The Ohio Senate unanimously approved the state’s two-year transportation budget that includes provisions in response to the East Palestine train derailment disaster.

The $13.5 billion spending bill approved Thursday has to be reconciled with the $12.6 billion transportation budget approved March 1 by the House. The two legislative bodies will iron out the differences in a conference committee.

The budget is funded through the state’s gas tax and used for road, highway and bridge projects.

Because of the Feb. 3 Norfolk Southern train derailment in East Palestine that released toxic chemicals into the environment, the state Legislature added rail safety provisions to the transportation budget bill.

The Senate bill requires wayside detector systems to be installed in 10-mile increments and at a distance of no more than 15 miles based on terrain. The House bill didn’t include that provision.

Wayside detectors scan passing trains to detect possible safety issues and send emergency alerts to train operators when a defect is detected.

Federal investigators said the Norfolk Southern train that derailed passed three wayside detectors, including two that registered a high increase in temperature, but below the company’s threshold. Shortly after a third detector triggered an alarm, the train derailed.

Like the state House version, the Senate bill requires the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio to study and submit a report within 90 days regarding best practices for hot boxes and bearing temperature failure detectors, acoustic detectors that identify failing bearings and evaluate the need for installing wayside detectors.

The train derailed after a wheel bearing overheated.

State Sen. Michael Rulli, R-Salem, who represents East Palestine, said he is “pleased the Senate made these changes that are designed to find ways to improve rail safety. The derailment in East Palestine hurt the community immensely and will be felt by our neighbors there for years to come. We must do better.”

The Senate kept House language that requires a minimum of two-person crews on each locomotive cab that travels through Ohio. The Norfolk Southern train that derailed in East Palestine had a three-person crew.

State legislators say the two-person crew minimum is a federal issue, but wanted to lend support.

HOUSE RAIL RESOLUTION

The House approved a resolution Thursday urging Congress to address rail safety by requiring railroad companies to inform local and state governments when trains are carrying potentially hazardous materials through their area.

Bills have been introduced in the U.S. House and Senate by members of the Ohio delegation to do that as a result of the East Palestine derailment.

The resolution was sponsored by state Reps. Lauren McNally, D-Youngstown, and Monica Robb Blasdel, R-Columbiana, who has East Palestine in her district.

“Despite the training carrying 20 cars that held hazardous materials, it was not considered a ‘high-hazard flammable train’ by federal regulations so the railroads were not required to notify anyone at the state or local level of what was being transported through our neighborhoods,” Robb Blasdel said. “It is essential that Congress reassess these conditions and demand the transparency of valuable safety information.”