QUESTION, ARE WE READY FOR THIS? AND. PITTSBURGH NOW ON CHRONICLE. EVERY TIME THE TRAIN GOES BY AND THAT IT MAKES A NOISE, YOU KNOW, I JUMP, YOU KNOW, THINKING IT’S COMING OFF THE TRACKS AND YET THE EAST PALESTINE DERAILMENT LEAVING NEIGHBORHOOD SHAKEN AND CREATING CONCERNS FOR THE FUTURE. IT’S THE UNKNOWN AND WE HAVE TO BE PREPARED FOR EVERYTHING FROM THE QUESTIONS ABOUT CHEMICALS. SO WHAT THEY SAY TO THE AIR IS GOOD. YOU DON’T BELIEVE. NO. A POISON IS A POISON ALL DAY LONG. THE CHANGES MANY SAY, ARE NEEDED IN THE RAILROAD INDUSTRY. IF THAT WERE ANY OTHER BUSINESS. THE POLITICIANS AND THE TRANSPORTATION DEPARTMENTS AND THE BIGWIGS IN GOVERNMENT WILL BE ON THAT RAILROAD SO QUICK TO MAKE CHANGES TO WHAT’S ON THE RAILS AROUND PITTSBURGH. NORFOLK SOUTHERN IS PLAYING RUSSIAN ROULETTE WITH THIS CITY AND THIS COUNTY. THIS IS CHRONICLE TROUBLE ON THE TRACKS. GOOD EVENING. I’M JANELLE HALL. THERE’S NO DOUBT THE FIERY TRAIN DERAILMENT AND TOXIC CHEMICAL SPILL ON FEBRUARY 3RD, 20, 23, HAS HAD A LASTING IMPACT. OVER THE LAST SEVERAL WEEKS, WE’VE REPORTED ON THE WAY PEOPLE’S LIVES HAVE CHANGED IN THE COMMUNITIES OF EAST PALESTINE, OHIO, AND IN PARTS OF BEAVER COUNTY RIGHT HERE IN PENNSYLVANIA. THERE’S NO DOUBT THE IMPACT WILL LAST FOR MONTHS, EVEN YEARS TO COME. AND MAJOR QUESTIONS ARE EMERGING IN OTHER COMMUNITIES ACROSS THE PITTSBURGH METRO AREA, INCLUDING COULD WHAT HAPPENED IN EAST PALESTINE HAPPEN HERE AND WHAT WOULD HAPPEN IF IT DID. HERE AT FOX HOLLOW STABLES IN BEAVER COUNTY, THE DAY OF THE BLAST, WE WEREN’T REALLY TOLD ANYTHING FOR OUR AREA. IT WAS THE 1 TO 2 MILE EVACUATION. BUT BEING EIGHT AND A HALF MILES AWAY, WE WERE TOLD WE WERE GOING TO BE FINE. I’VE BEEN HERE FOR 27 YEARS. THAT WASN’T THE CASE FOR LINDA STEVENS HORSES. WE HAD 28 RIGHT NOW OR HER FAMILY, MAYBE 5 MINUTES AFTER BEING OUT IN THE SMOKE. MY LUNGS STARTED BURNING, MY EYES STARTED RUNNING. WE CAME IN TO THE BARNS AND YOU COULD. SEE THE SMOKE IN THE BARN. THE SMOKE JUST DESCENDED UPON OUR FARM. AS THE DARK CLOUD FROM THE CONTROLLED BURN OF VINYL CHLORIDE. INSIDE SOME OF THE DERAILED TRAIN CARS IN EAST PALESTINE, OHIO MOVED INTO PENNSYLVANIA. THEY RACED TO PROTECT THE HORSES THEY OWN, BOARD AND TRAIN. THERE WAS NO WARNING FOR US, NOT EVEN A SHELTER IN PLACE WHICH WOULD HAVE PREVENTED OR POSSIBLY PREVENTED A LOT OF THE ISSUES THAT WE’VE HAD. I’M STILL HAVING TROUBLE BREATHING. I’M STILL NOT BACK TO 100%. I CAN’T WORK AND TALK OR I GET WINDED. AND IT’S IT DIDN’T HAVE TO HAPPEN THAT WAY. HAD WE HAD MORE NOTICE AND MORE BEEN MORE PREPARED. SOME OF THE HORSES STILL STRUGGLE WITH BREATHING ISSUES DURING THEIR LESSONS AND TRAINING. THIS IS DEWEY. HE’S ONE OF THE ONES THAT IS STILL AFFECTED. STILL HAVING HARSH LUNG SOUNDS AND BREATHING ISSUES. WE HAVE PUT HER ON A PRETTY HIGH DOSE OF ANTI-INFLAMMATORIES. WHEN STEVENS TRIED TO GET ANSWERS, I HAVE CALLED EVERY OFFICE SO THAT I COULD THINK OF GOVERNMENTAL E A D P TOXICOLOGIST, SENATORS, GOV, LOCAL EMERGENCY RESPONSE. MY OWN