EAST PALESTINE, Ohio (WKBN) — The National Transportation Safety Board will investigate the train derailment in East Palestine and its impact on residents living there.
The NTSB will be the lead agency in the investigation, according to Norfolk Southern.
The Railroad Division of NTSB has the responsibility for railroad accident investigations involving passenger railroads, freight railroads, and commuter rail transit systems. These accidents typically involve collisions or derailments; some of these accidents lead to the release of hazardous materials as the case with the East Palestine derailment.
The NTSB has already created an investigation page into the East Palestine derailment. It says that an investigation has been initiated into the derailment of the Norfolk Southern freight with hazardous material that caused a fire in East Palestine on Friday, Feb. 3.
“This is the beginning of a long process and we will not jump to any conclusions,” said Michael Graham, a board member for NTSB. “We are here to gather the perishable evidence.”
Any safety recommendations for the future will come from the NTSB.
The 10 impacted rail cars will be moved to staging areas for further investigation, Graham said. Drone mapping has already been completed as well as a walk-through of the railroad tracks outside of the hot zone.
Graham said there were three Norfolk Southern employees working on the train – an engineer, conductor, and a conductor trainee – who have been interviewed, none of whom were hurt.
The data recorder was retrieved along with video and audio recordings. Data will be sent to the NTSB in Washington, D.C.
The initial video shows a mechanical issue with an axle.
NTSB is asking anyone with pictures or videos of the derailment to send them to witness@ntsb.gov.
A full investigation takes 18 to 24 months. A preliminary report will be released in 4 to 6 weeks. Updates will be provided on the agency’s investigation page as well as on Twitter.
The Family Assistance contact information is assistance@ntsb.gov.
State local and federal agencies will work in tandem to assess local damage and environmental impact.
