see what we could’ve done
better.
We’re going to continue to
invest in safety.
>> Thank you.
>> Jenna, giannis is also here
and has a question.
>> I have a two part question.
The first part of my question
is that if you could walk us
through that decision of not
digging up the soil, in just
rebuilding the train tracks
over, and then second it’s been
roughly three weeks, what new
safety measures do you have
since then, regardless of the
investigation going on.
If you haven’t come up with
that, when can you expect to
hear from them?
This is not the first and it
will definitely not be the
last.
People need to see a lot of
change in a big way.
Those are my questions.
>> Yes, ma’am.
We believe that we had an
environmentally sound
remediation plan for the soil
under the tracks.
However, as I noted, as I
continue to engage with the
workers of east palestine, —
>> Can I interrupt.
What made you believe that was
an okay resolution?
That is what I’m looking for.
What goes into that decision?
>> Our independent
environmental experts.
>> When you dump 100,000
gallons of chemicals, and oil,
—
>> You’re not talking about the
oil.
>> 60,000 gallons of oil, when
you dump that into the ground,
and you don’t take that out of
the ground before you put your
tracks on, and you run your
train on it, that is an okay
decision?
>> The oil, the oil is going to
cause at the long term effects,
because everybody is talking
about the chemicals, and while
I do think that that’s
important, it is the oil that
is seeping into our ground,
that you chose not to dig up,
and just put your tracked right
over top of it.
She is asking you specifically
what led you to that decision,
—
>> Ma’am, we have made a lot of
progress on environmental
remediation.
We’ve dug up 4600 cubic yards
of soil, and we have collected
1.7 million gallons of water.
We will continue with the
environmental remediation, and
in early March, we will start
with tearing up the tracks and
starting to dig up the soil
underneath the tracks.
>> Six weeks.
It’s going to be soaking into
our soil.
>> Until then, we’ll just have
it.
We have to keep going in.
>> Did you get all of your
questions answered?
>> Did specifically ask what
changes you already made, and I
think these residents are also
very valid and asking why the
delay is there, why can’t we do
it tomorrow?
>> Janice, thank you for that.
—
>> It’s Jenna.
>> My apologies.
We are going to be testing and
recalibrate all of the wayside
detectors, all across our
system.
That is something that we stood
up in the immediate aftermath
of this.
>> Is that something visible
for people to see?
Is it public available for us
to see that that’s being done?
>> It is an internal component
to Northrop southern.
>> Don’t you can’t think the
people would want to see that
happening?
Wouldn’t that show that you are
trying to do something
different if you’re actively
showing people this?
>> We can certainly take videos
of that and posted.
>> What we have done based on
feedback that we’ve gotten from
the citizens is that we set up
a website, and we are providing
updates every day on the
environmental remediation plan,
every day for financial
assistance for the community.
>> Mr. Shaw, one of the
questions that we asked that
you didn’t answer had to do
with the fact that obviously
whatever Norfolk southern west
doing almost three weeks ago
was not sufficient in terms of
safety.
Her question was basically, you
don’t need to wait for the
federal government or governor
to tell you to improve things,
for example if it is true, as
senator J.D. Vance notes,
having two staffers in a
trainee on a 150 karacsony
would not seeps efficient in
the view of when the governor
Vance.
Her question is, senator Vance,
her question is, what are you
asking your team to do now in
order to change it before the
government makes you change it.
Because you are in charge of
the company, you could make
those changes and ask, if you
spend a billion dollars on
safety, that’s great, but of
course, your profits are in the
multi billion dollars every
year.
>> We are also advancing
technology on a local motives
to check and inspect the tracks
as they trains run over the
tracks.
We are looking for the results
of the NTSB investigation or
defined the root cause of this,
which is one of the reasons
that we are cooperating fully
with the NTSB and the NRA.
>> We will learn from this.
What we had in place did not
work here.
We’re going to figure this out,
and we’re going to make the
investments and wanted to make
Norfolk southern safer.
>> All right to bring in Jim
Stewart who has a question for
you.
>> A lot of this that I have to
ask has been answered already,
but I am speaking on the aspect
of we, the pieces of east
palestine, just being triggered
by dummies.
We’re not doubling this, we’re
smart people.
Listen to these people, what
they’ve found out about
different things.
I’m angry.
I am angry about this.
I lived in east palestine for
65 years now.
That is my home.
My grandmother came from
Germany, she lived in palestine,
migrant that.
My family has grown up there,
and it’s disgusting that we
have just lost it.
I live in a house that is
probably the closest of any of
these, and it’s a chain.
It’s probably the closest one.
Our house has been expected,
it’s been, this, that I’m
afraid to put my dog out to
pee.
He’s only this top, so I don’t
feel safe in this town.
You took that away from me.
You took this away from us.
You seem like a sincere man,
I’m not calling you names, but
your company stinks.
They are not watching what is
going on.
Workers don’t pay attention
nowadays.
Supervisors and make workers
work.
You have to do something about
this.
I lost a lot.
I can throw a stone to that
borough.
What do we do know?
I come back from Chicago for
four days, we come home, the
other day, I put the garage
door up.
We pull in the garage, got out
of the car, put the garage back
up, and as soon as we head out
of that car, the smell comes
back to us.
Right away.
It’s a headache.
From 65 years old, and diabetic,
heart disease, everything.
Did you shorten my life?
I want to retire and enjoy it.
How are we going to enjoy it?
You burned me.
We were going to sell our house.
Do a mother grass?
Can I plant tomatoes next
summer?
What can I do?
I’m afraid.
It’s in the air, every day I
cough.
A little cough here, a little
cough there.
I’ve never had that.
I’ve got rashes on my cheeks
and my arms, I don’t care a
derailment, I call it a
disaster.
It’s nor folks disaster, not a
train derailment.
I’m honest, I shoot from the
hit, just like the governor.
I’ll tell you the truth.
It seem like a family man,
great man and all, but your
company has to do something.
>> Are you going to make it up
to, Mr. Shaw.
How are you going to make it up
to Jim Stewart and all of the
other families?
>> Jim, thank you for those
comments.
I hear you, I’m terribly sorry
that this has happened to this
community.
What I can do, and what I will
do is make it right.
We’re going to get the cleanup
right.
We’re going to invest in the
long term health of this
community, I’m going to see
this through, and we’re going
to be here.
We’re going to work with these
community leaders to help us
thrive.
I think you heard the mayor
talk about making this
community even better.
That’s what I’m picking up as
I’m talking to the community
leaders and citizens.
We’re looking for ideas from
the community on where we can
help, and things that we can do.
>> Would you be willing to buy
their house?
Will you buy them out of their
houses on the property value so
that they can retire?
That is making right.
Step up.
>> Jim wants to hear your
answer.
>> We’re going to do what’s
right for this committee —
>> But your derailment, it
changed me now.
It has changed me.
It’s made me an angry man.
I’m a Christian, I love the
lord, but you have made me
angry.
I don’t want to be like that.
I want you to respect me like I
respect you right now.
I lost everything, I worked
