The Ohio Train Derailment, Safety Regulation, and the Historical Improvement in Rail Safety

David Kemp andPeter Van DorenEarlier this month, a Norfolk Southern freight trainderailed in East Palestine, Ohio, causing a large fire, releasing hazardous materials, and prompting emergency crews to conduct a controlled release and burn of toxic vinyl chloride. Fortunately, no lives were lost, but up to two thousand nearby residents were evacuated from their homes for nearly a week, and there are still concerns about pollution. Sober analysis is rarely welcomed after an accident like this. We believe it is worthwhile, however, to illuminate some journalistic errors and place the derailment in the context of increasing freight rail safety.Understandably, the first reaction after this sort of event is often to ask whether it could have been prevented. Many journalists immediately focused on the fact that the Obama administrationcreated a rule requiring that trains with a certain number of cars carrying flammable hazardous chemicals use technologically advanced electronically controlled pneumatic (ECP) brakes, which are able to stop a train more quickly. The Trump administration rolled back the rule after an updated cost-benefit analysis found that it was not cost-effective.Some experts argue that this accident might have been avoided had the train utilized ECP brakes. While this has allowed journalists to blame the accident on the Trump administration ’s repeal of (and the rail industry’s lobbying against) the rule, many articles haveomitted orburied the fact that the reg...
Source: Cato-at-liberty - Category: American Health Authors: Source Type: blogs