A new high-speed train proposal hopes to link Los Angeles and New York City in time for the FIFA World Cup and celebrations for the United States&#8217; 250th birthday next year.
AmeriStarRail, based in Delaware, proposed the plan to Amtrak, as well as to President Donald Trump, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, and Congress, <a href="https://www.newsweek.com/high-speed-rail-new-york-los-angeles-2093565">according</a> to Newsweek.
The train, called the &#8220;Transcontinental Chief,&#8221; would be funded entirely by private investors, not taxpayers, and would transport both passengers and commercial trucks.
&#8220;The Transcontinental Chief will be a great opportunity for Amtrak to team up with the private sector to confront the challenges of its money-losing long-distance trains and create opportunities to usher in a profitable Golden Age of rail travel for passengers and truckers, with the ingenuity of free enterprise, as we celebrate our great nation&#8217;s 250th birthday next year,&#8221; AmeriStarRail Chief Operating Officer Scott Spencer said in a letter to Amtrak.
The train would rely on existing infrastructure from host railroads and include stops at Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, Chicago, and the Grand Canyon. Amtrak has not yet responded to the proposal, Newsweek reported.
The plan contrasts with another high-speed train project in California, which risks losing its federal funding after failing to make progress for more than a decade, The Daily Wire previously <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-admin-ready-to-pull-the-plug-on-california-high-speed-rail-boondoggle">reported</a>.
Despite receiving about $4 billion for the 800-mile project since 2010, the state has &#8220;not laid a single high-speed track,&#8221; <a href="https://www.transportation.gov/briefing-room/trumps-transportation-secretary-sean-p-duffy-releases-report-exposing-no-viable-path">according</a> to the Trump administration.
When voters approved the project in 2008, the estimated cost was $33 billion. Now, the projected cost has swelled to $128 billion, leaving California about $100 billion short, <a href="https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2024-03-21/high-speed-rail">according</a> to the Los Angeles Times.
The state is currently trying to build the first segment of the project, a 119-mile track connecting Merced to Bakersfield. The estimated completion date is 2033, but the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) says the state doesn&#8217;t have &#8220;a viable path&#8221; to finishing the first phase by the deadline.
California Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom, who promoted the train when he was mayor of San Francisco, said in May that workers have begun the first phase of the project, &#8220;laying the tracks to get to where they start to lay the tracks.&#8221;
&#8220;It’s a technical way of actually doing the development in phases, so real tracks are being laid, and the formal track that will be the first-in-the-nation high-speed rail track is about to take place,&#8221; Newsom said.
A California High-Speed Rail Authority (CHSRA) spokesperson told The Daily Wire in June that the agency remains &#8220;firmly committed&#8221; to the project.
In its response to the FRA, the CHSRA disputed the findings and requested that the agency withdraw the proposed termination of federal funds.
&#8220;The Authority’s work has already reshaped the Central Valley,&#8221; the CHSRA&#8217;s response said. &#8220;We have built many of the viaducts, overpasses, and underpasses on which the first 119 miles of high-speed rail track will run.&#8221;

tu010625_hudsonrail

Proposed ‘High-Speed’ Train Would Bring Passengers From NYC To L.A. In Three Days

Amtrak

Business

California

High Speed rail

Los Angeles

New York

New York City

Railroads

Train

U.S.

