straightUp Loc: California

As was typical for the Obama Administration, the concern for public safety led to a regulation that mandates upgraded braking systems on trains carrying toxic material. They basically said, "ya know... these trains currently rely on old-style braking systems that were designed in the 1860's and the problem is that they requires pneumatic pressure to be pushed all the way from the front to the back and that means the the cars in the front start braking before the cars in the rear. Since Obama got smart people to think about these things, it came up that these old braking systems are at risk of causing derailments.

They were also aware of a new, modern type of braking system called ECP (Electronically Controlled Pneumatic) brakes where electronic controls insure all cars a braking at the same time. They're expensive so they decided not to force railroad companies to upgrade ALL their trains but that they SHOULD upgrade the trains used for carrying toxic material, because a derailed train carrying toxic material could be a severe risk to public health and safety.

But then Trump came along and he had different ideas. Trump doesn't know anything about trains, and unlike Obama, he wasn't into having a bunch of experts looking out for problems. What Trump *did* know is that his base LOVES it when he rolls back regulations. Apparently, that's a thing. Just hating regulations, whether they make sense or not.

"Look Melania... Every time I get rid of a regulation, I get likes!"

So, Trump rolled back the mandate on ECP brakes to the cheers of the railroad companies that didn't want to spend the money and the MAGA folks who saw it as one more example of Trump undoing the evil of Obama.

Fast forward to 2023 and sure enough, a train using the Civil War era brakes and carrying a LOT of toxic material derailed in East Palestine, OH. Toxic material ALL over the place! This was exactly what the Obama Administration was trying to avoid and now the toxic material is getting to the local water sources. Not sure if that makes much difference because Trump also rolled back all the clean water acts since the 70s',

But hey... Trump DID show up on the scene with pallets of his very own Trump Water. Or should I say, water from an existing supplier distributed in bottles with Trump labels on them. Nice one Donny.

Liberty Tree

More l*****t spin lies. The breaking system had nothing to do with the derailment.

Blade_Runner Loc: DARK SIDE OF THE MOON

If people need drinking water, who gives a s**t what label is on the bottle?

When Norfolk Southern train 32N derailed in Ohio earlier this month, it was not the first time it had experienced problems on the route. The derailment was caused by a hot box in one car's braking system. Video shows the wheel on fire minutes before the train derailed.

The train, which originated from Madison, Illinois, on the evening of Feb. 1, broke down at least once before derailing in East Palestine, Ohio, on Feb. 3, according to employees familiar with the matter.

The employees say there were concerns among those working on the train over what they believed was the train's excessive length and weight — 151 cars, 9,300 feet long, 18,000 tons — before it reached East Palestine, which contributed to both the initial breakdown and the derailment.

The Obama administration in 2015 enacted a rule that required Electronically Controlled Pneumatic brakes on trains carrying crude oil and certain hazardous materials, but only after the regulations were limited in scope following lobbying efforts. The ECP brake rules were scrapped altogether by the Trump administration.

The train also did not qualify as a high-hazard flammable train (HHFT), a designation that triggers other federal safety requirements. The NTSB in 2014 argued for a broader definition of HHFT that covered Class 2 flammable gases — a category that includes vinyl chloride, which was being carried on the train.

The Obama-era rule covered only Class 3 flammables like ethanol and crude oil.

In opposing the 2015 regulations on mandatory ECP brakes, the Association of American Railroads said it “would be extremely costly without providing an offsetting benefit.”

The lobbying group currently says on its website that ECP brakes have a “significant” failure rate. Norfolk Southern is a member of the association.

“Worse, ECP-equipped trains that became unmovable due to ECP failures blocked the track for other trains and caused far-reaching disruptions,” the group says. “Instead, railroads have often used distributed power (locomotives placed strategically throughout a train) and end-of-train devices that allow the brake signal to reach all cars of a train more quickly than when a brake signal is sent only from the lead locomotive of a train.”

The Department of T***sportation under former President Donald Trump came to the same conclusion about the costs of the ECP brakes, determining the cost would be more than three times higher than the benefits.

During President Obama’s administration, the Department of T***sportation enacted a rule requiring high-hazard cargo trains to be equipped with better brakes that allow them to stop faster.

The problem is – the train that derailed in East Palestine wasn’t designated as an HHFT and was already equipped with the automatic (ECP) brakes Obama’s DoT pushed for.

And one of them got hot.

