‘We need to hold Norfolk Southern accountable;’ Sen. Brown reacts to lawsuit against rail company

OHIO — One of Ohio’s senators is discussing rail safety after train derailments around the state.

News Center 7 spoke with Sen. Sherrod Brown Thursday about the changes he and Sen. JD Vance want to see after derailments in East Palestine and Springfield.

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Brown told News Center 7′s John Bedell, that he supports the lawsuit Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost filed against Norfolk Southern Tuesday. The lawsuit is aimed at holding the company financially responsible for the toxic derailment in East Palestine last month.

“I agree with them. I think that we need to hold Norfolk Southern accountable,” Brown said.

After the recent derailments in Ohio, Brown said he wants to make sure Norfolk Southern operates safely in Ohio.

The train that jumped the tracks in Springfield was not considered a hazmat derailment even though it had hazardous materials on the train that didn’t spill.

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Brown said he wants to require companies to notify the state what they’re hauling through our communities, even if it’s not considered a hazmat spill.

“Then then we can notify the firefighters in Springfield, and in Xenia and in Dayton and in Middletown, in Hamilton and in Miami County and Preble County. The people that — the first responders need to know that these hazmat trains, these these trains with toxic substances are coming through their community, that they should notify the state and then the state should notify the local authorities,” Brown said.

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