After the dust settled, the Marshalls Creek explosion became a textbook example of the dangers of hazardous materials on roadways. In the days that followed, testimonies were heard by congress, urging them to act to prevent another tragedy such as this, and was a catalyst for the 1974 Transportation Safety Act (TSA).
Rep. Rooney of Pennsylvania stated in the Congressional Record of the House of Representatives on Tues., June 30, 1964, “I spent all of this past Saturday afternoon in the area where the explosion occurred and I tell the Members of this House today, without equivocation, that nothing I saw as a member of the Armed Forces in Word War II was more terrible and more tragic than the scenes of devastation and havoc which resulted from the occurrence in Monroe County, Pa., early last Friday morning. The loss of life was unbelievable for an accident of this kind— but the sobering thought is that it could have been worse— much worse.” Rep. Rooney then goes on the state, “I believe, with all my heart, that the Interstate Commerce Commission, in these proceedings, will have an opportunity to perform on of the greatest and most signal public services in its long and distinguished history.” In regards to passing stricter regulations when it comes to the transport of hazardous materials.
Rep. Rooney also addressed The House of Representatives and is stated in the Congressional Record from Fri., Aug. 7, 1964 that “it is imperative that steps be taken— both at the Federal and state levels— to make certain that this tragedy, similar in so many deadly ways to what happened 5 years ago in downtown Rosenburg, Oreg., shall not happen again.” He also stated in the record “For purposes of comparison, the truck which exploded at Marshalls Creek contained almost two and a half times the quantity of explosives that devastated … Rosenberg.” He then went on to list laws that should be put in place, including: Highly visible markings on trucks carrying explosives, vehicles carrying explosives cannot be left unattended at any time, vehicles carrying explosives over two tons need at least two people, Nitro-Carbo-Nitrate be classified as an explosive, and the quantity of explosives allowed to be transported be reduced considerably.
During the Federal Role in Traffic Safety Hearings before the United States Senate on Aug. 4, 1965, the explosion was addressed and the Interstate Commerce Commission’s (ICC) Investigation report from October 1964 was included. It was stated that “The explosion of a trailer laden with dynamite and other blasting agents in June 1964 at Marshalls Creek, Pa., has indicated a need for more rigid requirements with respect to inspection of vehicles and tires, and more thorough instruction and examination of drivers.”
In later decades, the 1964 explosion lead to a “complete revamp of entire regulatory system (for transporting hazardous materials) from top to bottom,” said Al Roberts, who was the Interstate Commerce Commission’s lead investigator of the accident. Roberts, who went from the ICC to the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Office of Hazardous Materials, helped push through regulations requiring drivers transporting explosives to stay with their vehicles. Roberts felt so strongly about this because the events of that day in Marshalls Creek were so brazen. The culmination of these efforts led to the enactment of the TSA of 1974. The explosion also caused 17 local fire chiefs to petition state and local representatives to have specific precautions designed to protect any volunteers from encountering a similar situation.
The tragedy not only garnered local attention, but was national news. “I could be 600 miles away, and people knew about Marshalls Creek,” [6] said the former fire chief of Marshalls Creek, Pete Dimmick. The explosion was also featured in several firefighting publications, including Volunteer Firefighter magazine, which called ICC standards into question. “Cox, a high-ranking ICC official, said the ICC should develop standards regulating the size, condition and tire pressure of tires used on vehicles hauling explosives,” In addition to other regulations mentioned prior.
In addition to drawing national attention to the lacking standards in transporting explosives and the loss of life, the blast had the attention-grabbing element of 200 poisonous snakes getting lose in the aftermath of the explosion. The blast leveled the nearby Pocono Reptile Farm, scattering the snakes, monkeys, and iguanas in the area.
On the 50th Anniversary of the explosion, the General Assembly of Pennsylvania passed House Resolution No. 908, recognizing the anniversary of the explosion and remembering the lives of the three Marshalls Creek Fire Fighters. The resolution also notes the impact the explosion had on the passing of the TSA of 1974, “which law, among other things, requires placards to be visible on trailers carrying certain hazardous materials.”
