Another Norfolk Southern train derails, this time in Alabama

"They did not breach. There is no hazardous material leak. There is no risk at all to the public," a railroad spokesperson said.

By Ben Whedon

Yet another Norfolk Southern train derailed Thursday morning, hours before the railroad CEO appeared before Congress to account for an Ohio derailment that saw toxic materials leak from the railcars.

The Thursday morning derailment occurred near White Plains, Alabama, according to the Calhoun County Emergency Management Agency.

EMA Director Myles Chamblee said that 30 cars had been derailed around 6:45 a.m., noting "there was no injuries, no fire, no road blockages." Connor Spielmaker, a spokesperson for the railroad, said two of the cars were "residue" cars that previously held hazardous material.

"They did not breach. There is no hazardous material leak. There is no risk at all to the public," he assured the community.

The derailment is another black eye to Norfolk Southern, which became the target of intense scrutiny following the February derailment of one of its trains near East Palestine, Ohio. That wreck saw hazardous materials leak from the railcars, forcing an evacuation of the town.

CEO Alan Shaw on Thursday appeared before Congress to apologize and account for that incident, saying "I’m terribly sorry for the impact this derailment has had on the folks of that community... We’re going to be there for as long as it takes to help East Palestine thrive and recover," according to the New York Post.

Ohio Sens. Sherrod Brown, D, and J.D. Vance, R, have since led a bipartisan rail safety bill that would raise the minimum crew limits on trains and strengthen safeguards for railcar wheel bearings in the wake of the episode, though the measure has thus far struggled to attract meaningful Republican support.

Ben Whedon is an editor and reporter for Just the News. Follow him on Twitter.