EAST PALESTINE — Ohio Sen. Sherrod Brown met with Norfolk Southern CEO Alan Shaw in Washington on Thursday to voice his frustration with recovery efforts following February’s East Palestine train derailment. Brown also expressed concerns about other derailments that have occurred in Ohio before and since the rail disaster. Wednesday marked three months since an overheated wheel bearing caused a 149-car train hauling hazardous materials to derail in the village.

“From East Palestine to Sandusky to Cleveland, communities across Ohio have suffered damage because of Norfolk Southern derailments and its neglect of its crumbling infrastructure,” Brown said via a press release. “The company must keep its promises and make things right. I will continue to hold Norfolk Southern accountable and press for swift improvements that will prevent further damage and potential injuries in the future.”

In October, a Norfolk Southern train carrying paraffin wax derailed in Sandusky. The city is still waiting for the railroad to repair damage that occurred to a retaining wall of an underpass and repairs to pavement and the sewer infrastructure. The underpass remains closed since the train derailment in October.

Brown also addressed the Lake Avenue Bridge in Cleveland and complaints of concrete falling from it despite past repair efforts by Norfolk Southern. Brown’s office reported that “of the 20 rail properties owned by Norfolk Southern in the Cleveland area, 16 of them show signs of decay, including rusting support beams and crumbling concrete.”

Also in Ohio, 20 cars of a Norfolk Southern cargo train derailed near Springfield, just 50 miles west of Columbus, a month after the East Palestine derailment, but no hazardous materials were aboard that train.

Last month, Brown made his fourth trip to East Palestine since the rail disaster to meet with residents and discuss concerns in the wake of the rail disaster and controlled burn of vinyl chloride over the village. Brown also traveled to Sandusky in April where he joined rail union workers and officials at the site of that city’s derailment to drum up support for his bipartisan Railway Safety Act of 2023. On March 1, Brown along with Sen. JD Vance introduced the bill, which among other safety measures, would impose a two-person crew mandate, fewer distance between wayside hotbox detectors and advance notice to municipalities when toxic materials are hauled by rail through their communities. So far, the bill is yet to move past the Senate.

Despite Brown’s frustation with Norfolk Southern’s lack of response in Sandusky, progress has been made in East Palestine. Last month, local media was invited to the derailment site as work on the first set of track neared completion. That work began in late February and was finished in mid-April. Rail traffic has now been shifted to the repaired southbound tracks and Norfolk Southern has begun remediation of the north tracks. The excavating the dirt beneath the rail bed, disposing of all contaminated dirt and liquid waste from the site and the installation of new rails should move faster on the second set of tracks as experience is expected to expedite the process.

“We learned from the first set of tracks. We learned what works and what works better,” Chris Hunsicker, regional manager of Environmental Operations at Norfolk Southern, explained from the derailament site. “We gained efficieny. We expect work on the northbound tracks to move a little faster. It’s going to take time but hopfully not as much time as it took on the southbound tracks.”

selverd@mojonews.com