On Tuesday, June 25, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) will hold a public meeting regarding the 2023 East Palestine train derailment and subsequent hazardous material release and fires. During the hearing, NTSB board members will vote on the findings, probable cause, and recommendations. The board also will vote on any changes to the draft final report.
BLET has worked closely with the NTSB during the East Palestine investigation. Members of the union’s Safety Task Force (STF), including STF Chairman and National Vice President Randy Fannon, STF National Coordinator Brian Fransen, and STF Assistant Coordinator Shawn Lawton, will be in East Palestine, Ohio for this, the final NTSB hearing on East Palestine.
The hearing begins at 9:30 a.m. E.T., Tuesday morning at East Palestine High School. Open to the public, the proceedings also can be viewed live through the NTSB’s YouTube channel at: www.youtube.com/user/NTSBgov
The East Palestine derailment served as a catalyst for a major piece of rail safety legislation, the Railway Safety Act, which was introduced in the U.S. Senate in March 2023, just days after the derailment. For months, the bill has largely been stalled in the Senate and related legislation has been delayed in the House of Representatives by Republican members of Congress who said that they would not consider the proposed legislation until the NTSB releases its findings.