PA Environment Digest Blog: Ohio River Valley Institute Hosts April 19 Webinar On Policy Action In Response To The Norfolk Southern Train Derailment & Beyond

The Ohio River Valley Institute will host an April 19 webinar on Policy Action In Response To The Norfolk Southern Train Derailment and Beyond from 6:30 to 8:00 p.m.

Join the Ohio River Valley Institute and partners as we discuss the ongoing crisis in East Palestine and how elected leaders can take action and make policy to keep our communities safe from petrochemical harm.

The ongoing train derailment crisis in East Palestine, Ohio is a product of policy failure.

The derailment was 100% preventable, according to a preliminary report from the National Transportation Safety Board, and state officials have revealed the train’s petrochemical cargo was not classified as “highly hazardous,” failing to trigger any requirement to notify residents of its passage.

In recent years, Norfolk Southern has fought against safety measures and prioritized profit margins over fair labor practices.

More than two months after the February 3 derailment, residents of East Palestine are still concerned about the quality of air and water sampling that was initially conducted by Norfolk Southern contractors.

For the residents of East Palestine and peace of mind for railside communities and those at the front lines of petrochemical development, leadership at the local, state, and federal levels can address the policy failures to ensure the safety of residents in East Palestine and beyond.

Featured speakers include--

-- Erika Strassburger, Pittsburgh City Council

-- Justin Mikulka, New Consensus, author of Bomb Trains: How Industry Greed and Regulatory Failure Put the Public at Risk

-- Jamie Cozza, River Valley Organizing

-- Nick Messenger, Ohio River Valley Institute

-- Joanne Kilgour, Ohio River Valley Institute

Click Here to register and for more information.

Resource Links:

-- Ohio River Valley Institute: Overview of Norfolk Southern Derailment And Chemical Spill

-- Ohio River Valley Institute: Norfolk Southern Derailment Is Petrochemical Harm At Its Worst

Upcoming Event

-- April 17-- Ohio River Valley Institute: Webinar On Green Steel In The Ohio River Valley - Mon Valley Works Possibilities. 1:30 to 2:30 p.m.

For more information on their research, upcoming events and more, visit the Ohio River Valley Institute website or follow them on Facebook and Twitter. Click Here to sign up for regular updates (bottom of the page).

NewsClips This Week:

-- WESA: After New Pittsburgh Derailment, Lawmakers Call Again To Pass Federal Train Safety Regulations

-- PA Capital-Star: After Latest Norfolk Southern Train Derailment, Western PA Lawmakers Call For Accountability

-- UnionProgress.com: ‘Bomb Trains’ Are A Threat Lawmakers Must Deal With, Say Western PA Political, Environmental Leaders

-- Post-Gazette: Local Officials, Environmentalists Say It’s Time To Get Rid Of ‘Bomb Trains’

-- UnionProgress.com: 2nd Beaver County School District Sues Norfolk Southern Over Ohio Train Derailment

-- Beaver County Times: Beaver County Schools File Complaints Against Norfolk Southern On Train Derailment

-- Post-Gazette: Railcars From Norfolk Southern Derailment Relocated To Beaver County Railyard, Shapiro Says NS Will Remove Them

-- Ohio River Valley Institute Hosts April 19 Webinar On Policy Action In Response To The Norfolk Southern Train Derailment & Beyond [PaEN]

-- The Center Square - Anthony Hennen: U.S. Dept. HHS Awards PA $50,000 Grant For Community Wellness, Resilience Related to Norfolk Southern Trail Derailment

-- Post-Gazette Editorial: Natural Gas Explosions, Pipeline Ruptures, Train Derailments - PUC Needs Utilities Experts, Not Politicos

-- Post-Gazette: To Stay Or To Go? Two-Months After Norfolk Southern Train Derailment Residents Make A Tough Decision