Antonio Issues Statement on Select Committee on Rail Safety Final Report

Today, Senate Minority Leader Nickie J. Antonio (D-Lakewood) issued the following statement after members of the Ohio Senate Select Committee on Rail Safety unanimously approved its final report.

“I applaud the committee for their work resulting in these recommendations,” said Antonio. “We now have a framework to move on the rail safety concerns magnified by the East Palestine derailment. We must continue to advocate for the passage of the Brown-Vance Railway Safety Act of 2023, test soil and water, and fully fund a study of the region's agriculture. I look forward to addressing these issues in a bipartisan manner.”

The Select Committee on Rail Safety was constituted in response to the East Palestine Train Derailment in February. Included in their report are recommendations that the United States Congress pass the Railway Safety Act of 2023, additional resources be provided for training for volunteer fire and EMS personnel, and continued long-term testing of soil and water be conducted at and near the derailment in East Palestine for a period of at least 20 years, among others.