Norfolk Southern CEO Alan Shaw said he is “terribly sorry” for his company’s toxic derailment disaster in East Palestine, Ohio, in testimony Thursday before a U.S. Senate committee, while lawmakers called out the company for its safety practices and its lack of transparency after the wreck.
Senators also raised growing concerns about a string of Norfolk Southern derailments in the weeks since since the Feb. 3 crash, including a derailment in Alabama on Thursday morning, just hours before the hearing.
Shaw faced tough questioning from the Committee on Environment and Public Works about the Atlanta-based railroad’s actions and response to the East Palestine derailment. More than three dozen railcars jumped the tracks, including 11 carrying hazardous materials, which released toxic chemicals into the air, soil and water and left residents fearful and uncertain about the long-term impact.