VETERINARIAN. EVERY PHONE CALL LED BACK TO THE TOXIC BIOLOGIST FROM NORFOLK SOUTHERN. I TALKED TO TWO SEPARATE LAB. NOW I’VE TALKED TO THREE SEPARATE TOXICOLOGISTS THERE WHO STEVENS SAYS TOLD HER THE SMOKE WAS NOTHING DIFFERENT THAN FOREST FIRE. SMOKE. AND, YOU KNOW, IT SHOULD BE THE WORST. THEY SHOULD HAVE THE SAME RESPONSE TO THAT. AND I SAID, WELL, THEY WEREN’T BURNING LOGS. YOU KNOW, THIS WAS NOT A FOREST FIRE. THESE WERE CHEMICALS. AND THEY HE SAID THERE WERE NO CHEMICALS IN THAT SMOKE, IS WHAT I WAS TOLD. AND YOU THINK WHAT, YOU CAN’T BELIEVE THEM? THERE WAS SOMETHING ELSE IN THAT SMOKE. THAT’S NOT GOING TO HAVE ALL THE INFORMATION OF ONE ENVIRONMENTAL ACTIVIST AND PARALEGAL, ERIN BROCKOVICH. THIS GOES BACK TO OVERSIGHT AND LACK OF ENFORCEMENT. AND WHEN A DISASTER HAPPENS, IT ALWAYS SEEMS TO BE THE POLLUTERS IN CHARGE. THAT HAS TO CHANGE. ONE OF MY QUESTIONS TO THE STATE OF PENNSYLVANIA IS SOME TYPE OF REASSURANCE THAT IN THE FUTURE THAT WE WILL BE PROTECT DID IN A DISASTER. BECAUSE I FEEL LIKE WE WEREN’T STEVENS CONCERN ECHOED THOSE OF PEOPLE LIVING IN THE EVACUATION ZONE AS WELL, WHO WENT DAYS WITHOUT CLEAR ANSWERS ABOUT WHAT WAS OR WASN’T IN THE AIR, SOIL AND WATER. THOSE CONCERNS LED CHRONICLE TO QUESTION WHAT THE EMERGENCY PLANS ARE IN AND AROUND OUR AREA. I KEEP GETTING ASKED THE QUESTION, ARE WE READY FOR THIS IN PITTSBURGH FROM THE 1.3 MILLION PEOPLE WHO CALL ALLEGHENY COUNTY HOME? WE HAVE TO BE PREPARED FOREVER. TO EVERYONE IN THE SURROUNDING COUNTIES, THERE’S A LOT OF THINGS THAT KEEP US UP AT NIGHT AND MAKE US WORRY AND THINK WE HAD TO EVACUATE ONE MILE CIRCUMFERENCE IN THE CITY, THOUGH THAT THAT’S TENS OF. THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE. THAT WOULD INCLUDE POSSIBLY HOSPITALS THAT HAVE TO BE EVACUATED. UNIVERSITY. MAY HAVE TO BE EVACUATED DEPENDING ON WHERE THIS HAPPENS. THAT DOESN’T INCLUDE THE NUMBER OF HIGH RISES AND SENIOR CARE HOMES, FACILITIES OR PERSONAL CARE FACILITIES AND PERSONAL RESIDENCE. SO, YEAH, THERE’S A BIG CHALLENGE THERE. OUR KEY IS GOING TO BE COMMUNICATING EFFECTIVELY IN A VERY QUICK MANNER TO AS MANY PEOPLE AS WE CAN ABOUT THE HAZARDS RELATED, THE RIGHT INCIDENT. WE HAVE THE ABILITY TO HAVE ACCESS TO A SYSTEM CALLED PAUSE WHERE WE CAN PUT OUT THAT ALERT MESSAGING SIMILAR TO AN AMBER ALERT, WHERE YOU’LL GET THAT ALERT ON YOUR CELL PHONE. A LOT OF PEOPLE DON’T REALIZE THAT WE’VE BEEN PRACTICING PUBLIC RECORDS OBTAINED BY CHRONICLE SHOW. ALL COUNTIES ARE REQUIRED TO HAVE A MINIMUM OF ONE TEAM WHO CAN RESPOND AND MITIGATE KNOWN AND UNKNOWN HAZARDOUS MATERIAL INCIDENTS. ALLEGHENY COUNTY ALONE HAS FIVE, BUT IS ALSO PART OF THE PA REGION 13 TASK FORCE MADE UP OF FIRST RESPONDERS WHO MEET ON A MONTHLY BASIS. FROM MERCER ALL THE WAY DOWN TO SOMERSET COUNTY, WE COORDINATE, PLAN AND EXERCISE, TRAIN AND FUND ALL OF THOSE EMERGENCY RESPONSE CAPACITIES FOR SOUTHWESTERN PA. SO THERE’S THIS HUGE NETWORK OF SUPPORT OF PLANNING, OF PREPAREDNESS, OF RESPONSE THAT EXISTS IN SOUTHWESTERN P.A. QUITE