Friday marks one month since the East Palestine train derailment, and next week Norfolk Southern's CEO will testify in front of the Senate.
Alan Shaw will testify in front of the U.S. Senate Environment and Public Works Committee on Thursday. That happens to be the same committee for which Shelley Moore Capito is a ranking member on.
Capito said the committee will have many questions for Shaw.
"What did you do right away?” Capito asked. “Did the community know what was being carried? Have you been responsive to the community?
"We're going to be looking at the emergency response, most importantly on the environmental side, air, water, health, what went wrong? What could've been done better?"
Now, one month post derailment, many East Palestine residents continue to struggle physically, mentally and financially.
CM: What are your thoughts on this and how do you plan to hold them accountable for their actions?
SMC: We have been very closely monitoring what has been going on in East Palestine and I feel a lot of empathy for those folks that were directly affected, but also we know West Virginians are affected because of the water and the outtakes are in the Ohio River.
CM: This was right over the river. This was close to a Weirton or a New Cumberland. What are your thoughts on that water testing as you sit on that committee?
SMC: Well, that water testing has to not just occur today, but in the years to come. It should've been instantaneous. We're going to talk a lot about this in the committee - the water testing.
Senators across the country are taking action through bipartisan legislation regarding rail safety.
CM: We've seen a lot of action in the Senate with that bipartisan legislation from Senator Vance and Senator Sherrod Brown.
SMC: Senator Vance and Brown and the
Pennsylvania senators have put together a Rail Safety Act. We'll probably have
hearings on that as well over on Commerce Committee, which I'm on as well. So,
I’m right there in the middle of it. I think there are definitely ways we can
improve the safety of our rails. We have too many derailments. And I think this
one is a good example of how we need to improve how the companies need to
improve."