World Cup

A suspect has been taken into custody after he allegedly shot four commuter train passengers in the Chicago area on Monday, and police believe the victims were asleep when they were gunned down.
Police in Forest Park, a suburb west of Chicago, said that security footage showed the victims were all seated apart from each other and appeared to be asleep when they were shot, NBC News <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/news/rcna169240" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a>. The Forest Park Police Department <a href="https://www.facebook.com/photo?fbid=1012191644251752&amp;set=a.360891732715083" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> it received a call at 5:27 a.m. on Monday from someone saying three people had been shot on the Chicago Transit Authority Blue Line train at the Forest Park Station. When police responded, they found four gunshot victims — three of whom were pronounced dead at the scene and another who was later pronounced dead at the hospital.
The shooter escaped, and Chicago police later arrested a suspect who matched the description of the commuter train shooter and recovered a firearm. The suspect&#8217;s name has not been released and authorities have not said if there was motive in the shooting. None of the victims&#8217; names, ages, or genders have been revealed.
&#8220;This appears to be an isolated incident with no immediate threat to the community,&#8221; the Forest Park Police Department said in a statement.
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&#8220;It&#8217;s a horrible situation,&#8221; Forest Park Police Deputy Chief Chris Chin added.
Chin said at a news conference that the shooting took place on two train cars, and the train was in motion and <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2024/09/02/us/4-people-killed-on-train-near-chicago/index.html">approaching</a> Forest Park when the shooting occurred.
<a href="https://www.chicago.gov/city/en/sites/vrd/home/violence-victimization.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Fatal shootings</a> in Chicago — while dropping from the record highs set in 2020 and 2021 — spiked during the summer. Over the July 4 weekend this year, 109 people were <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/chicago-reels-bloody-july-4-weekend-109-people-shot-19-fatally-rcna160825" target="_blank" rel="noopener">shot</a> and 19 were killed, including an 8-year-old boy. Labor Day weekend saw another 26 people wounded and <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/chicago/news/chicago-weekend-shootings-august-30-to-september-3/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">five people killed</a> in addition to the four people killed on the commuter train.
Democrat Mayor Brandon Johnson <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/after-bloody-july-4-weekend-chicago-mayor-blames-nixon-nixon-foundation-levels-him-with-facts" target="_blank" rel="noopener">addressed</a> the violence over the 4th of July and blamed former Republican President Richard Nixon, saying, “Black death has been, unfortunately, accepted in this country for a very long time. We had a chance 60 years ago to get at the root causes, and people mocked President [Lyndon] Johnson. And we ended up with Richard Nixon.”
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Jim Byron, the president and CEO of the Richard Nixon Foundation, responded to Johnson&#8217;s claim and said, “What is happening in Chicago is heartbreaking, and I imagine the people of Chicago want leaders who take responsibility and work together to solve problems rather than try and pass the blame, in this case ridiculously and gratuitously.”

CTA Blue Line train

4 People Shot To Death On Chicago Commuter Train While They Appeared To Be Asleep

Chicago

Crime

Illinois

Police

Shooting

Subway

Travel in France was disrupted hours before the Paris Games opening ceremony on Friday when arsonists set fire to three high-speed rail lines.
Numerous trains were canceled on Friday morning, and the railway company S.N.C.F. urged travelers to delay their plans, The New York Times <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/live/2024/world/olympics-paris-attack-opening-ceremony" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a>. The fires started in towns nearly 100 miles outside of Paris and were set in pipes that hold cables used for signaling, according to S.N.C.F. Chief Executive Jean-Pierre Farandou. No one has claimed responsibility.
&#8220;The investigation is starting, I call on everyone to be cautious,&#8221; said French Prime Minister Gabriel Attal. &#8220;What we know, what we see, is that this operation was prepared, coordinated, that nerve centers were targeted, which shows a certain knowledge of the network to know where to strike.&#8221;
The arson attacks happened as French authorities have been ramping up security around Paris in anticipation of the Olympic Games, with around 55,000 police and soldiers monitoring the capital city, Reuters <a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/vandals-target-frances-high-speed-rail-network-olympics-get-underway-2024-07-26/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a>. Authorities expect to see more than 300,000 spectators gather near the River Seine for the opening ceremony.
Along with thousands of spectators having to change their plans, some Olympic athletes were also caught up in the commuting nightmare following the arson attacks. Two German athletes were forced to turn back after the rail line closures, and will likely miss the opening ceremony, according to the <a href="https://apnews.com/article/france-trains-olympics-74c9727d33ac86bfc126f98e45cb874f?taid=66a34dff4f417c0001c3c3df&amp;utm_campaign=TrueAnthem&amp;utm_medium=AP&amp;utm_source=Twitter" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Associated Press</a>, which cited a German news agency.
Police have also taken proactive security measures before the Games, targeting 155 people deemed potential threats and essentially placing them under house arrest, according to the Times. French authorities arrested a man in May for allegedly planning on carrying out an attack outside of an Olympic soccer match in the southern town of Saint-Étienne. A Russian man was also arrested on suspicion of attempting to “destabilize the Olympic Games.”
French Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin said that 5,000 people who had applied to work numerous different jobs during the competitions, such as security and stadium workers, were rejected when criminal records flagged them for &#8220;radicalization.&#8221; France has also requested the help of U.S. security. Officers from New York and Los Angeles, along with bomb-sniffing dogs, will be joining the security forces at this year&#8217;s Olympic Games in Paris, The Wall Street Journal <a href="https://www.wsj.com/world/europe/paris-olympics-security-plan-65821fb0" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a>.
Bruno Le Ray, a retired general who is in charge of Olympics security, said, “The security measures and the resources deployed for the Games’ opening ceremony are unprecedented.&#8221;

