Recorded (3/24/2023) and Uploaded (3/30/2023)

In this Special Interview we speak with 40 year rail veteran "Fritz" Edler. We discuss this July's 10 year anniversary of the Lac-Mégantic wreck and the similarities and differences between that rail disaster and the toxic derailment in East Palestine OH. We also talk about the absolute necessity of nationalizing the Railroads and bringing them into public ownership so that they can actually provide the public utility they were intended to provide.

You can hear our previous interview with Fritz here (SNV Special Interview: Will Railroad Workers Go On Strike In The US?): https://soundcloud.com/socialistnewsandviews/snv-special-interview-will-railroad-workers-go-on-strike-in-the-us

Links related to topics covered in this special (in order of date):

Lac-Mégantic rail disaster (on Wikipedia): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lac-M%C3%A9gantic_rail_disaster

Railway Investigation Report R13D0054 (Jul 6, 2013): https://www.tsb.gc.ca/eng/rapports-reports/rail/2013/r13d0054/r13d0054.html

MMA train that derailed and exploded at Lac-Mégantic nearly 3,000 tonnes too heavy, trial hears (Nov 14, 2017): https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/montreal/mma-trial-train-overweight-1.4367611

‘Wrong people on trial’ for Lac-Mégantic disaster: support group (Jan 4, 2018): https://www.rcinet.ca/en/2018/01/04/wrong-people-on-trial-for-lac-megantic-disaster-support-group/

‘BOMB TRAIN’: OIL EXECS TRY TO BLAME WORKERS FOR TRAGIC ACCIDENT (Jan 26, 2018): https://therealnews.com/bomb-train-oil-execs-try-to-blame-workers-for-tragic-accident

Simple Solutions Can Safeguard Against Catastrophic Train Events (Aug 10, 2021): https://www.sierraclub.org/illinois/woods-wetlands/blog/2021/08/simple-solutions-can-safeguard-against-catastrophic-train

How Private Equity Looted America (May 6, 2022): https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2022/05/private-equity-apollo-blackstone-kkr-carlyle-carried-interest-loophole/

Nationalize the Railroads (12/08/2022): https://jacobin.com/2022/12/nationalize-railroad-companies-railworkers-monopolism-regulation-financialization

Railroad Nationalization Must Be Part of the Green New Deal (Feb 5, 2023): http://ecology.iww.org/node/5356

Fiery Ohio Train Wreck the Result of "PSR" (Feb 7, 2023): https://myemail.constantcontact.com/Press-Release--Fiery-Ohio-Train-Wreck-the-Result-of--PSR-.html?soid=1116509035139&aid=RspHKqRlJkg

The East Palestine, Ohio, train wreck didn’t have to be this bad (Feb 16, 2023): https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/23597778/ohio-train-east-palestine-trainwreck-accident-chemical-norfolk

Train disaster risks high, despite dire warnings like toxic Ohio crash, Lac-Mégantic tragedy (Feb 28, 2023): https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/ohio-derailment-canada-rail-safety-megantic-warnings-tsb-disaster-prevention-1.6763393

There are about 3 U.S. train derailments per day. They aren't usually major disasters (Mar 9, 2023): https://www.npr.org/2023/03/09/1161921856/there-are-about-3-u-s-train-derailments-per-day-they-arent-usually-major-disaste#:~:text=In%202022%2C%20there%20were%20more,roughly%20three%20derailments%20per%20day.

Norfolk Southern Railway Train Derailment with Subsequent Hazardous Material Release and Fires (Updated Mar 21, 2023): https://www.ntsb.gov/investigations/Pages/RRD23MR005.aspx

The EPA waited weeks to test for dioxins after East Palestine derailment. Residents and advocates now demand more transparency. (Mar 27, 2023): https://www.post-gazette.com/news/environment/2023/03/27/east-palestine-epa-dioxins-testing-norfolk-southern/stories/202303240123

#railroads #nationalizetherailroads #raildisaster #toxicspill #lacmeganticwreck