NTSB announces results of investigation into toxic train derailment in Ohio

By Jeff Louderback
Contributing Author

More than a year after a Norfolk Southern train carrying toxic chemicals derailed and exploded in East Palestine, Ohio, the National Transportation Safety Board has returned to the village to discuss its investigation into the disaster and make recommendations to prevent future disasters.

NTSB Chair Jennifer Homendy opened the hearing on Tuesday by saying, “On behalf of the entire agency, I want to acknowledge the significant impact of this derailment.”

Some people downplay the impact of the derailment and the decision to vent and burn the fire because there were no fatalities, but “the absence of deaths or injuries does not mean that safety is assured,” Homendy said.

On February 3, 2023, a Norfolk Southern Railway freight train carrying 151 cars derailed, releasing hazardous chemicals, including vinyl chloride, onto the ground and into the air.

Burning vinyl chloride also produces a small amount of phosgene gas, which was used as a chemical weapon in World War I. When 38 of the wagons derailed, a fire broke out, damaging another 12 wagons.

According to the National Transportation Safety Board, eleven wagons loaded with hazardous materials derailed.

Immediately after the accident, fears increased.

To prevent an explosion that authorities said would send shrapnel flying, vinyl chloride was intentionally released and burned on February 6, 2023, sending a huge cloud of black smoke into the sky that was visible for miles.

Ohio Governor Mike DeWine lifted an evacuation order on February 8, 2023, saying residents could now safely return to their homes. After that, federal and state officials repeatedly said tests had shown that air and water in East Palestine and surrounding communities were safe.

However, residents still report headaches, vomiting, burning eyes, rashes and other complaints.

The cause

At the hearing, the NTSB confirmed that a trackside sensor in Salem, Ohio – 20 miles west of East Palestine – failed to detect a burning rail bearing that is believed to have caused the derailment.

The NTSB also announced that firefighters did not receive accurate information about the train’s cargo until more than an hour after the derailment.

There are currently no standards for railroads on how to respond to bearing failure alarms, the NTSB said at the hearing.

NTSB staff said they would recommend that the Federal Railroad Administration create rules detailing how railroads should respond to the alarm.

Other NTSB recommendations include establishing a national database to track overheated wheel bearings and increasing training for volunteer firefighters in Ohio.

The investigative agency also demanded that railroad companies update the standard for labels displayed on tankers to indicate which hazardous substances they are transporting.

Currently, posters only have to withstand the elements for 30 days. There are no regulations that require them to withstand derailments or fires.

Unnecessary venting and burning

During the hearing, the NTSB also confirmed that venting and burning after the derailment were not necessary.

According to the NTSB, Norfolk Southern and its contractors withheld accurate information from vinyl chloride manufacturer OxyVinyls, which compromised the integrity of the vent-and-burn decision.

Norfolk Southern contractors who had recommended blowing open the vinyl tank cars and burning the contents continued to advocate the vent-and-burn strategy despite evidence that the tank cars cooled after the derailment, NTSB officials said at the hearing.

At NTSB hearings earlier this year, OxyVinyls representatives stated that they certainly did not experience a chemical reaction that would have caused the tank cars to explode.

Last week, Norfolk Southern announced it would lead an industry-wide initiative to improve venting and combustion decision-making.

The announcement came as part of an agreement the company reached with the federal government for approximately $310 million.