WASHINGTON, D.C. — The latest rail disaster, a train derailment and hazardous materials spill near Raymond, Minnesota, underscores the urgent need for Congress and the Biden Administration to strengthen public health and safety requirements for trains carrying hazardous and flammable materials.

“This latest train derailment and potential public health ecological disaster near Raymond, Minnesota, is just the latest example of why we need our leaders to address the imminent threat train disasters are posing to people and wildlife alike,” said Mustafa Santiago Ali, executive vice president of the National Wildlife Federation. “Freight train lines often run through frontline and lower-wealth communities — leaving the victims of historic environmental injustices at risk of being the latest sacrifice zone due to chemical spills and fires. Congress and the Biden Administration need to do everything they can to protect communities from rail disasters, including reverse the last administration’s deregulatory steps, before more communities become the next Raymond, Minnesota, or East Palestine, Ohio