Details of hazardous cargo must be provided by railroad immediately after derailment, new rule says

During last year’s Norfolk Southern derailment in East Palestine, Ohio, firefighters tried to extinguish the flames without knowing exactly how to respond. A new federal rule finalized Monday aims to ensure first responders can find out what hazardous chemicals are on a train almost immediately after a derailment so they can respond appropriately, the Associated Press reports.

PHOTOS: Massive explosion at start of controlled release of chemicals at train derailment

In East Palestine, the local fire chief said it took 45 minutes before he knew exactly what was on the train.

Those running toward a fire need to know the risks they face so they can have the right gear and evacuate those in danger, said Tristan Brown, deputy administrator of the Pipelines and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration agency that proposed the rule.

The rule was published a day before the National Transportation Safety Board’s final hearing on the East Palestine derailment.

Norfolk Southern sent Channel 11 the following statement:

“We applaud the aims of the DOT’s new rule, which aligns with the work we’ve been undertaking to support first responders. Last year, we were the first Class I railroad to commit to improving our communication during an emergency through our partnership with RapidSOS, a digital platform that connects communications devices with over 16,000 emergency response agencies.

“As part of this collaboration, Norfolk Southern will automatically share consist information through RapidSOS with first responders after an incident. Once complete, this integration aims to cover 100 percent of the emergency response agencies across our rail network, providing first responders with real-time access to train consists, train locations, and AskRail emergency response information.”

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Download the FREE WPXI News app for breaking news alerts.

Follow Channel 11 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch WPXI NOW

©2024 Cox Media Group