When I published my novel Trails in the Sand in 2013, I had hoped one of my messages would be heard and repeated. On the surface, the novel appears to be a family saga with more secrets and drama than an afternoon soap opera. That was my vehicle for telling the story of two major corporate disasters that occurred within fifteen days of one another in 2010. Both disasters and the death of forty men should never have happened.

BP’s Deepwater Horizon explosion that caused a major oil spill and killed eleven men working on the rig should not have gone forward. One of the workers, before his death, noted that Mother Nature didn’t want them drilling there because of the many failed attempts. However, the master minds at the top ignored the warnings and moved forward into one major tragedy for humans, wildlife, and the environment.

Similarly, Massey Energy’s Upper Big Branch mine explosion in West Virginia on April 5, 2010, would not have happened if Massey Energy and its CEO Don Blankenship had received more than taps on the fingertips for their unsafe practices over the years. Cutting corners to pad the pockets of the big guys at the top became the standard practice and cost the life of twenty-nine miners when the unsafe conditions in the mine caused the explosion.

Thirteen years later, another disaster has occurred, and it appears the same corporate mentality brought about an environmental and health tragedy for the many residents living near the train derailment near East Palestine, Ohio. Norfolk Southern, the responsible party, has been accused of unsafe practices as well.

This time around get it right, folks. Use Norfolk Southern as the new standard for halting the practices of corporate greediness. A fine is merely a penny in their deep pockets while they fly far away from wherever they’ve left their toxic residue on the tracks running through the backbone of this country.

Make Norfolk Southern accountable for the fear and danger they unleashed when their cars derailed in a small town that may have to pay the highest cost of all.

Grab your copy of Trails in the Sand by clicking here.