Paris Trains Hit By Sabotage Just Hours Before Olympics Kick Off

Arsonists Target France’s High-Speed Rail Lines Hours Before Paris Olympics Opening Ceremony

Arsonists Target France's High-Speed Rail Lines Hours Before Paris Olympics Opening Ceremony

Arson

attack

France

Paris

Paris Olympics

World

Train operator <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/norfolk-southern" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Norfolk Southern</a> said Tuesday that it has reached a $600 million deal in principle to <a href="https://nsmakingitright.com/norfolk-southern-reaches-agreement-in-principle-to-settleeast-palestine-derailment-class-action/">settle</a> a class-action lawsuit related to the massive derailment last year in <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/east-palestine" target="_blank" rel="noopener">East Palestine</a>, Ohio, which led to the release of toxic chemicals into the air and widespread economic and environmental damage. 
The Atlanta-based company said the settlement, which still needs to be approved by a court, was part of its promise &#8220;to make it right for the people of East Palestine and the surrounding communities.&#8221;
“If approved by the court, the agreement will resolve all class action claims within a 20-mile radius from the derailment and, for those residents who choose to participate, personal injury claims within a 10-mile radius from the derailment,” Norfolk Southern said. 
“The company is going further through this comprehensive settlement — providing additional, significant monetary relief to individuals, including for healthcare, and to help qualifying local businesses continue to rebuild and grow,” the train operator said. “The agreement is designed to provide finality and flexibility for settlement class members. Individuals and businesses will be able to use compensation from the settlement in any manner they see fit to address potential adverse impacts from the derailment.”
Money from the settlement could go toward healthcare, medical monitoring, property restoration and diminution, compensation for any net business loss due, and any other loss due to the disaster.
After the February 2023 derailment, responders busted open several train cars and burned the vinyl chloride chemicals inside, releasing toxic fumes into the area. The chemicals were burned over concerns that the train cars could explode, but National Transportation Safety Board Chair Jennifer Homendy <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/controlled-burn-of-toxic-chemicals-that-unleashed-mushroom-cloud-over-east-palestine-wasnt-necessary-federal-official-says" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> last month that the burn was not justified.
Norfolk Southern added that the settlement doesn’t mean admitting any wrongdoing or fault. Former federal district judge Layn Phillips helped to mediate the negotiations. 
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The railway company is <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/doj-epa-unveil-lawsuit-against-norfolk-southern-over-east-palestine-train-crash" target="_blank" rel="noopener">facing</a> an additional lawsuit from the Department of Justice and the Environmental Protection Agency to require Norfolk Southern to pay for the entire disaster cleanup.
“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,” Attorney General Merrick Garland said in a statement after the lawsuit was filed.

U.S.-OHIO-FREIGHT TRAIN-TOXIC CHEMICALS-DERAILMENT

Norfolk Southern Announces $600 Million Settlement With East Palestine Residents Over Train Derailment

Disasters

East Palestine

Norfolk Southern

Ohio

Ohio Train Disaster

A federal official with the National Transportation Safety Board said that the controlled burning of toxic chemicals in <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/east-palestine" target="_blank" rel="noopener">East Palestine</a>, Ohio, after a massive train derailment last year was not justified. 
NTSB Chair Jennifer Homendy told lawmakers on Wednesday that there would have been alternatives to busting open the train cars and burning the vinyl chloride chemicals inside after a train operated by Norfolk Southern crashed in February of 2023. The burn released toxic fumes into the area and left residents with concerns about their health and safety. 
The company in charge of the chemicals, Oxy Vinyls, reportedly did not think a deadly explosion would occur, telling contractors with Norfolk Southern that “there was no justification to do a vent and burn,” according to Homendy. Instead, they could have waited and let the chemicals cool down. 
Homendy said that Governor Mike DeWine (R-OH) and other first responders did not know that this was a possibility. 
“So Oxy Vinyls was on scene providing information to Norfolk Southern’s contractor who was in the room when the decision was made, and when advice was given to the governor of Ohio, to the incident commander, they were not given full information because no one was told Oxy Vinyls was on scene,” Homendy said. “They were left out of the room. The incident commander didn’t even know they existed. Neither did the governor. So they were provided incomplete information to make a decision.”
The information came out as Homendy was <a href="https://www.vance.senate.gov/press-releases/ntsb-chair-homendy-chemical-explosion-in-east-palestine-didnt-need-to-happen-experts-were-ignored/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">questioned</a> by Sen. J.D. Vance (R-OH) about whether the controlled burn was necessary to avoid an explosion of the toxic chemicals. 
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
🚨WATCH: NTSB Chair Homendy tells Senator @JDVance1 the chemical explosion in East Palestine, OH did not have to happen
“They were provided incomplete information to make a decision&#8230;there was no justification to do a vent and burn.” <a href="https://t.co/5vR5sd8CDZ">pic.twitter.com/5vR5sd8CDZ</a>
&mdash; Senator Vance Press Office (@SenVancePress) <a href="https://twitter.com/SenVancePress/status/1765513323229900914?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 6, 2024</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
“To sort of recap for folks, the mushroom cloud, the chemical mushroom cloud that captured headlines across the country was the result of a controlled burn,” Vance said, before saying that the central question was whether the burn was justified or not. Vance pointed out that the measured temperature of the chemical tank cars had dropped and stabilized after the crash. 
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Homendy said that to justify the burn, temperatures in the chemical tank cars would have to be rapidly increasing and there would have to be an infusion of oxygen into the cars. Both of these factors were not in play, according to Homendy. 
Vance called the revelations “extraordinary” and suggested that the burn was done so that more traffic and freight could be moved through quickly. 
After the crash, many East Palestine residents were forced to evacuate their homes after the derailment as the toxic chemicals burned, releasing poisonous fumes into the air, ground, and water. Norfolk Southern was sued by East Palestine <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/breaking-class-action-lawsuit-filed-by-residents-against-norfolk-southern" target="_blank" rel="noopener">residents</a>, the state of <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/entirely-avoidable-ohio-sues-norfolk-southern-for-train-disaster" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Ohio</a>, and the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/doj-epa-unveil-lawsuit-against-norfolk-southern-over-east-palestine-train-crash" target="_blank" rel="noopener">federal government</a>.