FRANKLY, UNLIKE PROBABLY ANYWHERE ELSE IN THE COUNTRY. IT’S A VERY WELL COORDINATED GROUP OF FOLKS. SO WE’RE LOOKING AT, YOU KNOW, ROADWAY TRAFFIC, RIVER TRAFFIC, YOU KNOW, THE AIR TRAVEL AND CERTAINLY TRAINS, WHICH IS CERTAINLY THE FOCUS NOW. BUT THAT GIVES US AN IDEA OF HOW WE PLAN AND PREPARE. FOR THE THREATS AND RISKS THAT WE KNOW OF THAT JUST TRANSIT THROUGH THE COUNTY EVERY DAY. THIS LATEST SCARE ACROSS STATE LINES ALSO HAS LINDA STEPHENS FOCUSED ON THE EMERGENCY PLANS FOR FIRST RESPONDERS AND HER OWN FAMILY. THAT TRAIN THAT DERAILED IN EAST PALESTINE WOULD HAVE COME RIGHT PAST US. SO AND IT WAS ON ITS WAY THROUGH HERE WHEN IT DERAILED. AND THERE’S THE CRACKER PLANT. THERE’S THE NUCLEAR PLANT THAT ARE YOU KNOW, WITHIN A SHORT AMOUNT OF DISTANCE THAT IF SOMETHING HAPPENED THERE, ARE WE GOING TO BE WARNED? ARE WE GOING TO BE PROTECTED? YOU KNOW, ARE THEY GOING TO RESPOND THE WAY THEY SHOULD? IT’S SCARY. IT’S THE NOT KNOWING THAT’S REALLY HARD. WHEN TRAIN 32 END DERAILED IN EAST PALESTINE. THE NTSB SAYS A TOTAL OF 38 RAIL CARS LEFT THE TRACKS. SEVERAL OF THEM CARRIED VINYL CHLORIDE, BUT IT WAS NOT THE ONLY TOXIC CHEMICAL ON BOARD. WE HAVE A VISUAL BREAKDOWN OF THE CHEMICALS AND THE MANY DIFFERENT DERAILED CARS ON OUR WEBSITE AND TAKEN. NOW PAUL VAN OSDOL EXPLORES HOW COMMON IT IS FOR TRAINS TO TRANSPORT TOXIC CHEMICALS ALONG TRACKS THAT RUN RIGHT THROUGH THE HEARTS OF NEIGHBORHOODS. THIS TRAIN IS CARRYING HAZARDOUS MATERIAL TANKERS ACROSS THE OHIO RIVER TOWARD PITTSBURGH’S NORTH SIDE. A CLOSE LOOK SHOWS 25 CARS HAVE THE SAME PLACARD. NUMBER 1075. THAT’S THE CODE FOR LIQUEFIED PETROLEUM GAS. ONE OF THE MORE COMMON HAZARDOUS MATERIAL IS SHIPPED THROUGH WESTERN PENNSYLVANIA AT NORFOLK SOUTHERN’S CONWAY YARD ACROSS THE OHIO RIVER FROM ALIQUIPPA. WE SAW TANKERS OF VINYL CHLORIDE, THE SAME CHEMICAL THAT LEAKED, CAUGHT FIRE AND EXPLODED IN EAST PALESTINE. NOT ONLY DO WE HAVE VINYL CHLORIDE COMING THROUGH THE CITY, BUT WE HAVE A LOT OF HAZARDOUS MATERIALS COMING THROUGH THE CITY THAT WE NEED TO BE PREPARED FOR. BEFORE WAS BACK AND CRUDE OIL WAS MY BIG THING. I WAS WORRIED ABOUT. AND NOW THERE’S A CHLORINE AND I TRACE AMMONIA. AND THERE’S A PLETHORA OF OTHER ONES THAT I DON’T EVEN KNOW WHAT THEY ARE UNTIL WE GET ON SCENE. HE DOES NOT KNOW BECAUSE THE RAILROAD CODES ARE NOT REQUIRED TO REPORT WHICH HAZARDOUS CHEMICALS THEY ARE CARRYING. UNLESS THE TRAINS NEED SPECIFIC CRITERIA, THAT’S DUE TO A FEDERAL LAW THAT HAS COME UNDER ATTACK SINCE THE EAST PALESTINE DERAILMENT. THE FACT THAT THIS TRAIN DID NOT QUALIFY UNDER CURRENT LAW, REQUIRING THE RAILROAD COMPANY TO MAKE THAT NOTIFICATION IS JUST ABSURD. IT MAKES ABSOLUTELY NO NO SENSE AT ALL. SO CHRONICLE SET OUT TO LEARN JUST WHICH HAZARDOUS MATERIALS ARE PASSING THROUGH WESTERN PENNSYLVANIA, AND WE FOUND A VARIETY OF TOXIC STUFF. ANHYDROUS AMMONIA. HAZARDOUS WASTE. ETHANOL. ISOPROPANOL ACETATE. MOLTEN PHENOL. HOT AMMONIUM NITRATE SOLUTION. AND PLENTY MORE. SOME OF THESE CHEMICALS ARE IN