After the East Palestine disaster, Congress needs to pass the Derail Act | Chris Deluzio and Rohit Khanna

Our legislation will help to address the wrongs of what happened in Ohio

On February 3, a freight train carrying hazardous materials derailed in the town of East Palestine, Ohio, just across the state line with Pennsylvania. A fire erupted, an evacuation order was issued, and the dangerous chemical being transported, vinyl chloride, was spilled. It's a devastating tragedy and one that could have been prevented.

One of us represents constituents in Beaver county, Pennsylvania, and the people who live, work and play just miles from the site of the Norfolk Southern derailment. The other has spent six years visiting factory towns, rural communities and working on policies to bring manufacturing and technology jobs to communities decimated by globalization. Residents are scared about their health and livelihoods. They are unsure whether the air, water and soil will be safe after this disaster. They want answers, accountability and assurance that something like this will never happen again.

Congressman Chris Deluzio is a US representative from Pennsylvania's 17th district

Congressman Rohit Khanna is US representative from California's 17th congressional district