Norton Visits Site of CSX Derailment; Will Meet with FRA Officials, Wednesday
WASHINGTON, D.C.—After today visiting the site where a CSX freight train carrying hazardous material derailed on Sunday, Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) will be meeting with Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) officials on Wednesday, May 4, 2016. Norton was assured by CSX officials that transportation would be restored on the tracks this week, likely by Tuesday evening. Norton said she had been particularly concerned for residents of the surrounding Rhode Island Ave. NE neighborhood due to the spillage from rail cars of hazardous material—sodium hydroxide, which is toxic to the touch, and ethanol, which is flammable, but said that most of the chemical material had been contained, and steps were taken to prevent any traces of the chemical substances from seeping into the ground. Since CSX only owns the tracks and not the rail cars, Norton said she needs clarification on the relationship between FRA and CSX if such discrepancies are to be overcome.
“Unfortunately, Sunday’s CSX derailment is emblematic of the nation’s crumbling infrastructure, and we can expect to see more incidents unless we get serious about having a 21st century transportation infrastructure,” Norton said. “This derailment is a wakeup call that should teach us about preventing future hazmat rail car derailments. Although this derailment happened in an open-space area of the tracks, I am particularly concerned if such a derailment had occurred in a tunnel, such as the CSX Virginia Avenue tunnel, where construction continues.”