Screen Shot 2024-03-08 at 11.08.43 AM

Controlled Burn Of Toxic Chemicals That Unleashed Mushroom Cloud Over East Palestine Wasn’t Necessary, Federal Official Says

JD Vance

Mike DeWine

National transportation Safety Board

A train derailment in <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/kentucky" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Kentucky</a> on Wednesday caused molten sulphur to spill out of two cars, starting a fire and leading to some residents evacuating the area. 
The derailment, which involved 16 cars, <a href="https://www.csx.com/index.cfm/about-us/media/press-releases/csx-responds-to-livingston-kentucky-derailment/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">happened</a> at around 2:23 p.m. Wednesday afternoon in an area just north of Livingstone, Kentucky. By Thursday afternoon, CSX, the train operator <a href="https://www.csx.com/index.cfm/about-us/media/press-releases/livingston-kentucky-derailment-update-4-00-p-m/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> that the fire had been put out and residents could go home. 
&#8220;CSX and local emergency responders in Rockcastle county, Ky. have extinguished the fire that resulted from yesterday’s train derailment just north of Livingston, Ky. Specialized equipment has been deployed to conduct air monitoring in the area and local authorities have determined it safe for residents to return to their homes,” CSX said in a statement. 
The previous day, CSX said that it had sent specialized equipment to the area to test air quality because burning molten sulphur releases sulphur dioxide. The train operator paid for about 112 residents to go to stay in nearby Mt. Vernon while the fires were put out. 
Evacuation wasn’t required, but government officials did allow residents to decide for themselves if they wanted to leave the area.
&#8220;[Evacuation] wasn&#8217;t mandated but we went to each one of the homes twice and highly recommended that they evacuate,&#8221; <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/small-kentucky-town-urged-evacuate-train-derails-spilling-chemicals-rcna126481" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> a government spokesperson. &#8220;Some people chose to stay at home: that was totally their own decision.&#8221;
On Thursday, Governor Andy Beshear (D-KY) <a href="https://twitter.com/GovAndyBeshear/status/1727806265307324616" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> in a statement that he was thankful for those who responded to the fire. 
“Thank you to the first responders who worked hard to put out the fire at the train derailment site in Rockcastle County. While there is still work to be done, we are thankful for the good news that our families in Livingston are able to spend the rest of Thanksgiving at home,” he said. 
In the last year, there has been a spate of train derailments across the country from <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/another-norfolk-southern-train-derails-as-ceo-testifies-to-congress" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Alabama</a> to <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trains-with-potentially-hazardous-material-crash-into-montana-river" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Montana</a> to Ohio, where a derailment in East Palestine cost over $800 million and the release of toxic chemicals into the air. 
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After the derailment in East Palestine, train operator Norfolk Southern <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/norfolk-southern-says-cost-of-east-palestine-derailment-has-doubled-as-chemical-cleanup-continues" target="_blank" rel="noopener">opted</a> to burn several cars filled with the dangerous chemical vinyl chloride over fears that the cars would explode. The fire sent a cloud of smoke that remained over the town of 4,700 for days. Nearly six months after the disaster, chemicals from the derailment appear to still be present in a creek as trucks continue to haul contaminated water and soil out of the town, the Wall Street Journal <a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/ohio-train-derailment-norfolk-southern-update-cb5815ee" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a>.

