Train derailments in the Pittsburgh region are more likely to happen in disadvantaged communities and near waterways.
The report from the University of Pittsburgh looks at rail accidents between 1998 and 2024, using data from the Federal Railroad Administration.
There were more than 1,348 train derailments over that period in the Ohio River Basin, which includes Western Pennsylvania; much of Ohio, Indiana, West Virginia, and Kentucky; and parts of Illinois and Tennessee. Of those, 18 released hazardous materials.
Pitt professor Dan Bain said the most incidents per square mile with hazmat releases happened between where the three rivers meet in Pittsburgh and the Ohio border.
"Train safety really matters for our region," Bain said. "East Palestine became a huge disaster, but each time we have an accident, there's a possibility we get a huge disaster."
On Feb. 3, 2023, a Norfolk Southern train carrying toxic chemicals derailed in East Palestine, Ohio. Norfolk Southern decided to intentionally burn five cars of vinyl chloride, sending a plume of black smoke over the community. The decision has since been criticized by safety officials. Norfolk Southern agreed to a $310 million settlement with the Environmental Protection Agency for cleanup, water testing and health monitoring.
Water researchers at Pitt said, because waterways are connected across entire regions, a bigger lens is necessary to capture the true impact of accidents. So, they looked at incidents in the Ohio River Basin, which is home to about 10% of the U.S. population.
The new analysis shows 77% of derailments happened within a quarter-mile of a stream, and 30% happened within a Drinking Source Water Protection Area.
About 1 in 4 derailments happened in vulnerable communities, defined as places with a high level of poverty or minority groups. The analysis shows derailments are 35 times more likely to release hazardous materials in vulnerable communities than compared to the basin overall.
Bain said railroads can benefit everyone through faster delivery of cheaper products.
"So, there should not be one group or one community that assumes more of that risk than other groups that are taking advantage of the benefits," he said.
The data doesn't explain why accidents happen where they do. Causes could be related to train speed, track maintenance, or the landscape.
Bain said a number of rail accidents in the 1970s created a new culture of safety that led to huge improvements in the following decades.
He said lawmakers at all levels should be looking for ways to prevent future incidents.
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