with the lengths of the trains, and they were 80 or 90 cars long,&#8221; said former administrator of the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) Sarah Feinberg. &#8220;This train was 50% longer.”
The Government Accountability Office (GAO) <a href="https://www.gao.gov/assets/gao-23-105420.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">noted</a> in December that Precision Schedule Railroading (PSR), implemented by the railroad industry for cost-efficiency reasons, has catalyzed longer trains and a 28% reduction in staff among the nation&#8217;s seven largest freight railroads, including Norfolk Southern.

Employees Say Derailed Train Had Failed On Route Days Before East Palestine

Department of Transportation