To The Daily Sun,
Donald Trump has a record of cutting regulations on rail safety and hazardous chemicals. East Palestine is now paying a price for Trump's war on the environment. Before and during his presidency, the rail industry lobbied against regulations. In a 2015 lobbying disclosure, Norfolk Southern “opposed additional speed limitations and requiring ECP brakes.” Electronically controlled pneumatic brakes are superior "smart brakes."
A former top official at the Federal Railroad Administration has claimed that electronic brakes could have minimized or prevented the damage from the derailment. Even a presentation by the railroad industry's own research division said ECP brakes have multiple advantages, including shorter stop distances resulting in "improved safety." Steven Ditmeyer, a retired locomotive engineer, was asked if ECP brakes would have made a difference in East Palestine. Ditmeyer said: "There would not have been that huge pile-up of cars coming from the rear that piled and caused ruptures and fires. So, yes, there is a very high likelihood that there would be significantly less damage."
After a 2013 derailment, the federal government passed a rule requiring ECP brakes for trains carrying hazardous materials. Trump revoked that rule. Trump also placed a chemical industry veteran in charge of the Environmental Protection Agency’s chemical safety office, where industry-friendly changes to how the agency studied health risks were made.
The Trump administration weakened the 2015 Coal Ash Rule, which regulated the disposal of toxic coal waste, and he gutted mercury and air toxic standards. The ash rule required coal plants to treat wastewater with more modern, effective methods in order to curb toxic metals such as arsenic and mercury from contaminating local waters. Mercury is linked to neurological disorders, cardiovascular harm, weakened immune systems, sight and hearing problems, and childhood learning disabilities.
James Veverka
Laconia
(1) comment
Then why didn't Joee change it back - he had 2 years of congressional majority.
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