WASHINGTON — National Transportation Safety Board Chair Jennifer Homendy said the federal investigative panel is considering Senate Majority Leader Charles E. Schumer’s request to probe safety regulations at all the major rail companies.
The request from Schumer, D-N.Y., followed a Norfolk Southern train derailment in East Palestine, Ohio, that leaked hazardous chemicals in early February. The NTSB is investigating Norfolk Southern as part of the derailment inquiry.
Schumer sent a letter to Homendy last week urging the board to expand its investigation to all Class I railroads, including giants like BNSF Railway, CSX and Canadian Pacific, with the goal of improving rail safety across the country.
“A full investigation could tell us which of (the derailments) occurred because of tracks that were degraded or … which policies contributed to the 2,700 deaths in recent years and if any of these could have been prevented,” Schumer said on the floor Wednesday. “The Senate deserves explanations; Americans and communities like East Palestine want answers.”