PRODUCTS THAT WE USE EVERY DAY. VINYL CHLORIDE IS TURNED INTO PVC PIPES. AMMONIUM NITRATE IS IN FERTILIZER. ALMOST AS MANY USES AS YOU COULD IMAGINE. CMU CHEMISTRY PROFESSOR NEIL DONAHUE SAYS THE SUBSTANCES ARE LABELED HAZARDOUS FOR A REASON. SOME OF THEM ARE EXPLOSIVE. SOME OF THEM ARE DIRECTLY TOXIC. IF YOU IF YOU BREATHE THEM AT HIGH CONCENTRATIONS, WHEN THE CHEMICALS ARE RELEASED INTO THE AIR OR WATER, HE SAYS, THEY CAN TURN INTO SOMETHING EVEN NASTIER. AFTER HEARING CONCERNS FROM COMMUNITY MEMBERS, THE EPA IS NOW TRYING TO DETERMINE IF THE VINYL CHLORIDE THAT BURNED IN EAST PALESTINE MORPHED INTO CANCER, CAUSING DIOXINS. IT’S KIND OF THE UNINTENDED STUFF THAT THAT IS THE BIGGEST CONCERN. AND THOSE THINGS THAT CAN STAY IN THE SOIL AND AND REALLY CAUSE LONG TERM HARM FROM LONG TERM EXPOSURE. THAT’S THE THING THAT I WORRY ABOUT THE MOST. FIRST PROBLEM IS RAIL SAFETY ADVOCATE GLENN ALSO URGED OF PITTSBURGH’S NORTH SIDE WORRIES ABOUT TANK CARS CONTAINING CHEMICALS LIKE CHLORINE GAS. AND IF THAT CAR IS PUNCTURED, THAT CHLORINE GAS WILL COME OUT IN A HEAVIER THAN AIR CLOUD, WHICH WILL SUFFOCATE ANYBODY IN ITS PATH. IN 10 MINUTES. AND YOU CAN NOT EVACUATE PITTSBURGH IN 10 MINUTES. HE SAYS IT’S A PARTICULAR CONCERN IN PITTSBURGH, WHERE SOME TRAINS TRAVEL OVER 100 YEAR OLD WATER LINES. THE TOTAL VOLUME AND WEIGHT AND CONSTANT VIBRATION IN IS AN ACCIDENT WAITING TO HAPPEN. NO MORE STOCK BUYBACKS AT A SENATE HEARING, NORFOLK SOUTHERN CEO ALAN SHORE DEFENDED HIS COMPANY’S HAZMAT SAFETY RECORD. YOU’VE SEEN OVER TIME THE NUMBER OF DERAILMENT S HAZARDOUS MATERIAL RELEASES AND PERSONAL INJURIES AS THE CLIENT. THERE’S ALWAYS MORE THAT WE WILL DO. AND I COMMITTED TO HAVING THE BEST SAFETY CULTURE RAILROADS ARE PUSHING THE GOVERNMENT TO ALLOW SHIPMENTS OF AN EVEN MORE DANGEROUS SUBSTANCE LIQUEFIED NATURAL GAS. NOT TO BE CONFUSED WITH WHAT WE SHOWED YOU CROSSING THE OHIO RIVER INTO PITTSBURGH’S NORTH SIDE. THAT WAS LIQUEFIED PETROLEUM LIOM GAS, LIQUEFIED NATURAL GAS OR LNG IS MUCH MORE VOLATILE AND DANGEROUS. 20 TO LNG RAIL CARS IS THE EQUIVALENT EXPLOSIVE FORCE OF THE HIROSHIMA ATOM BOMB. THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION APPROVED LNG BY RAIL, INCLUDING A RAIL LINE IN EASTERN PENNSYLVANIA. BUT THE BIDEN ADMINISTRATION TEMPORARILY SUSPENDED THE SHIPMENTS. NO MATTER WHAT THE HAZARDOUS SUBSTANCE CMU’S NEIL DONOHUE SAYS THE GOVERNMENT NEEDS TO HOLD RAILROADS TO THE HIGHEST SAFETY STANDARDS. YES, THERE ARE THINGS THAT WE’RE GOING TO WANT TO MOVE AROUND THAT ARE DANGEROUS, THAT ARE TOXIC. BUT WE CAN DO IT SAFELY. NEXT ON CHRONICLE WAS A LOT OF PEOPLE MOVING OUT OF TOWN. I’VE BEEN SEEING PEOPLE MOVING, YOU KNOW, U-HAUL AND CHARGE TO THE FURNITURE GOING BY. A COMMUNITY TRAUMATIZED BY HORRIFIC TRAIN DERAILMENT THE NIGHT OF THE BLAST. I MEAN, THE FLAMES THAT WE SHOOT 400 FEET IN THE AIR. WELL, THEN ONE DAYLIGHT CAME WHEN ALL THE BLACK SMOKE AND THE PLUMES YOU COULD SMELL YOU COULD SMELL THE CHEMICALS IN THE AIR. THE IMPACTS STILL