U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg says he knows Tennesseans living in communities with freight cars passing through are probably looking at what happened in East Palestine, Ohio, last month and wondering if their town is safe.
“Now, there’s been a lot done to make trains safer than they were, but there’s more work to do,” he said. “Right now, we’re in a moment where I think we can get things done that weren’t possible before.”
Vanderbilt screenshot Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg made an appearance at Vanderbilt University on Friday, March 3. He addressed criticism of the federal response of the train derailment in East Palestine, Ohio.
Buttigieg spoke to WPLN News on Friday during a stop in Nashville to tout federal infrastructure investments. He said his agency is committed to improving rail safety following two train derailments in Ohio.
The Transportation Secretary says that includes the federal government stepping up inspections on rail lines and encouraging employees to report safety violations under what’s known as the Confidential Close Call Reporting System.
He says a bill currently before Congress would mandate stricter requirements.
“That is in this bipartisan legislation moving forward in Congress to make sure that there is a higher standard for the way these materials are handled. Also making sure that communities are coming through them so that first responders have a proactive heads up when these kinds of materials might be entering their jurisdiction.”
Trains carrying tanker cars of hazardous materials criss-cross Tennessee every day, including explosives, gasses and many flammable liquids.
The CEO of Norfolk Southern is scheduled to testify before Congress this week as political fallout over the rail disaster continues.
The rail company, which operates lines through East and West Tennessee, released a six-point plan Monday to improve safety after the crash.
Among them are enhancements to their “hot bearing detector” network.
Those are sensors that detect the temperature of railroad bearings and can notify operators when they are overheating.
Buttigieg has been under criticism over the federal response. During a panel with Hillary Clinton on Friday at Vanderbilt, he pushed back on what he called “alternative narratives,” stating the federal government had sent a response team within hours of the derailment.
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