Transportation Sec. Buttigieg speaks out against US freight rail companies: 'Stop fighting us'

Pete Buttigieg, U.S. Secretary of Transportation: "Norfolk Southern and the other freight rail need to stop fighting us every time we try to do a regulation, in order to hold them accountable and other railroad companies accountable, for their safety. And what we've seen is the industry goes to Washington and they get their way. They got their way on the ECP rule, they got their way on a Christmas tree of regulatory changes that the last administration made on its way out the door in December of 2020. I think they're getting their way on their fines being too low. I'm sorry, if the biggest fine we can charge on a violation is $250,000 or less, and that's an egregious HAZMAT violation could get somebody killed. It is not enough for multi-billion dollar companies."