BEING FELT IN EAST PALESTINE, OHIO. AND THE WORRIES RESIDENTS HAVE ABOUT THE FUTURE. WELCOME BACK. SOME PEOPLE IN EAST PALESTINE, IN DARLINGTON TOWNSHIP ARE CONCERNED ABOUT THEIR FUTURE. THEY’RE WORRIED ABOUT THEIR FAMILY’S HEALTH, THE VALUE OF THEIR HOMES, THE AIR THEY BREATHE AND THE WATER THEY DRINK. SHELDON INGRAM EXPLAINS HOW THE UNFOLDING CONSEQUENCES OF THIS DERAILMENT MEAN THOUSANDS OF FAMILIES ARE NOW WONDERING WHAT’S NEXT. A FAMILIAR SIGHT AND SOUND THROUGH THE VILLAGE OF EAST PALESTINE. IT’S BEEN THIS WAY SINCE 1853. WOULD ONLY 120 PEOPLE LIVED HERE? FREIGHT TRAINS LOADED WITH COMMERCIAL GOODS AND CHEMICALS EVERY HOUR. THIS IS PART OF LIFE IN EAST PALESTINE. WOULD GENERATIONS SIMPLY COEXISTENCE NEW TO LIVE NEXT TO RAILROAD TRACKS? OR WHILE YOU DON’T HEAR ALL THE TRAINS? I WAS RAISED BY THE RAILROAD TRACKS, SO I WAS USED TO IT, BUT NOT USED TO. THIS. A FRIGHTENING NORFOLK SOUTHERN TRAIN DERAILMENT AND FIRE. THEN SOME OF THE 4700 RESIDENTS FORCED TO FLEE THEIR HOMES. AND THEN THEY WATCHED AS THE STUNNING CONTROLLED BURN OF 115,000 GALLONS OF VINYL CHLORIDE. CREATED AN INVASION OF CHEMICALS INTO THE AIR. TODAY, PEOPLE TALK ABOUT THE PERSONAL IMPACT AND WHAT FRIGHTENS A DINER CALLED SPRINKLES. ON TOP IS WHERE THEY SHARE THEIR CONCERNS OVER BREAKFAST. MORNING CHATTER STARTS WITH COMFORT FOOD LIKE PANCAKES AND A FRESH BATCH OF SAUSAGE GRAVY CALLED THE BEST IN NORTHEAST OHIO. LOOK AT THAT. THOMAS POWERS SAYS HE DOESN’T TRUST NORFOLK SOUTHERN AFTER THE DERAILMENT. SO I BELIEVE, YES, THEY ARE.- THEY’RE JUST COVERING THINGS UP. BUSINESS AS USUAL, YOU KNOW. HE SAYS HE CAME DOWN WITH A RASH AFTER EXPOSURE TO VINYL CHLORIDE. LIKE OTHER RESIDENTS, THE NEXT DAY I CAME BACK, I STARTED GETTING SICK, MY COUGHING UP MUCUS IN MY CHEST AND MY NOSE. YOU KNOW, REAL, YOU KNOW, INFECTED AND I HAD A RASH ON MY FACE. THIS IS THE NEXT DAY AS I SEEM TO GET. HOW BAD WAS THE WRECK? CAN WE STILL SEE? IS IT STILL THERE? WHAT, THE RASH? YEAH, IT’S RIGHT HERE. REAL WHITE CEDAR. RIGHT UP UNDER YOUR EYES. YEAH. AT ANOTHER TABLE. DIANA SMITH AND HER NEW HEALTH CONCERN. AT NIGHT TIMES, I GET HEADACHES AND SORE THROATS IN MY EYES. BURN A REAL BAD HEADACHE. I DON’T KNOW WHAT A MIGRAINE IS BECAUSE I’VE NEVER WAS DIAGNOSED WITH MIGRAINE, BUT IS THAT IS BAD? YEAH. THE SECOND DAY MY HUSBAND WOKE UP WITH A COUGHING FIT. ENDED UP COUGHING UP SOME BLOOD. EAST PALESTINE RESIDENT KELLY EXOTIC IS AN ENVIRONMENTAL FUEL TECHNICIAN. SHE AND HER FAMILY LIVED FOUR MILES FROM THE CRASH SITE. SMOLDER AND BURN FOR TWO DAYS BEFORE THEY DECIDED TO DO THIS CONTROLLED RELEASE. I’M RUNNING A COUPLE OF WEEKS AGO AND THEN IT SEEMS LIKE WIND UP RUNNY NOSE WOULD STOP. I WOULD GET LEMON CONGESTION IN MY THROAT. THAT’S NOT NORMAL. I HAVE SHAKES ON MY LEFT HAND HERE. WILL START SHAKING TREMORS. YEAH. AND DID YOU HAVE THAT BEFORE THAT? NO. THE BIG THING RIGHT NOW IS A LONG TERM HEALTH ISSUES. NUMBER TWO, THE DEPRECIATION OF REAL ESTATE. EVERYTHING THAT YOU GET OUT OF YOUR FARM, YOU PRETTY MUCH