'We Were Lucky': Whitemarsh Train Derailment Narrowly Avoided Disaster, Officials Say

WHITEMARSH TOWNSHIP, PA — The derailment of a CSX train on Norfolk Southern tracks in Montgomery County earlier this week narrowly avoided disaster, according to local and state leaders who are reiterating calls for systemic change to the freight industry.

Authorities are using similar rhetoric as they did following the East Palestine catastrophe that caused massive spillage and environmental and human health concerns in western Pennsylvania and eastern Ohio. Specifically, they say new legislation is needed to hold major freight lines accountable.

"This derailment in PA is just the latest sign that something HAS to change," U.S. Sen. John Fetterman said in a statement. "Whether it’s Norfolk Southern, CSX, or the other big rail companies: putting profits over public safety must end."

See also: Derailed Train Cars In Whitemarsh Were Carrying Cancerous Chemical

Fetterman advocated for support for his bill, the federal Railway Safety Act. Local authorities agreed.

"As I mentioned before, we were lucky," Whitemarsh Board Of Supervisors Chair Fran McCusker said. "We know the incident could have been much worse. That is why we echo the calls of our federal and state legislators to take measures addressing rail safety."

None of the 15 derailed cars on the 40-car train leaked. The cause of the crash remains unknown, but an investigation is underway.

Eight of the cars that derailed were empty, but five contained urea, a liquid fertilizer. Another car contained tetrachloroethylene, which is a degreaser chemical used in dry cleaning. Urea is not considered toxic except when exposed to severe heat, because it can release ammonia, according to health experts. Tetrachloroethylene exposure, conversely, can cause cancer, according to the Centers for Disease Control. Cancer is mainly associated with long term exposure.

McCusker later added "good fortune was on our side."

The only freight that leaked from the derailment was silicon pellets, described by officials as "harmless."

Proposed legislation would bring about much stricter safety standards, for everything from increased crew size to decreased train length.