A large plume of smoke rises over East Palestine, Ohio, after a controlled detonation of a portion of the derailed Norfolk Southern trains Monday, Feb. 6, 2023. The Texas Railroad Commission is urging Congress to block a bipartisan railroad safety bill designed to prevent similar disasters from happening.We're not talking about its laissez-faire approach to protecting our water and air from pipe ruptures and methane flaring.
The commission was originally created in the late 19th century to regulate rates and operations of railroads. By 1917, the agency was authorized to oversee oil and gas pipelines, and as that industry boomed, the Legislature steadily entrusted commissioners with more oil and gas regulatory responsibilities. By 2005, the Legislature had transferred all railroad regulatory functions to the Texas Department of Transportation.
Too many voters still have the idea that they're electing railroad commissioners who oversee railroads. And commissioners seem just fine with that. After all, it’s easier to get away with being a flimsy oil and gas watchdog if the public doesn’t know that’s your real job.that Commissioners Christi Craddick, Wayne Christian and Jim Wright have taken a sudden interest in railroad safety. The three commissioners wrote a letter to Texas Sens.
which spilled dangerous chemicals and forced an entire community to evacuate. Cruz has come out against the bill, while Cornyn's office did not respond to our request for comment.
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