A CSX Rail Terminal Ahead Of Earnings Figures

Chemicals Leak Following Kentucky Train Derailment Caused Evacuations Over Thanksgiving

Chemicals

Kentucky

Thanksgiving

Federal officials have declared Yellowstone River fish too toxic for human consumption after a train derailment that occurred back in June.
The Montana Fish, Wildlife &amp; Parks (MFWP) <a href="https://fwp.mt.gov/homepage/news/2023/sep/0919-state-agencies-issue-consumption-advisory-for-all-fish-species-on-yellowstone-river-near-train-derailment" target="_blank" rel="noopener">issued</a> a consumption advisory on Tuesday afternoon declaring the discovery of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) across multiple fish species. MFWP stated that the source of the toxins remains unknown. MFWP advised that no fish from the river be consumed anywhere, even beyond their advisory area.
“Out of an abundance of precaution and unknown conditions in adjacent sections of the river, those with specific concerns may want to avoid consuming all species of fish from the Yellowstone River at any location until more is known on the severity and prevalence of this contamination,” stated MFWP.
The PAHs discovered were naphthalene, 1-methylnaphthalene, 2-methylnaphthalene, and acenaphthylene. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) classifies naphthalene, 1-methylnaphthalene, 2-methylnaphthalene, as cancer-causing agents, but doesn’t classify acenaphthylene as cancer-causing.
Apart from cancer, the CDC notes that PAHs have been associated with the <a href="https://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/csem/polycyclic-aromatic-hydrocarbons/health_effects.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">onset</a> of various pulmonary, gastrointestinal, renal, and dermatological issues.
The consumption advisory affects all fish species in the river spanning from the Indian Fort Fishing Access Site (FAS) near the census-designated place of Reed Point to the Highway 212 bridge in the city of Laurel. That’s roughly 45 miles, longer than the initial MFWP emergency closure enacted over the train derailment back in June. That closure spanned from Reed Point to the city of Columbus, roughly 18 miles.
MFWP explained that the PAHs source was unknown &#8212; despite the train derailment &#8212; due to the natural occurrence of some PAHs in the environment, like shale rock, and the introduction of other common materials like oil, gas, plastics, and pesticides.
In June, 10 cars transporting asphalt liquified petroleum, molten sulfur, and scrap metal <a href="https://response.epa.gov/site/site_profile.aspx?site_id=16083" target="_blank" rel="noopener">fell</a> into the Yellowstone River after the 52-car freight train derailed when the Twin Bridges railroad bridge collapsed. The train’s crew reported no injuries.
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The highway bridge parallel to the railroad bridge was closed and demolished in 2021. The bridge passed a safety inspection in May, according to a spokesman for the entity that maintains the bridge, Montana Rail Link (MRL), in a statement to the Associated Press.
MRL <a href="https://www.montanarail.com/2023/06/unified-command-press-release-as-of-1230-june-29/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a> that the cause of the derailment was unknown. The Federal Railroad Administration hasn’t <a href="https://railroads.dot.gov/elibrary-search?search_api_fulltext=%2522Montana%2520Rail%2520Link%2522&amp;sort_by=field_effective_date&amp;items_per_page=5&amp;field_effective_date%255Bmin%255D&amp;field_effective_date%255Bmax%255D&amp;f%255B0%255D=document_series:14786" target="_blank" rel="noopener">issued</a> a Factual Investigation Report naming a probable cause for the incident.
The EPA <a href="https://response.epa.gov/sites/16083/files/Stillwater%2520MT%2520Derailment%2520Press%2520Release%252020230626.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">noted</a> in its press release immediately following the derailment that asphalt globules were detected downstream and in the body of the river. However, the EPA said that the asphalt waste wasn’t water soluble and wouldn’t affect water quality.
In a site <a href="https://response.epa.gov/sites/16083/files/EPA%2520Stillwater%2520Train%2520Derailment%2520Site%2520Update%252020230815.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">update</a> last month, the EPA said that there were no known threats to public health from the spill. The agency noted that local cleanup crews were only targeting “actionable asphalt material,” or only that which could be removed without causing “significant damage to natural habitat” like sediment and vegetation. As a result, the EPA reported that the crews have been breaking down the material into smaller pieces and covering them with sediment to “aid in the natural breakdown process.”
This practice is part of Phase 1 of the cleanup effort, which <a href="https://response.epa.gov/sites/16083/files/Stillwater%2520MT%2520Derailment%2520Press%2520Release%252020230907.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">began</a> early last month and will last until next spring. Phase 2 is scheduled for next summer.
Per that update, crews collected approximately 231,700 pounds of asphalt out of the estimated 419,400 pounds of asphalt.
Tuesday’s consumption advisory followed another from last month, which more narrowly affected mountain whitefish following the discovery of elevated phenanthrene levels, another PAH. Phenanthrene wasn’t discovered in the more recent sampling that resulted in this week’s sweeping consumption advisory. The EPA doesn’t classify phenanthrene as a cancer-causing agent.

