Sherrod Brown Holds Norfolk Southern Accountable, Stands Up for East Palestine Residents
COLUMBUS, OH – On Monday, Sherrod continued his fight to hold Norfolk Southern accountable for their incompetence and greed following the toxic train derailment in East Palestine last year.
Read / watch what they’re saying below:
WKBN: Sherrod Visits East Palestine, Continues to Hold Norfolk Southern Accountable
WKBN: “Brown also announced that he’s working on a new tax bill to help residents avoid getting hit with unnecessary tax bills.”
WYTV: Sherrod Holds Norfolk Southern Accountable, Stands Up for East Palestine Residents
WYTV: “Brown met with local and federal leaders to talk about the ongoing cleanup… The Senator is working on some new legislation to make sure the money you got from Norfolk Southern as assistance won’t be taxed.”
WFMJ: Sen. Sherrod Brown answers to latest E. Palestine derailment efforts and NTSB findings during stop
Madison Tromler – March 11, 2024
- Ohio U.S. Senator Sherrod Brown stopped in East Palestine to learn about the latest clean-up work following last year’s train derailment. This visit comes after the National Transportation Safety Board said last week that the agency found the controlled burn following the disaster was not necessary.
- Brown said he’s looking to Norfolk Southern to address further the lingering concerns in East Palestine following the train derailment, as clean-up goes on.
- Brown said ultimately, Norfolk Southern is responsible for the massive plume created from the vent-and-burn of toxic tank cars.
- “That’s really Norfolk Southern making that decision because they pushed without complete information,” he said, “They moved too fast and that burn was not necessary, and so much of the vinyl chlorine contaminants in the air or because of that burn, could have managed.”
- “I want Norfolk Southern to stay here and continue to do what they have to do, including reimbursing health departments and EPA because this was caused by them,” Brown said, “Taxpayers, Ohio taxpayers, Columbia County taxpayers, East Palestine taxpayers shouldn’t be paying for this clean up in this testing of this monitoring. We want to make sure that water, that the city water, village water, is tested regularly.“
WKBN: Sen. Brown visits East Palestine amid ‘angering’ NTSB report
Jon Rudder – March 11, 2024
- Ohio Sen. Sherrod Brown was in East Palestine on Monday, his ninth visit to the village since last year’s devastating train derailment.
- Brown met with local and federal leaders to discuss the ongoing cleanup, and also to talk about what the senator is working on in terms of new legislation that will ensure residents aren’t taxed on any financial assistance from Norfolk Southern.
- That assistance — as well as any other financial windfall the community has received, could in fact be taxed, something Brown wants to rectify.
- “Lost wages people have, they pay taxes on if provided by Norfolk Southern, and we’ve got to fix that law. Because nobody should get hit with the tax bill,” Brown said.
The Business Journal: Sen. Brown Still Angry About Controlled Explosion in East Palestine
Deanne Johnson – March 12, 2024
- U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown returned to the village Monday, still angered over testimony last week by Jennifer Homendy, chair of the National Transportation Safety Board, who said their investigation had determined the controlled vent and burn of five railcars containing vinyl chloride may not have been necessary.
- After Homendy’s testimony last week, Brown, D-Ohio, released a statement calling it “outrageous” and “more proof that Norfolk Southern put profits over safety and cannot be trusted.”
- Standing in the 1820 House Candles shop in downtown East Palestine on Monday, Brown again blamed Norfolk Southern for the decision, stating it moved too fast and pushed without complete information, which led to the unnecessary burn and additional contamination entering the air.
- “We’ve got to make sure that Norfolk Southern continues to monitor and test people for as long as they think that they need it,” said Brown, adding he saw people with rashes and burns early on after the derailment and now it is important to know what this will do to them down the road.
- [Sherrod’s Railway Safety Act] would enhance safety procedures for trains carrying hazardous materials and establish requirements for wayside defect detectors aimed at catching a problem before it reaches a critical level – like the train in East Palestine. It would also require at least two-person crews and increase fines for railroads found in violation and responsible for accidents.
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