PUT BACK IN. DAVE ANDERSON SAYS HIS FARM MIGHT BE IN TROUBLE AFTER EXPOSURE TO THE CONTROL BURN. HE’S A BEAVER COUNTY RESIDENT AND IS PART OF A CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT. WITH THIS. THE BIG PLUME OF SMOKE CAME OUT. WE CONTROLLED BURN. MM HMM. YOU CAN SEE IT FROM HERE, CORRECT? YEAH, YOU COULD. IT CAME PRETTY MUCH THAT’S DUE WEST AND IT CAME OVER THIS HILL AND SPREAD OUT. WHAT WAS YOUR IMMEDIATE CONCERN OR REACTION WHEN YOU SAW IT COMING TOWARDS YOUR HOUSE? WELL, MY IMMEDIATE CONCERN IS THAT WHEN AIR COOLED, IT WAS GOING TO DROP TO THE GROUND AND WE WERE GOING TO BREATHE. AND THAT’S EXACTLY WHAT ENDED UP HAPPENING. THAT SAME TRACK RUNS THROUGH MY PROPERTY. ANDERSON BELIEVES HIS FAMILY BECAME SICK. HE BELIEVES DIOXINS LANDED ON THE COATS AND SKIN OF HIS LIVESTOCK. FOR THAT REASON, HE CANCELED HIS SCHEDULED CATTLE DROP OFF AT THE SLAUGHTERHOUSE. YOU CHOSE NOT TO. I CHOSE NOT TO. YEAH, BECAUSE, WELL, BECAUSE I WOULDN’T FEED IT TO MY OWN FAMILY WITHOUT KNOWING THE ANSWERS. SO YOUR CONCERN IS THAT YOU COULD BE SELLING POISONED BEEF? WELL, CERTAINLY BASIC WOULD BE. YEAH. THAT COULD HAVE ADVERSE HEALTH HEALTH EFFECTS DOWN THE ROAD. I DIDN’T FEEL IT WAS SAFE. AND HOW MANY PEOPLE ARE GOING TO SELL OUR HOMES AND LEAVE THIS GUY? FOR STARTERS, HE IS RUSSELL MURPHY. HE AND HIS WIFE ARE MOVING OUT OF HIS PALESTINE. THEY JOINED THE SAME CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT AS ANDERSON BECAUSE THEY BELIEVE THEIR WATER IS CONTAMINATED. WE’RE JUST GOING TO, YOU KNOW, LIQUIDATE WHAT WE HAVE AND AND TRY, YOU KNOW, STARTING OVER SOMEWHERE. THAT MEANS LISTING YOUR HOUSE. GET ON THE MARKET. YEAH. YOU PACKING UP AND LEAVING? IT’S GOING TO TAKE SOME TIME, BUT THAT’S OUR GOAL NOW. I MEAN, THERE’S A LOT OF PEOPLE MOVING OUT OF TOWN, AND I’VE BEEN SEEING PEOPLE MOVING, YOU KNOW, U-HAUL AND JUST LIVE FURNITURE GOING BY. LET ME TAKE A QUICK COUNT, BECAUSE WE ONLY ALLOCATED ONE PER REQUEST. BUT HUMANITARIAN RELIEF IS POURING IN FOR THE RESIDENTS STAYING PUT. THE CLEAN AIR COUNCIL IN PITTSBURGH RAISED MONEY TO DONATE 60 AIR PURIFIERS TO EAST PALESTINE RESIDENTS. DOZENS OF VOLUNTEERS WITH THE BRIGHT SIDE PROJECT FORMED THE HUMAN ASSEMBLY LINE A FEW WEEKS AGO FOR FOOD DISTRIBUTION RELIEF, FOOD AND MONEY DONATED FROM ACROSS THE COUNTRY. HUNDREDS OF GALLONS OF MILK, THOUSANDS OF GALLONS OF BOTTLED WATER, CANNED FOOD, HUNDREDS OF LOAVES OF BREAD AND FRESH PRODUCE. AT A NEARBY DARLINGTON TOWNSHIP, BEAVER COUNTY. STATE AGENCIES TEAM UP IN THE HEALTH RESOURCE CENTER FOR RESIDENTS. BUT ALL OF THIS GOODWILL CANNOT ERASE THE POST DERAILMENT ANXIETY THAT STILL HAUNTS EASTPORT LISTED RESIDENTS EVERY NIGHT. NOW. I HEAR EVERY TRAIN AT NORMAL THAT WE HAVE TO RETURN TO. IT’S A CERTAIN KIND OF ANXIETY, RIGHT? IT’S LIKE YOU HAVE PANIC ATTACKS AND IT DIDN’T HAPPEN BEFORE. I LIVE RIGHT NEXT TO THE TRACKS, SO EVERY TIME THE TRAIN GOES BY AND THAT IT MAKES A NOISE, YOU KNOW, I JUMP, YOU KNOW, THINKING IT’S COMING OFF THE TRACKS AGAIN. SO