FILE – Debris from a Norfolk Southern freight train lies scattered and burning along the tracks on Feb. 4, 2023, the day after it derailed in East Palestine, Ohio. East Palestine residents will learn more Tuesday about the fiery Norfolk Southern train crash that derailed their lives last year when the National Transportation Safety Board holds another hearing in their eastern Ohio hometown to discuss what their investigation uncovered and their recommendations to prevent future disasters.
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.