NS to Establish Vent and Burn Workshop
Written by Carolina Worrell, Senior Editor
(NS photo)
Norfolk Southern (NS) on June 21 announced that it will convene a Vent and Burn Workshop “to integrate key learnings for the betterment of any future scenario where a vent and burn may be necessary.”
According to the Class I, the Workgroup, which was conceived as part of the agreement reached between the Department of Justice (DOJ), the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the Department of the Interior (DOI) and NS following the Feb. 3, 2023, train derailment in East Palestine, Ohio, the Vent and Burn Workgroup “establishes a formal process by which NS may obtain input from key stakeholders on ways to improve coordination in any future Unified Command response to a derailment.”
The Workgroup will be composed of leaders from across stakeholder groups who have a role to play in responding to rail accidents.
Over the next six months, subject to final court approval of the settlement, NS says it will hold conversations with key safety stakeholders “to determine criteria for Workgroup participation.” Once established, the Workgroup will “assess current practices and existing protocols that are currently being utilized.”
The Workgroup, NS says, “continues the company’s focus over the past 18 months on advances in protocols and culture that are making NS an industry leader in rail safety.” In the last year, the Class I:
- “Achieved a 38% reduction in its mainline accident rate, placing the company among the best of the Class I railroads.
- “Installed digital train inspection portals featuring machine-learning vision inspection technology to augment their robust inspection process.
- “Became the first Class I railroad to join the Federal Railroad Administration’s Confidential Close Call Reporting System (C3RS).
- “Enhanced training for all field-based operations employees.
- “Deployed the ‘Safety Up’ mobile app to its entire workforce.”
“When a vent and burn procedure is being considered, the health and safety of surrounding communities and emergency responders is top priority,” said NS President and CEO Alan Shaw. “We look forward to surfacing learnings that can strengthen rail safety for everyone.”
“There is no finish line when it comes to improving safety,” said NS Chief Safety Officer John Fleps. “While rail remains the safest way to transport goods over land, as a learning organization we will continue looking for improvements in all that we do.”
NS’s safety updates can be found in the company’s Midyear Safety Report.
