Aaron Miller: Ohio railroad disaster should have our focus

Aaron Miller

Trains pass through the very heart of Columbus nearly every day. Railroad tracks cut through the farms and fields of Bartholomew County. Each time that I would drive over a speeding train or waited for one to pass, I never gave it much thought. That all changed last month when a Norfolk Southern train carrying toxic chemicals derailed in East Palestine, Ohio. Since then, the nearly 5,000 residents of this town have been left to wonder if it is safe to drink the water. Is it safe to breathe the air? Are their children safe? The thousands of fish and other animals that soon turned up dead weren’t reassuring.

Will they ever be able to even live in their own homes again? Or has all that they have worked for gone for good? Norfolk Southern’s offer of $1,000 to each of the residents is less than inspiring. And once again, rather than working toward solutions for the current crisis and preventing future wrecks, politicians have been using people’s misery to try to score political points. The Ohio state government even went as far as to initially refuse federal assistance.

I’d like to think that these accidents are rare. But last year alone, there were more than 1,000 train derailments in the United States. In the blink of an eye, one accident here in Columbus could devastate what is truly an amazing and special place to call home. It would destroy everything that many people, and their ancestors before them, have spent their lives building here. One toxic chemical spill could lay waste to family farms or forever contaminate the water we need to survive.

In a recent article in The Republic, representatives from the railroad industry and government officials declined to disclose whether hazard materials and poisons were on trains passing through our hometown. We were assured that local officials were ready to respond in case of an emergency.

In 2018, the administration of the chief executive of the United States agreed to roll back regulations put in place by the previous administration to require electronically controlled pneumatic brakes on trains carrying hazardous materials. The railroad industry claimed they were too expensive. Other federal entities, such as the Environmental Protection Agency, which could keep us safe or mitigate a disaster, have scaled back safety regulations under the leadership of industry insiders. They also lack the funds and personnel to take action. I’m not blaming one politician faction or the other — they both take lobbying money.

Look, I am not a big fan of government regulation. I want as little intrusion in my life as possible. We don’t need regulations that cause nothing but headaches and paperwork for the average citizen or business owner. But the railroad industry isn’t the “average Joe” here.

Ideally, regulations protect the vulnerable from the powerful. And there should be serious penalties for those that violate or ignore safety protocols.

Historically, the railroad industry’s record hasn’t been great. In the 1800s and early 1900s, railroads colluded to charge farmers exorbitant prices to carry their crops to market. Railroads formed trusts and monopolies. The industry treated its workers terribly. Workers endured low wages and deadly working conditions. At that time, working on the railroad was one of the deadliest jobs in the United States. Regulations and enforcement improved those trends.

Regulations don’t cure everything. But I bet I know the answer if you would ask the residents of East Palestine, Ohio, if they wish that the train carrying poisons through their town had been equipped with better brakes. I hope this doesn’t happen here in Columbus … or anywhere else.

Aaron Miller is one of The Republic’s community columnists and all opinions expressed are those of the writer. He has a doctorate in history and is an associate professor of history at Ivy Tech Community College-Columbus. Send comments to [email protected].