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U.S. NEWS Tuesday 25 June 2024
Railroads must provide details of hazardous cargo immediately

after a derailment under new rule

By JOSH FUNK of American Railroads trade
Associated Press group estimates some 2.3 mil-
OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — A new lion first responders now have
federal rule finalized Monday access to that information as
aims to ensure first responders a result of the effort to ex-
can find out what hazard- pand into dispatch centers.
ous chemicals are on a train The six biggest railroads also
almost immediately after a make train cargo informa-
derailment so they can re- tion immediately available
spond appropriately. through the chemical indus-
Too often in past disasters like try’s hazardous materials ho-
last year’s fiery Norfolk South- tlines in the U.S. and Canada
ern derailment in East Pales- known as the CHEMTREC and
tine, Ohio, firefighters risked CANUTEC, emergency call
their lives trying to extinguish centers.
a blaze without knowing the But the new federal rule also
right way to respond. The lo- applies to the hundreds of
cal fire chief in charge of the smaller railroads that aren’t
response said it took him 45 involved in AskRail.
minutes to learn exactly what Even railroads that only have
was in the 11 burning tank one or two employees now
cars on the train, but some must have a plan to get the
firefighters from neighboring crucial details of their cargo
departments that came to A view of the scene Feb. 24, 2023, as cleanup continues at the site of a Norfolk Southern freight to the local fire department
train derailment that happened on Feb. 3, in East Palestine, Ohio.
help said they didn’t know Associated Press quickly, even if its as simple
what they were dealing with as having the fire chief’s cell
until two hours after the Feb. big of an evacuation zone tional Transportation Safety freight railroads developed phone number at the ready.
3, 2023, crash. might be required to protect Board’s final hearing on the an app called AskRail roughly Railroads also must test their
First responders need to know the public. East Palestine derailment, a decade ago that enables plan at least once a year.
exactly which hazardous ma- “There are so many different where they will discuss ex- firefighters to quickly look up “In a hazmat incident, fire-
terials are on a train so they types of hazardous materi- actly what caused that crash the details of what each train fighters and first responders
can look it up in the govern- als being transported across and recommend steps to carries. But not every fire- arriving on scene need to

ment’s official guidebook the country on any given day prevent similar disasters. fighter had the app, and cell know what kind of hazard-
and make sure they have one in 10 goods that move Train crews have long carried phones don’t always have a ous materials are present so
the right protective gear across the United States and lists of their cargo in the cabs signal strong enough to work they can protect themselves
and firefighting tools, said each one, poses unique risks of their locomotives, but in in a disaster. and their communities,” U.S.
Tristan Brown, deputy admin- and hazards, certainly to the the middle of the chaos after Regulators want the railroads Transportation Secretary Pete
istrator of the Pipelines and folks who are running towards a derailment those engineers to continue expanding ac- Buttigieg said.
Hazardous Materials Safety a fire,” Brown said. “But cer- and conductors, who might cess to that app, including It’s not clear how this rule
Administration agency that tainly as well for anybody have moved their locomo- to 911 centers, so information might have changed the
proposed the rule. who may be living or work- tives miles down the track, reaches first responders soon- outcome in East Palestine,
Knowing what chemical is ing in that vicinity.” can’t always be found right er. The railroads have been but more information could
involved and how much of The rule was published just away. expanding access over the have helped responding fire-
it is aboard also affects how one day ahead of the Na- That’s part of why the largest past year. The Association fighters. q

After FBI raid, defiant Oakland mayor says she did nothing wrong

and will not resign

OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — very public raid was suspi- the NAACP in an emailed statement. “It is telling that no other city officials have
In her first public remarks cious as it came days after defended the mayor, nor
since federal authorities backers of a mayoral recall do any of them even seem
raided her home last week, were informed by the city to be in contact with her,”
a defiant and furious mayor clerk that they had col- she said.
of Oakland, California, said lected enough signatures It appears Thao and her son
she did not do anything to qualify for the ballot, were home Thursday morn-
wrong and she has no likely in November. Back- ing during the raid. She said
plans to resign from office. ers of the recall say public her first priority was to make
Mayor Sheng Thao read safety and economic vital- sure they were safe.
from a prepared statement ity have worsened under Thao, 38, took office in 2023.
and took no questions the politically progressive She is of Hmong descent
Monday, four days after FBI mayor, and that she should and says she grew up poor.
agents carried boxes out of not have fired Police Chief “And when my parents
the home she shares with LeRonne Armstrong. came to this country flee-
her son and partner as part The city desperately needs ing genocide, they never
of an investigation that in- “active, engaged and could have imagined that
cluded searches of two competent leadership” in Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao makes remarks to the media at their daughter would one
other houses owned by an- this trying time, wrote Cyn- Oakland City Hall in Oakland, Calif., Monday, June 24, 2024, day be mayor of Oakland.
other family. thia Adams, president of following an FBI raid on her home and three others last week. I am my ancestors’ wildest
Thao said the timing of the the Oakland chapter of Associated Press dream,” she said. q