Part of the Honoring our Promise to Address Comprehensive Toxics Act of 2022, the Act makes it possible for people damaged by contaminated drinking water at the Camp Lejeune Marine Corps Base in North Carolina to recover monetary compensation from the United States government.

According to the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) in the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), upwards of one million people may have been exposed to contamination at the base. Legal experts estimate that as many as 500,000 claims could eventually be filed.

According to data from the Kansas Department of Transportation, less than half of 5,039 railroad crossings in Kansas feature active warning devices, such as flashing lights or automatic gates. Notably, active warning devices provide drivers with at least twenty seconds of warning before a train enters a railroad crossing.

After nearly being hit by a train at the same crossing, local farmer Mike Spencer had also warned local officials about the dangers at the crossing, which has a steep six-foot incline, making it difficult to see approaching trains. “I was afraid this was going to happen to somebody that was not really familiar with the crossing and how to approach it,” Spencer said. “It's just a nightmare. I look at this and I just can't believe it.”