Fish

Yellowstone River Fish Toxic After Train Derailment; Officials Warn Against Consumption

Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)

Food

General

A freight train derailed in eastern Pennsylvania on Monday morning, triggering precautionary evacuations from homes and businesses in the area.
The 40-car CSX freight train derailed in Whitemarsh Township just north of Philadelphia at about 4:50 am. About 15 to 20 cars were bumped off the tracks, <a href="https://6abc.com/freight-train-derailment-whitemarsh-township-montgomery-county-pa/13513612/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according</a> to helicopter footage.
So far, there are no reports of hazardous materials leaking from the train cars, and there are no reported injuries.
&#8220;As of now, the only thing that is leaking from any of the rail cars involved is silicone pellets, which pose no risk to the community,&#8221; Whitemarsh Township police <a href="https://www.facebook.com/WhitemarshTownshipPD" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a>.
“Precautionary evacuations have occurred at the residents and businesses closest to the scene. It is not believed that further evacuations will be needed, but we will evaluate as we know more,” police <a href="https://www.facebook.com/WhitemarshTownshipPD/posts/pfbid0e5eEdYcUwxzB69oZNBwAWKXg2wfVSzbMfdQXUJsWk2re9wadPR52ktKHSTvk2NEAl" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a>.
County emergency public safety workers are also on the scene, police said.
CSX said in a press release that only one car was transporting hazardous materials and that the local fire department evacuated about a dozen homes &#8220;out of an abundance of caution.&#8221;
&#8220;The cause of the incident appears to be weather related,&#8221; CSX <a href="https://www.csx.com/index.cfm/about-us/media/press-releases/csx-responding-to-derailment-in-whitemarsh-township-pa/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> in their press release.
Investigators are still working to find the cause of the derailment.
The CSX train was traveling on tracks owned by Norfolk Southern, the company behind the Ohio train derailment in February that spilled harmful chemicals into the environment.
In February, a Norfolk Southern train carrying hazardous materials derailed in East Palestine, Ohio, causing highly noxious chemicals to leak into the area&#8217;s atmosphere.
Officials 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 were later told they could return to their homes. However, many remained concerned that the dangerous materials have impacted air and water quality, and some residents reported negative health effects, including trouble breathing, headaches, and damage to their voices. Animals also died in the wake of the accident, including thousands of fish.
The Ohio derailment and a string of other Norfolk Southern derailments prompted Congress to ask Norfolk Southern CEO Alan Shaw to testify before Congress.
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During his testimony, Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-OR) pushed Shaw to commit to lobbying for improved safety regulations.
“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 <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/another-norfolk-southern-train-derails-as-ceo-testifies-to-congress" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a>. “I’m sorry you can’t tell this crowd here today that would like to hear that, that that is the case.”
In the aftermath of the accidents, the National Transportation Safety Board also announced a special investigation into Norfolk Southern.
Police said that Norfolk Southern and CSX representatives were at the crash site.
Pennsylvania Democratic Governor Josh Shapiro <a href="https://twitter.com/GovernorShapiro/status/1680904025338683392">said</a> he and his team are &#8220;monitoring&#8221; the train derailment and assisting local responders.
&nbsp;

U.S. Rail Traffic Rises Following Holidays

Evacuations After Train Carrying Hazardous Materials Derails in Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania

