Federal investigators plan to release the cause of last year’s Norfolk Southern train derailment in East Palestine, Ohio, this summer.
On Wednesday, the National Transportation Safety Board announced it will hold its final board meeting on the incident at 9:30 a.m. ET on June 25 at East Palestine High School.
During the meeting, the NTSB will vote on the “final findings, probable cause and recommendations. The board will also vote on any changes to the draft final report,” according to a news release.
NTSB Chairwoman Jennifer Homendy will also be in East Palestine that week to host two community meetings aimed at providing an opportunity for the public to ask questions.
“The NTSB is returning to East Palestine for our final board meeting for the same reasons we went last summer: Because the communities most affected by this tragedy deserve to hear our findings in-person and in real-time,” Homendy said in the news release.
The meeting will be streamed here.
How we got here
The incident began on Feb. 3, 2023, when a Norfolk Southern train derailed in East Palestine, a town of about 5,000 residents.
The derailment included 11 tank cars carrying hazardous materials that subsequently ignited, fueling fires that damaged an additional 12 rail cars that did not derail, according to the NTSB. First responders implemented a 1-mile evacuation zone surrounding the derailment site, affecting up to 2,000 residents.
As of Feb. 2, the Environmental Protection Agency said cleanup efforts of the hazardous materials were still ongoing, with Norfolk Southern working at the scene. The EPA estimates work could be done this summer.
In its preliminary report, the NTSB said an overheated wheel bearing on a freight car is believed to have caused the derailment.
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