EAST PALESTINE, Ohio — Norfolk Southern and its contractors botched the decision to blow open five tank cars and burn the vinyl chloride inside after last year's disastrous derailment in East Palestine, Ohio, and trackside detectors that might have prevented the crash failed to accurately detect the temperature of a burning wheel bearing 20 miles beforehand, according to the National Transportation Safety Board.
The NTSB had said early on that an overheated bearing on one of the railcars that was not caught in time by trackside sensors had likely caused the crash. Investigative hearings since then highlighted other possible contributors including widespread rail job cuts and rushed inspections, and also delved into why officials chose to deliberately vent and burn the vinyl chloride.
Oxy Vinyls experts testified at earlier NTSB hearings they were certain a feared chemical reaction that could have caused those tank cars to explode wasn’t happening. Oxy Vinyls didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment Tuesday. NTSB staff recommended Tuesday that new guidance be developed for deciding when first responders use the vent and burn tactic and that federal standards should be developed for trackside detectors. They also recommended that the Federal Railroad Administration establish rules governing trackside detectors and railroad responses to bearing failure alarms.
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