WASHINGTON (Reuters) – U.S. Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer on Monday called for Norfolk Southern Railway Chief Executive Alan Shaw to testify to Congress on “what went wrong” in the Feb. 3 train derailment in East Palestine in northeastern Ohio, that resulted in the spill of dangerous chemicals.
The accident ignited a fire and spewed a cloud of smoke over the town, forcing thousands of residents to evacuate while railroad crews drained and burned off chemicals. No fatalities or injuries have been reported, but residents have demanded answers about potential health risks.
“The fault for this disaster lies first and foremost with Norfolk Southern,” Schumer said in a Senate speech, adding that Shaw “needs to come before the Senate, answer questions under oath, and explain to the American people exactly what went wrong and how they will prevent accidents like this from happening.”
Schumer attacked Norfolk Southern, one of the top five U.S. railways, with using strong profits to prioritize stock buy backs “instead of putting that money to safety.”
He also said that former President Donald Trump has “blamed everyone but himself” for the disaster, saying the Trump administration worked to loosen safety regulations.
Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell, meanwhile, criticized Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, whom he said has seen a “catalog of crises on his watch,” including this and other train derailments but has failed to attend to “basic elements of his day job.”
(Reporting by Richard Cowan; writing by Paul Grant; Editing by Marguerita Choy)