Now we see the tragic consequences of a federal government partisan bureaucracy, with hardly any understanding or knowledge of railroad operations, regulating because regulation is what authoritarian governments do.

straightUp Loc: California

More spin from the rabid right. ;)

There is a hopeful theory that the ECP brakes would not have made a difference. That's what you desperate MAGA muffins are clinging to. But there is no way to prove that. Likewise, there is no way to prove that they WOULD have made a difference, but the point is Obama decreased the risk of disaster by mandating better brakes and Trump increased it by being an i***t and rolling back the regulation.

Very similar situation to when Trump defunded and dismantled Obama's safeguards against future p******cs and then a p******c DID hit us and a million Americans died from it. We don't know exactly what the impact Obama's safeguards against p******cs would have had but we DO know that Obama was ahead of the game and Trump was... well, reckless to say the least.

Liberty Tree

No proof does not keep you from spreading lies

straightUp Loc: California

I guess my response went over your head but to put it in a single sentence... Common sense doesn't need "proof". Good luck in your efforts to remain oblivious and loyal. ;)

Liberty Tree

Common sense is based on facts and proof but that is beyond your comprehension so remain in your h**efilled fantasy world.

WEBCO

It is not "a theory" that Obamas regulations did not apply to this train, it is a fact.

I, for one, was glad to get my property rights back from the EPA. Eight scariest words in the English language "I'm from the government, and here to help"

WEBCO

Common sense, isn't that common.

Did common sense tell you not to get the c***d19 "v*****e"?

Does common sense make people run from socialism?

Did common sense keep you from v****g for Biden?

Blade_Runner Loc: DARK SIDE OF THE MOON

What you are admitting is you don't have a clue to the reality of the train derailment and the fact that Obama's regulation did not apply to HHFT designated trains and the fact that the Norfolk Southern train 32N passed 3 HBD detectors that recorded a "hot box" developing in one car's brakes (the wheel was on fire 20 miles before the train derailed) and the fact that the crew initiated emergency braking only after the 3rd detector showed the temp 253°F above normal.

You are not interested at all in dealing with facts, you are hell bent on blaming Donald Trump. For everything.
GFY!

straightUp Loc: California

A mom tells her kid to look both ways before crossing the street. (common sense) The kids says "Oh, mom there's no proof that I'm going to get hit". (think's common sense needs proof)

So the kid steps out and get's hit by a car. As he get's loaded into an ambulance, the mom say's "I told you to look both ways before crossing the street." The kid looks up at his mom and says... "Mom, there's no proof that would have made any difference. What if I looked but kept going?" (denial, denial MAGA muffin style).

straightUp Loc: California

Of course it didn't apply to that train, or any other train for that matter... Trump rolled back the regulation, remember?


So then you're back to poisoning the water then? Nice to know all you care about is your own property rights and that you don't care if your k*****g people.

One Patriot

Hahaha... You are definitely a Democrat cheerleader...hahaha

son of witless

My friend you just made a fool of yourself. In your zeal to bash Donald J. Trump and shame his supporters you really stepped in it. Do not feel bad. Even I have done that once or twice on OPP. Yes even I have made a fool of myself, and had to admit it in front of everyone.

I will now humbly offer evidence in support of what I say. Please take note this is not Fox News or some other right wing site. I hope NPR is Left Wing enough for you. Your good friend pegw absolutely loves to bash any site that dares contradict her view of the universe by saying the fact checkers have condemned it.

The cause of the derailment was an overheated wheel bearing. Your excellent stump speech explaining how various railroad braking systems operate and your implying that the Trump Administration's roll back of regulations requiring the newer electronic braking systems caused the derailment is not true and irrelevant.

Thus your brave attempt to shift the blame for the criminally pathetic response to the accident from the Joe Biden Administration to Donald J. Trump was a wasted effort.

https://www.npr.org/2023/02/23/1158972561/east-palestine-train-derailment-ntsb-preliminary-report-wheel-bearing

" The operators of a Norfolk Southern train carrying hazardous chemicals near East Palestine, Ohio, earlier this month tried to stop the train after a wheel bearing overheated to a dangerous degree, the National T***sportation Safety Board said. "

straightUp Loc: California

LOL... Well, maybe not in YOUR circles. That would certainly explain things.


Common sense told me to seek medical opinions rather than put my faith in quack conspiracy theories.


Depends on the kind of socialism.


No, it encouraged me to v**e for Biden.

Any more stupid questions?