(IRN) All but two of Illinois’ 102 counties have railways that run through them. After the derailment in Ohio, Illinois’ rail industry continues their focus on safety.
In East Palestine, Ohio, a train carrying vinyl chloride and other chemicals derailed Feb. 3. As a result, residents of the eastern Ohio township are now complaining of contaminated water and air.
Former Illinois state lawmaker and now president of the Illinois Railroad Association Tim Butler said Illinois is taking steps to prevent these incidents.
“Rail safety is at the top of the list that gets discussed every single day with these companies,” Butler told WMAY. “Its in the DNA of these companies, safety for their employees, safety for the communities, for the citizens they serve. It is at the top of the list.”
The incident in Ohio involved a trailer carrying a highly toxic chemical. Butler said they are required to carry those chemicals and believes, despite the incident, railroads are safer than carrying such materials on roadways where there are other variables that could cause wrecks.
“The industry is almost required to carry those things when another business reaches out to us and wants us to transport it,” Butler said. “On top of that, rail transport is tremendously safe.”
Buter said the industry uses billions in private dollars for upgrades, but the state has also emphasized safety through investments.
“The more we can do to create grade separations helps with safety but also helps with people getting around town easier,” Butler said. “We make a lot of investments into safety and that’s really important. That’s why its nice to see the state step up through the capital plan to invest in this. Its good for the industry and good for the people of Illinois to create safer rails.”
Illinois is the only state with all seven Class I railroads, something Butler said shows how significant Illinois is for the nation’s supply chain.
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