The derailment of a 150-car train carrying hazardous material in East Palestine, Ohio, was likely more severe because the Trump administration repealed key safety legislation, according to an industry insider.
Speaking to investigative news outlet The Lever, Steven Ditmeyer, a former top official at the Federal Railroad Administration, said the "severity" of the accident was likely increased by the lack of Electronically Controlled Pneumatic (ECP) brakes.
Legislation was passed under President Obama that made it a legal requirement for trains carrying hazardous flammable materials to have ECP brakes, but this was rescinded in 2017 by the Trump administration.
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