Mandate for two-person rail crews pushed as public safety measure In Nebraska Legislature [Video]

The U.S. government is ordering railway operator Norfolk Southern to clean up contaminated soil and water at the site of a hazardous train derailment in East Palestine, Ohio, where officials are trying to convince wary residents their tap water is safe to drink.

LINCOLN — In spring 2015, Jeff Cooley was the conductor on a coal trail headed west out of North Platte. The train had just hit 50 miles an hour when he saw something on the track ahead.

The engineer thought it might be a dead animal or maybe a turkey. After a few more seconds, Cooley noticed hair blowing in the wind and started the emergency braking process.

The obstruction turned out to be a 4-year-old girl, sitting on the tracks, crying because her parents were fighting at home, Cooley said. The girl, fortunately, was unharmed. But the experience left the North Platte railroader even more convinced …

Tags Clean, Clean Coal, Clean Coal Equipment, Clean Coal Mining Industry, Coal