IT’S LITTLE AN ANXIETY GOING ON EVERY TIME THEY GO PAST MY HOUSE. IT’S HUMAN NATURE TO HAVE THOSE CONCERNS. YOU KNOW, I’M SCARED. AND EVERY ONE OF YOUR VIEWERS HAS VERY GOOD REASON TO BE SCARED. AHEAD ON CHRONICLE CONCERNS ABOUT RAIL SAFETY WITH THEM CUTTING BACK ON THEIR INSPECTION TIME. IT’S JUST AN ACCIDENT WAITING TO HAPPEN. ENGINEERS AND SAFETY EXPERTS WEIGHING IN WHAT’S AHEAD OF SAFETY. ANYTHING TO MAKE MONEY. WHAT THEY SUGGEST TO FIX SAFETY ISSUES. THE EAST PALESTINE DERAILMENT HAS RAISED QUESTIONS ABOUT THE RAILROAD INDUSTRY’S COMMITMENT TO SAFETY. NTSB INVESTIGATORS BELIEVE A WORN DOWN WHEELBARROW RIG THAT OVERHEATED AND CAUGHT FIRE BEFORE THE TRAIN LEFT THE TRACKS LED TO THIS DERAILMENT. BUT THE QUESTION OF WHY IT FAILED REMAINS AS WE ALL NOW FOCUS ON WHAT CAN BE DONE TO STOP HISTORY FROM REPEATING ITSELF. RAILROAD PROFITS HAVE SOARED IN THE PAST DECADE, BUT THE RATE OF ACCIDENTS HAS ALSO SEEN A STEADY RISE. AT THE SAME TIME, RAILROADS HAVE BEEN CUTTING THEIR WORKFORCE FORCE, AND SOME EMPLOYEES SAY THAT’S PUTTING THE PUBLIC AT RISK. PAUL VAN OSDOL EXPLAINS. NORFOLK SOUTHERN’S CONWAY TERMINAL WAS THE DESTINATION FOR THE TRAIN THAT DERAILED IN EAST PALESTINE. THE RAIL YARD IS ALSO WHERE REGIS PASCUCCI SPENT HIS 41 YEAR CAREER INSPECTING RAIL CARS. IT’S LIKE GETTING YOUR CAR INSPECTED. YOU GO OVER THE BRAKES WHEN THE WHEELS MAKE SURE THE WHEELS ARE OKAY. YOU HAVE A LOT OF SAFETY APPLIANCES ON THE CAR, LIKE THE LADDERS ON THE SIDE TO CLIMB UP AND STUFF. YOU WALK AS SLOW AS YOU CAN AND YOU JUST YOU’RE LOOKING EVERYWHERE. THE SCHOOLS HE WAS ALLOWED JUST 3 MINUTES TO INSPECT EACH RAIL CAR. BUT NOW HE SAYS THE RAILROAD GIVES INSPECTORS JUST ONE MINUTE PER CAR. NOW I’M RUSHING BECAUSE I ONLY HAVE A MINUTE IN THE CAR. SO IT’S VERY EASY FOR ME TO MISS SOMETHING WITH THEM CUTTING BACK ON THEIR INSPECTION TIME. IT’S JUST AN ACCIDENT WAITING TO HAPPEN. HE SAYS THE INSPECTION TIMES DROPPED WHEN NORFOLK SOUTHERN AND OTHER RAILROADS IMPLEMENTED WHAT’S CALLED PRECISION SCHEDULE RAILROADING. RAILROADS SAY PSR HAS ALLOWED THEM TO CUT COSTS WITHOUT SACRIFICING SAFETY. A SPOKESPERSON FOR THE AMERICAN ASSOCIATION OF RAILROADS SAYS RAIL IS THE SAFEST WAY TO SHIP HAZARDOUS MATERIALS. BUT GOVERNMENT DATA SHOWS THE ACCIDENT RATE ON MAINLINE RAILROADS ROSE 29% FROM 2013 TO 2022, WHILE THE NUMBER OF HOURS WORKED BY RAIL EMPLOYEES FELL BY AN IDENTICAL. AMOUNT 29%. 100 YEARS AGO, THE RAILROAD INVENTED SAFETY FIRST. SCOTT WILCOX RETIRED FROM NORFOLK SOUTHERN LAST YEAR AFTER AN 18 YEAR CAREER AS A LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEER. WHEN PSR BEGAN, HE SAYS, NORFOLK SOUTHERN PUT UP A POSTER IN EMPLOYEE LOUNGES WHEN THEY PUT THIS POSTER UP. SAFETY IS FOR WHAT’S AHEAD OF SAFETY. ANYTHING TO MAKE MONEY. THE RAILROAD HAS BEEN MAKING MONEY. $3.3 BILLION IN PROFIT FOR NORFOLK SOUTHERN LAST YEAR, AND THE COMPANY ANNOUNCED A $10 BILLION STOCK REPURCHASE PLAN. IN A HEARING, SENATORS GRILLED NORFOLK SOUTHERN CEO ALAN SHAW ABOUT PSR AND HIS