Biden administration officials said Friday they would welcome congressional action to ramp up safety measures for trains carrying highly hazardous materials following a train derailment in East Palestine, Ohio.
Officials from the Federal Emergency Management Agency, Environmental Protection Agency, the Federal Railroad Administration and Department of Health and Human Services said during a background briefing Friday that they are waiting for the National Transportation Safety Board to release a report on the Ohio derailment before they announce any further action but that they are open to stronger safety measures.
On Feb. 3, a Norfolk Southern train derailed and caused a pileup of 150 cars, 20 of which contained cargoes classified as hazardous materials, including vinyl chloride, a chemical used to manufacture PVC plastic. Although the initial derailment did not breach these cars, authorities evacuated the area on Feb. 6 over concerns that they might explode.
