WaPo Dismisses Claims That Trump-Era Policies Caused Train Derailment
After a train carrying hazardous chemicals derailed on Feb. 3 at East Palestine, Ohio, leaving public health and environmental concerns in its wake, many on the Left have heaped the blame on Trump-era policies that rolled back safety protocols, the Washington Post has invalidated those claims, saying former President Donald Trump should not be held responsible for the disaster.
https://twitter.com/angie_anson/status/1630544003492982785?s=46&t=WmesRWZqPllWtOlU92Sa_g
The network’s fact-checker Glenn Kessler conducted a study on “every single possible regulatory change” made during Trump’s administration that could have led to the toxic spills residents of the East Palestine town have to deal with. But he said he found nothing that suggests Trump’s culpability.
“From our analysis, none of the regulatory changes made during the Trump administration at this point can be cited as contributing to the accident,” Kessler wrote in his report.
Biden administration officials such as Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg and White House deputy press secretary Andrew Bates have made numerous claims in a bid to paint the narrative that his administration’s decisions led to the train derailment.
Among these claims are speculations that the train would not have derailed if the policy requiring trains carrying highly flammable materials to use electronically controlled pneumatic (ECP) brakes had not been thrown out by Trump’s administration. However, Kessler said the brakes would not have made a difference, as the train had already derailed by the time the train crew activated the emergency braking system.
Kessler further pointed out that there was never an attempt by the Biden administration to reinstate the policy that suddenly matters a lot.
Kessler’s conclusion aligns with National Transportation Safety Board Chair Jennifer Homendy’s prior dismissal of the allegations. She had also told CNN that while electronically controlled pneumatic braking improves safety, it would not have prevented the train derailment.
Reinforcing another of Kessler’s points, she also said in a tweet that the train that got derailed would not have been qualified for ECP braking had the rule remained in place.
https://twitter.com/jenniferhomendy/status/1626379362189672451?s=46&t=WmesRWZqPllWtOlU92Sa_g
Kessler’s report also tackled the claims based on an Obama-era policy Trump canceled that would have required a two-person crew on the train. This had no impact on the incident, he said, as the train had three workers — two crew members and a trainee — onboard when the derailment happened.
Kessler also ruled out the claim that a Trump-era rule that loosened brake safety inspection requirements was a factor in the accident. According to his report, no determination has been made based on the speculation that the new braking system contributed to the incident
that has residents complaining of slow response by the government.