COMMITMENT TO SAFETY. WILL YOU MAKE A COMMITMENT RIGHT NOW TO THE AMERICAN PEOPLE THAT YOU WILL LEAD THE INDUSTRY IN ENDING THIS DISASTROUS POSITION? SCHEDULED RAILROADING WHICH HAS SLASHED YOUR WORKFORCE AND MADE RAILROADING MUCH LESS SAFE? YES OR NO? YOU MAKE THAT COMMITMENT. SHAW DID NOT DIRECTLY ANSWER, BUT HE DID SAY THAT SINCE HE BECAME CEO LAST YEAR, WE’VE BEEN ON A HIRING SPREE. THE NUMBER OF EMPLOYEES AT NORFOLK SOUTHERN TODAY IS 1500 MORE THAN IT WAS THIS TIME LAST YEAR. SHAW ALSO SAID THE COMPANY INVESTED A BILLION DOLLARS IN SAFETY IMPROVEMENTS LAST YEAR AND LOWERED ITS ACCIDENT RATE. NORFOLK SOUTHERN RUNS A SAFE RAILROAD. AND IT’S MY COMMITMENT TO IMPROVE THAT SAFETY AND MAKE OUR SAFETY CULTURE THE BEST IN THE INDUSTRY. STILL, THERE HAVE BEEN WARNING SIGNS IN RECENT YEARS, INCLUDING IN NORFOLK. SOUTHERN DERAIL AND ON PITTSBURGH’S SOUTH SIDE. IN 2018. THE FEDERAL RAILROAD ADMINISTRATION FOUND A BROKEN PIECE OF TRACK CAUSED THE DERAILMENT. BUT JUST WEEKS BEFORE THE DERAILMENT, A NORFOLK SOUTHERN CONTRACTOR INSPECTED THAT SAME SECTION OF TRACK AND FAILED TO SEE A PROBLEM. AN FAA REPORT FOUND SERIOUS OVERSIGHTS BY THE CONTRACTOR. IN A SEPARATE MATTER, NORFOLK SOUTHERN IS FACING A WHISTLE BLOWER LAWSUIT FROM FORMER LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEER RUSSELL POZHARSKYI, WHO WORKED AT THE CONWAY YARD. PRISON. OSC SAYS NORFOLK SOUTHERN FIRED HIM AFTER HE MADE FREQUENT REPORTS ABOUT LOCOMOTIVES THAT FAILED TO MEET RAILROAD AND FEDERAL REGULATIONS AND WERE UNSAFE TO MOVE. HE SAYS HIS SUPERVISORS TOLD HIM THAT ON TIME, DEPARTURES WERE MORE IMPORTANT THAN ADEQUATE PRE-DEPARTURE INSPECTION. IN COURT PAPERS, NORFOLK SOUTHERN DENIES HIS BIZARRE EXCUSE ALLEGATIONS AND SAYS HE WAS FIRED FOR REASONABLE AND LEGIT, SMART, NONDISCRIMINATORY BUSINESS REASONS. PITTSBURGH RAIL SAFETY ADVOCATE GLENN ULSTER’S SAYS THE EAST PALESTINE DISASTER SHOULD BE A CLARION CALL TO INDUSTRY GOVERNMENT AND RESIDENTS. I’M SCARED, AND EVERY ONE OF YOUR VIEWERS HAS VERY GOOD REASON TO BE SCARED BECAUSE THAT ROLLING STOCK FAILURE THAT WE SAW IN EAST PALESTINE COULD HAVE BEEN ON ANY RAIL LINE ANYWHERE IN THE COUNTRY. A FEW WEEKS AFTER THE DERAILMENT, EIGHT U.S. SENATORS FROM OHIO AND PENNSYLVANIA JOINED FORCES TO DRAFT A BIPARTISAN RAIL SAFETY ACT. THIS BILL CALLS FOR MORE THOROUGH AND FREQUENT INSPECTIONS. IT ALSO DEFINES SAFETY STANDARDS FOR TRANSPORTING HAZARDOUS MATERIALS. CHRONICLE TRAVELED TO WASHINGTON, D.C., TO GET A FIRSTHAND LOOK AT HOW RAILROAD WORKERS AND THEIR UNIONS ARE HELPING CRAFT THE LEGISLATION. SEE OUR EXPANDED COVERAGE ON TAKEOFF. I KNOW IT’S UNSAFE TO BE HERE. I KNOW THE AIR ISN’T SAFE TO BREATHE. I KNOW THAT ULTIMATELY WE’RE PROBABLY GOING TO END UP WITH CANCER. WHAT HAPPENS NEXT? FOLLOWING A DEVASTATING TRAIN DERAILMENT? I THINK WHAT WE NEED TO DO IS CONTINUE CLOSE MONITORING OF INDOOR AIR, GROUNDWATER AND DO THIS FOR A LONG TIME. AHEAD ON CHRONICLE, THE LESSONS BEING LEARNED IN REAL TIME FOR WHEN A DISASTER LIKE THIS