Several train cars crashed into a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/montana" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Montana</a> river after a railway bridge collapsed, causing at least some potentially hazardous material to spill into the river. 
A bridge over the Yellowstone River collapsed under the weight of an overnight freight train, causing several train cars to fall into the river, prompting an investigation. A reporter for the <a href="https://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/bridge-yellowstone-river-collapses-sending-freight-train-waters-100356663#:~:text=Interest%20Successfully%20Added-,A%20bridge%20over%20Yellowstone%20River%20collapses%2C%20sending%20a,train%20into%20the%20waters%20below&amp;text=COLUMBUS%2C%20Mont.,plunge%20into%20the%20water%20below." target="_blank" rel="noopener">Associated Press saw</a> an unknown yellow liquid pouring out of one of the cars and into the river.  
&#8220;We are committed to addressing any potential impacts to the area as a result of this incident and working to understand the reasons behind the accident,” said Montana Rail Link spokesman Andy Garland.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
🚨 <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/BREAKING?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#BREAKING</a>: A large emergency response is underway after a freight train collapsed into the Yellowstone River in Montana
“Hazardous materials” are feared to be spilling into the river, and officials are are warning residents to begin limiting water usage IMMEDIATELY <a href="https://t.co/bIbB3PDeEk">pic.twitter.com/bIbB3PDeEk</a>
&mdash; Nick Sortor (@nicksortor) <a href="https://twitter.com/nicksortor/status/1672664450908975106?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 24, 2023</a></blockquote>
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The incident occurred over 100 miles northeast of Yellowstone National Park, and 40 miles west of Billings, Montana, near the small rural town of Columbus. There were no incidents from the derailment. 
“I am tracking the train derailment over the Yellowstone River in Stillwater County. My office has been in touch with local, state, and federal officials,” Montana Congressman Matt Rosendale <a href="https://twitter.com/RepRosendale/status/1672628537038127104">said</a>. “At this time, there is no immediate threat, but please try to keep away from the areas around the Yellowstone River Rail Bridge.”
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To protect nearby farms from hazardous runoff, an irrigation trench was shut off and closed down. 
Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife, and Parks closed down portions of multiple rivers, warning people of “potential contaminants.” 
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Update to previous posts: 10:45 a.m. &#8211; The Stillwater River is closed from White Bird Fishing Access Site to the confluence with the Yellowstone River. 
From Twin Bridges Road to Buffalo Mirage FAS, the public should avoid the water due to potential contaminants. <a href="https://t.co/b0gYDJbx9f">pic.twitter.com/b0gYDJbx9f</a>
&mdash; Montana FWP (@MontanaFWP) <a href="https://twitter.com/MontanaFWP/status/1672649539226853376?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 24, 2023</a></blockquote>
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Yellowstone County Sheriff’s Department posted an update on Facebook, telling residents to stay away from the scene to avoid congestion. 
“A total of 8 rail cars are involved and in a great stroke of luck, none contained oil. The cars contained asphalt and a second substance that officials are working to confirm,” the sheriff’s office <a href="https://www.facebook.com/YellowstoneCountySheriffsOffice/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">posted</a> on Facebook. “Both of the substances are described as ‘slow moving’ and have not gone much past the initial scene, said Columbus Fire Chief Rich Cowger and County DES Chief David Stamey.”
The railway crash in Montana follows <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/j-d-vances-railway-reform-bill-picks-up-steam" target="_blank" rel="noopener">a very high-profile crash</a> in East Palestine, Ohio, earlier this year that triggered a chemical spill that contaminated the area around the small town on February 3. The accident drew national attention as residents reported symptoms of nausea and dizziness and <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/cincinnati-and-northern-kentucky-shut-down-water-intakes-after-train-derailment">regional water supplies</a> across several neighboring states showed signs of contamination.
In response, freshman Senator J.D. Vance (R-OH) helped draft <a href="https://www.brown.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/railway_safety_act_of_2023_text.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Railway Safety Act of 2023</a> to increase safety requirements for trains carrying hazardous cargo and increase fines for safety violations.

