Federal safety investigators and some members of Congress want to expand special safety rules that apply to trains carrying a lot of flammable material to the much larger number of trains carrying smaller amounts, saying the risk to thousands of U.S. communities is far greater than currently known.
Aging U.S. railroad bridges self-inspected, findings kept secret
With no public access to railroad inspection reports, warnings of decay, collapse and environmental spills stay hidden By Lex Doig, Jaehee Kim and Adrian Mancera Cota Howard Center for Investigative Journalism at Arizona State University CORVALLIS, Oregon – The fire…
Many towns unprepared for derailments, hazmat spills that can trigger fires, evacuations
A train derails and releases at least 1,000 gallons of hazardous chemicals in the U.S. about once every two months. Many communities along the rail lines aren’t prepared to keep people safe when it happens.
How you can learn more about local transportation of hazardous materials
If you’re interested in learning more about the transportation of hazardous materials through your community, here’s a quick guide to government resources and publicly available information.
In the deep woods, a little owl teaches big lessons
Secretive and long misunderstood, saw-whet owl is now much better known – thanks in part to Susan Hengeveld.
Trump administration policies pose threats to Maryland’s ambitious climate efforts
President Donald Trump has long called climate change “a hoax,” and since returning to office in January, his administration has treated it as that.
About Off the Rails
The image of swirling toxic smoke and flames from a spectacular train derailment in East Palestine, Ohio, in 2023 has faded. But the serious questions it raised remain. Why have safety recommendations to more tightly regulate trains carrying hazardous materials…
The industrial sector: phasing out pollutants
What are the policies? The cement industry in Maryland — the largest industrial emitter of greenhouse gases — has a voluntary goal of net zero emissions by 2050. Legislation was passed in 2023 to mitigate the environmental impacts of cement…
The electricity sector: transitioning to renewables
What are the policies? Maryland’s current climate plan includes two longstanding energy policies. One, called the Renewable Portfolio Standard, sets a goal to have just over half of the state’s electricity come from renewables by 2030. Maryland is also a…