ATLANTA, June 21,
2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Norfolk Southern Corporation
(NYSE: NSC) will convene a Vent and Burn Workgroup to integrate key
learnings for the betterment of any future scenario where a vent
and burn may be necessary. The Workgroup, which is an element of
Norfolk Southern's recent settlement with the Department of Justice
and Environmental Protection Agency, 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, Norfolk Southern 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.
"When a vent and burn procedure is being considered, the health
and safety of surrounding communities and emergency responders is
top priority," said Alan Shaw,
President and CEO of Norfolk Southern. "We look forward to
surfacing learnings that can strengthen rail safety for
everyone."
Conceived as part of the agreement reached between the
Department of Justice, the Environmental Protection Agency, the
Department of Interior and Norfolk Southern following the
Feb. 3, 2023 train derailment in
East Palestine, Ohio, the Vent and
Burn Workgroup establishes a formal process by which Norfolk
Southern may obtain input from key stakeholders on ways to improve
coordination in any future Unified Command response to a
derailment.
The Workgroup continues the company's focus over the past 18
months on advances in protocols and culture that are making Norfolk
Southern an industry leader in rail safety. In the last year,
Norfolk Southern:
- 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 employee operations.
- Deployed the "Safety Up" mobile app to its entire
workforce.
Norfolk Southern's safety updates can be found in the company's
Midyear Safety Report.
"There is no finish line when it comes to improving safety,"
said John Fleps, Chief Safety
Officer at Norfolk Southern. "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."
About Norfolk Southern
Since 1827, Norfolk Southern Corporation (NYSE: NSC) and its
predecessor companies have safely moved the goods and materials
that drive the U.S. economy. Today, it operates a customer-centric
and operations-driven freight transportation network. Committed to
furthering sustainability, Norfolk Southern helps its customers
avoid approximately 15 million tons of yearly carbon emissions by
shipping via rail. Its dedicated team members deliver more than 7
million carloads annually, from agriculture to consumer goods, and
Norfolk Southern originates more automotive traffic than any other
Class I Railroad. Norfolk Southern also has the most extensive
intermodal network in the eastern U.S. It serves a majority of the
country's population and manufacturing base, with connections to
every major container port on the Atlantic coast as well as major
ports in the Gulf of Mexico and
Great Lakes. Learn more by visiting www.NorfolkSouthern.com.
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SOURCE Norfolk Southern Corporation