The Yellowstone River near Gardiner

Trains With Potentially Hazardous Material Crash Into Montana River

Montana

Yellowstone

Officials with the United States Surface Transportation Board approved the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/antitrust" target="_blank" rel="noopener">merger</a> of Kansas City Southern Railway Company and Canadian Pacific Railway Limited on Wednesday, marking the first combination of major <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/railroads" target="_blank" rel="noopener">rail</a> companies in two decades.
The new entity, which will be called Canadian Pacific Kansas City, will be the first railroad spanning Canada, the United States, and Mexico. Canadian Pacific and Kansas City Southern are the smallest Class I railroads in North America; the new firm will retain the distinction.
“The transaction will reduce travel time for traffic moving over the single-line service; it should result in increased incentives for investment; and it will eliminate the need for the two now-separate CP and KCS systems to interchange traffic moving from one system to the other,” the Surface Transportation Board said in a <a href="https://www.stb.gov/news-communications/latest-news/pr-23-07/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">statement</a>. “This will enhance efficiency, which in turn will enable the new CPKC system to better compete for traffic with the other larger Class I carriers.”
The agency said that “numerous conditions,” such as written justifications for any shipping price increases that exceed inflation, can be imposed upon CPKC. Surface Transportation Board officials also established a seven-year oversight period to monitor developments such as the completion of operating improvements and investments to handle new traffic.
The merger comes as the American railroad industry faces increased regulatory scrutiny following the Norfolk Southern train derailment in East Palestine, Ohio. Local and state authorities were forced to temporarily evacuate all citizens within one mile of the derailment site last month 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 chemicals on the vehicle to decrease the risk of an explosion, inducing unknown <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/researcher-worries-government-is-wrongly-declaring-safety-near-ohio-train-crash" target="_blank" rel="noopener">environmental</a> effects on the small rust belt community.
Sen. J.D. Vance (R-OH) and Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-OH) therefore introduced the Railway Safety Act of 2023, which would <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/senators-introduce-bipartisan-bill-to-improve-rail-safety-after-ohio-train-crash" target="_blank" rel="noopener">require</a> rail companies to report hazardous materials on trains to state authorities, raise inspection requirements, and increase the rigor of defect detection efforts. The bill would meanwhile increase several civil penalties for violations of rail safety regulations by tenfold and require that each train must operate with at least two-person crews.
“Through this legislation, Congress has a real opportunity to ensure that what happened in East Palestine will never happen again. We owe every American the peace of mind that their community is protected from a catastrophe of this kind,” Vance said in a <a href="https://www.vance.senate.gov/press-releases/senators-vance-brown-to-introduce-bipartisan-legislation-to-prevent-train-derailment-disasters/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">press release</a>. “Action to prevent future disasters is critical, but we must never lose sight of the needs of the Ohioans living in East Palestine and surrounding communities. One day, the TV cameras will leave, and the news cycle will move on, but the needs of those Ohioans will remain.”
The state of Ohio <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/entirely-avoidable-ohio-sues-norfolk-southern-for-train-disaster" target="_blank" rel="noopener">filed suit</a> this week against Norfolk Southern and asked that the company be held financially liable for the derailment, characterizing the incident as “entirely avoidable” and the result of executives neglecting the “welfare of the communities in which Norfolk Southern operates.” The EPA has meanwhile <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/epa-requires-norfolk-southern-to-test-near-ohio-train-disaster-for-chemicals-which-impact-fertility-last-for-decades" target="_blank" rel="noopener">directed</a> Norfolk Southern to sample for dioxins, a class of pollutants that can be formed by vinyl chloride combustion and can bind to soil for decades.

Canadian Pacific Wins US Approval For $27 Billion Rail Deal

Regulators Approve Largest Rail Merger In Two Decades

Regulators Approve Merger Of Two Large Railroads

Antitrust

Economy

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;
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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>
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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

Law enforcement and other officials responded to another train derailment in Ohio on Saturday afternoon.
The Clark County Sheriff’s Office confirmed that deputies and medics were dispatched to the scene in Springfield.
According to local media, scanner traffic indicated that a hazmat team was also dispatched.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
🚨🚨**FIRST VIDEO** 🚔🚒🚑Train Derailment in Springfield, Ohio—Clark Co. Still not known what materials the train cars are carrying. WE’LL CONTINUE TO UPDATE. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/BreakingNews?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#BreakingNews</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/rileyphillipstv?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@rileyphillipstv</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/WDTN?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@WDTN</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/odangler?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@odangler</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/TrainDerailment?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#TrainDerailment</a> <a href="https://t.co/7YKu2OU8oz">https://t.co/7YKu2OU8oz</a> <a href="https://t.co/i2ROXsZ1Dl">pic.twitter.com/i2ROXsZ1Dl</a>
&mdash; Steve Norris (@SteveNorrisTV) <a href="https://twitter.com/SteveNorrisTV/status/1632161323365662727?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 4, 2023</a></blockquote>
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
A train just derailed in my city.
I took these pics from one of the local crime groups on Facebook. The guy who posted it said they’re leaking chemicals, but I’ve seen no confirmation of this. <a href="https://t.co/Xyxmv04q4q">pic.twitter.com/Xyxmv04q4q</a>
&mdash; Chadwick (@ohchadwick) <a href="https://twitter.com/ohchadwick/status/1632149277949534208?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 4, 2023</a></blockquote>
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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.

Train derailment

Hazmat Crew, Police, Medics Responding To Another Train Derailment In Ohio

Law Enforcement

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